Table of conTenTs

Message from the CEO

What’s New

Community Outreach

Feature Story

Multicultural Outreach Program

Eye Bank

Hospital Development

Did You Know

Upcoming Events

A Donate Life Organization

mission

The Center for Organ

Recovery & Education

(CORE) is a non-profit

organization dedicated

to promoting donation,

education, and research

for the purpose of

saving and improving

the quality of life

through organ,

tissue, and cornea

transplantation.

message from The ceo susan stuart, center for organ recovery & education ceo

We have a lot to celebrate at CORE this fall, including the upcoming Hospital Donation Collaborative where we will honor the hardworking hospitals that earned awards in our Hospital Association-led Hospital Challenges.

From February through May, hospitals in Pennsylvania and West Virginia participated in a challenge aimed at increasing public awareness and organ donor designations within healthcare settings. We are excited to announce the winners of platinum, gold, silver and bronze medals at our Hospital Collaborative in October.

The collaborative is an informative event featuring learning sessions, awards and speakers. The program’s goal is to increase critical thinking and knowledge related to donation in order to provide a higher level of care to this unique patient population. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

We’re also looking forward to this year’s Donate Life Rose Parade Float.

Each year, CORE partners with Donate Life America to support the Donate Life float that is featured in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. on New Year’s Day. The float is a way for us to thank organ, tissue and cornea donors for their gifts of life. One of the highlights of this year’s float is the “Dedication Garden,” which fills the deck of the float and contains a rose in a vial carrying unique and personal messages from individuals, families and organizations.

We are challenging every hospital CEO in our service area to provide a handwritten dedication on one of the rose vials that will be placed in this garden.

We will be keeping track of which hospitals have accepted this challenge and will include an update in each end-of-the-month letter up until the deadline of Nov. 21.

Thank you for your participation as we prepare for both the Hospital Donation Collaborative and the Dedication Garden in the coming weeks. They are important events that raise awareness for organ, tissue and cornea donation, locally and across the country.

August 2014

sTaTisTicsNational Waiting List: 123,331

CORE Waiting List: 2,784

• Every 10 minutes another name is added to the waiting list.

• On average, 18 people will pass each day waiting for their life saving transplant.

• 90% of Americans say they support donation, yet only 30% actually know the essential steps to take to be a donor.

• One organ and tissue donor can save 8 lives and enhance the lives of more than 50 individuals.

WhaT’s neW2014 Pennsylvania Donation collaborative

The 2014 Pennsylvania Donation Collaborative “Back to the Future of Donation” will be held October 21, 2014 at the Sheraton at Station Square with a welcoming reception the evening prior. This year’s Donation Collaborative will focus on the past, present, and future of organ and tissue

donation by highlighting brain death and donor management during a case-review by Dr. Paul Lange from Gift of Life Michigan, Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion by Dr. Christian Bermudez of UPMC, and the future of Donate Life America presented by David Fleming (President and CEO of Donate Life America) during the plenary sessions. The breakout sessions will focus on organ allocation and recent challenges, improvements in communication stemming from the RPG survey, innovation in the form of moving organ donors, and a workshop which will focus on an update from the National Community of Practice meeting and CORE’s development of the e-learning module.

The conference is offered free to healthcare professionals throughout the DSA, targeting nurses, social work, respiratory, and physicians. The conference will offer a potential 7.6 CE for nursing and 6.3 CME for other professions.

Also during the conference, a ceremony will be held to honor those hospitals who earned bronze, silver, gold, or platinum awards during the 2014 Hospital Challenge. A separate invite will be sent to the CEO and CNO of those hospitals so that they may accept the award.

Registration will be open until October 15th. register today to save your seat. erie seaWolves organ DonaTion aWareness nighT

communiTy ouTreach core volunteer Task forces: spreading awareness in your own community

Are you looking to spread awareness about organ donation right in your backyard? Do you want to get to know people near you who’ve also been affected by a life-saving transplant? Are you interested in being educated about the latest information and trends in organ procurement? If you answered yes to any of these questions, joining a CORE volunteer task force could be just what you’re looking for.

CORE’s service area includes more than five million people in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Spreading awareness within this large territory can be a challenge for CORE’s Community Outreach Department. That’s where the CORE volunteer task forces come in. CORE volunteer task forces are located in 10 local communities spread across the CORE service region—from Altoona to Erie to Washington to Charleston, there is, more than likely, a local CORE volunteer task force in your area.

So often we’ve heard that a CORE volunteer would like to do more but that events in Pittsburgh or Charleston are just too far away. A CORE volunteer task force is an opportunity for many people who’ve been touched by transplantation to volunteer for CORE, close to home. On the flip side, who better to inform a community about organ, tissue and cornea transplantation, than someone from within that community? Who better to encourage someone to make the powerful decision to donate LIFE, than a neighbor or friend?

Besides focusing outward to the community, the CORE volunteer task forces also serve as a time to reflect inward. As part of a task force, you will have the opportunity to join a community of people near you, who like yourself, have also been touched by organ and tissue donation. Because many participants have similar experiences and concerns, task force members often provide emotional support, advice and encouragement for one another.

Each CORE volunteer task force meets monthly so that members have a chance to share their stories, connect with one another, plan and organize local volunteer awareness events, and receive on-going training from a CORE professional.

If you are interested in learning more about joining a CORE volunteer task force, for PA please contact Katelynn Metz at kmetz@core.org or Christy Conley at cconley@core.org for WV.

feaTure sTory bill Weborg: larger than life

‘Larger than Life’ seems like an obvious description for a man who stood six and a half feet tall, but the enormity of Bill Weborg and the life that he shared simply can’t be measured in stature alone. Yes, Bill was larger than life, in how he lived his, but more importantly, in how he touched others’.

Around the time of his liver transplant, he received phone calls at his home from men and women across the country who were awaiting organ transplants. Word had gotten out that if you were feeling nervous or uncertain about the medical hardships you faced, Bill Weborg was the man to call. And he always answered. Sometimes he’d stay up late into the night just talking with people--with complete strangers--about the gift of life, how it was theirs to give as well as receive. He continued that mission as a CORE Volunteer until he passed, providing comfort and education to others before and after their transplants. Bill just had a way. By unapologetically being himself, by never missing an opportunity to spread cheer, he brought hope back into the lives of people struggling to make sense of the new road that lay before them.

Now, when friends and family recall their time spent with Bill, they speak of his genial nature and his smile, that immediate window into a spirit that overflowed with positivity. Just days after his liver transplant in August of 1991, Bill entertained a steady stream of visitors to his room at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. “You think Mercedes would hire me as a spokesman?” He’d joke, pointing at the incision scar that stretched in an upside down ‘Y’ from his waist up to his chest. The friends, the family, the friends who lied about being family just so they could spend time with him, the hospital staff, the nurses, doctors, technicians--everyone who stopped in during his recovery to make sure he was okay--left with those concerns put to rest. Lying in his hospital gown, plugged into countless monitoring devices in those critical days after surgery, his quips and his charm let everyone know he was fine. Even if he wasn’t, you would have never known. He never lost site of the fact that his was a life renewed thanks to a liver that had belonged to a person from Seattle.

In the 22 years that followed, Bill passed that life along to hundreds of others. As an award-winning architect, he groomed young professionals, helping expand the networks of contractors, engineers, designers, anyone who he could help. As a member of his church he sang in the choir, served as an elder and trustee. As an Eagle Scout, he served with his local councils, organizing events and mentoring the younger scouts. As a volunteer educator, he shared with local students his knowledge and love of architecture, sustainability and conservation. He served on dozens of boards, committees, councils and more, and yet, while Bill so effortlessly gave his time and his energy

while asking for nothing in return, nothing meant more to him than family. He never boasted about his own accomplishments, but if you spent any amount of time with him, you knew exactly what his wife, Dawn, and what his son, Lars, were up to. They were his light, his purpose and his source for the endless joy he so graciously passed along to all whom he met.

But when Bill completed his life this past March, he gave what might have been his most important gift of all, the promise of a better future for individuals needing corneas, tendons, bone and skin. Just as he was given another chance at a fulfilling life, he had the chance to give back to others. Bill was always grateful to the person and to the family who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that he could go on living. He would be incredibly happy to know that his last Earthly deed was granting others that same opportunity, so that they may now strive for a life as large as his.

aTTenTion volunTeers

CORE is happy to announce we will be utilizing new software, Volgistics to assist with the volunteer program. Please take a few minutes to fill out the new online application if you have not already.

This will ensure that we have the most accurate information about you as it is certainly possible that some of your information (particularly your contact information) may have changed since you first filled out the paper application. Secondly, there is new information we are gathering on the online application that we have not collected in the past.

Please visit the link below to fill out the new application. Thank you for your time. You are invaluable to us and we appreciate all that you do to support CORE’s mission!

core volunteer application https://www.volgistics.

com/ex/portal.dll/ap?aP=1390725860&or=1

horse Thief Days, knox, Pa

Volunteers Ron & Dorothy Flick representing CORE.

Bill Weborg and wife, Dawn at the 2013 Millcreek Parade

Paul Jewell and Bill Weborg, 2013 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

mulTiculTural ouTreach Program naTional hisPanic heriTage monTh: september 15- october 15

National Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from September 15 to October 15, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate the group’s heritage and culture.

Hispanic Heritage Week was approved by President Lyndon Johnson and the length of it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period (September 15 - October 15). It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988 on the approval of Public Law 100-402. For further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/national_hispanic_heritage_month .

There are over 24,000 Hispanics on the national transplant waiting list. Currently, Mexican Americans in particular suffer disproportionately from obesity, which contributes to diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease—increasing the risk of organ failure. Hispanics/Latinos comprise 16% of the population, 18% of those waiting for a kidney, and 17% of those waiting for a liver. Check out organ donor.gov for more data.

In CORE’s designated service area, our largest Hispanic populations can be found in Allegheny and Franklin Counties. We have developed working relationships with the following organizations:

The Latin American Cultural Union (LACU) is a volunteer-based 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization in Pittsburgh, that promotes, preserves and enriches the Latin American and Caribbean cultures through a diverse number of activities and initiatives, under a broad definition of CULTURE.http://www.lacunet.org/ . CORE participated in the Latino Picnic on August 2, 2014 at Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA.

CENTRO HISPANO-AMERICANO DE CHAMBERSBURG (CHAC) .The Chambersburg Hispanic American Center (CHAC) bridges the language and cultural divide that sometimes hinders new Latino residents from accessing services for which they are eligible. CHAC’s main goals are to inform and educate. It seeks to integrate Latinos, both temporary and permanent residents, into the local community and help them to improve the quality of their lives. Most of our work is carried out through one-on-one counseling in Spanish and English, offered free. CHAC connects people with jobs, housing and various social services. CORE will be participating at the Chambersburg Latino Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 14, 2014, noon-5:00pm at Memorial Park, for further information see: http://hispanicamericancenter.com/.

TransformaTion TuesDay on facebook Every Tuesday, CORE’s Facebook Page has been featuring an inspiring story throughout CORE’s service area. #TransformationTuesday allows individuals to share stories of how organ, tissue and cornea donation has saved, transformed and enhances lives.

If you have a #TransformationTuesday story to share with us and are a resident of CORE’s service area, please contact Colleen Sullivan at csullivan@core.org for information.

2014 Wv mulTifesT

CORE WV Multicultural Task Force providing information on

donation at the Multifest.

Chambersburg Latino Harvest Festival 2013

eye bank receiving the gift of sight

The happy, smiling people on the right are the Harvey family from Pittsburgh. Why are they smiling? Because the little guy in his Mom’s arms can see. His name is Rockland, and he was born with a corneal dermoid, a condition where the cornea is covered by an opaque overgrowth. Dr. Ken Nischal performed a cornea transplant on Rockland’s right eye on May 22nd of this year when Rockland was only one month old. The cornea used for the transplant was given by a selfless donor who made the decision to give the gift of sight and was made available through CORE’s Eye Bank. While Rockland (please don’t call him “Rocky”) has a clear cornea in his right eye, “he continues to receive medicated eye drops to allow his eye to heal properly. Mom Danielle, Dad Jon, and Grandma Dawn couldn’t be happier with the outcome and visited CORE in July to let us know how much they appreciate Rockland receiving the gift of sight.

Trio PiTTsburghchaPTer meeTing

saTurDay, sePTember 20th10:00am at agh

The TRIO-Pittsburgh Chapter has its monthly support group meetings to discuss your transplant concerns and issues. Meetings will be the 3rd

Saturday of every month.

Monthly meetings alternate locations: UPMC Montefiore, LHAS Auditorium, 7th Floor next to main lobby or Allegheny General Hospital, Snyder Auditorium, 1st Floor,

South Tower

For additional information about the Transplant Recipients International Organization Pittsburgh Chapter please visit

www.trio-pittsburgh.org.

hosPiTal DeveloPmenT core implements new bedside Practice

Bedside providers at partner hospitals have a new way to communicate with CORE’s on-site clinical staff. Starting at the end of July, Organ Procurement Coordinators (OPCs) will be using bedside communication boards for all authorized donors. For donors who have been certified brain dead, the board will hang from the foot of the patient’s bed. In the future, CORE hopes to expand this practice so nurses and physicians caring for patients who meet criteria for DCD (Donation after Cardiac Death) will have the same information available at a workstation outside of the patient’s room.

Born from CORE’s commitment to service and partnership, the boards originated as part of a plan to increase communication between the on-site OPC and team of providers caring for donors. One of the focal points of the communication board is a section designated to four of CORE’s eight donor management goals (DMGs). Long-recognized as a national best practice, meeting donor management goals is a driving force behind the clinical management and interventions donors receive.

“Making donor management goals visible and easily accessible to the teams who care for donors focuses each of us on our obligation to continue to provide excellent care to the patient,” says Brian Bricker, Director of Clinical Operations. “Meeting donor management goals can improve the function of donated organs, and that’s important to us because we’re committed to fulfilling every donor’s wish to help his or her recipients by giving them the best second chance at life.”

For Associate Director of Professional Services, Josh Corcoran, meeting clinical goals is just part of the impetus behind the bedside boards. “These boards are really just a small part of the changes that we’re making at CORE to improve the communication we have with our hospital partners,” he said. “In a fast-paced environment like an ICU, we wanted to create a reliable and consistent tool for communication with any provider who was caring for a donor. This way, even if the on-site procurement coordinator is busy with the family, or on the phone placing organs, or otherwise unavailable, all staff now have a way of accessing the information they need to continue caring for the patient.”

“It’s an excellent way to keep communication open between CORE coordinators, bedside nurses, and physicians,” says procurement coordinator Eric Mirosavich. “I’ve had a lot of good feedback from hospital staff. It’s really made a difference since I’ve started using it.”

overcome: burneD, blinDeD, anD blesseD

On June 10, 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton’s life changed forever. Once a typical wife, mother, and registered nurse, she became the unlikely survivor of a brutal attack—and an inspiration for anyone whose life has been marred by

tragedy.

To learn more about Carmen’s story and purchase book visit

www.overcomebook.com

you are invited to the heart Transplant support group meeting!

saturday, september 20, 2014Panera bread

3401 Blvd of Allies - Pittsburgh, PA 15213(Oakland area, across from UPMC Magee Hospital on the corner of Halket St

and Blvd of Allies)

The meetings are open discussion—bring your personal victories to share, your concerns, and your questions. If you wish to attend please contact Tom

Meshanko at t.meshanko@verizon.net.

To join the Heart Transplant Support Group on Facebook, please contact Tom Meshanko.

The Heart Transplant Support Group’s goal is to provide support to Pre-Transplant and Post-Transplant individuals in the physical and emotional areas through discussion. The information shared is personal and should be kept private within the support group.

Events in bolD need coverage. For more information please call or email: christy conely or marla D’andries at (412) 963-3550

uPcoming evenTs

sun ThursWeDTuesmon fri saT2

erie Task force meeting

3bedford farmers

market

13Putnam co.

homecoming / Walk for PkD

121110BPMC Employee

Health Fair

9 niosh health &

safety fair

87 Wv black heritage

festival

6Wv black heritage festival / Jefferson

manor health expo

5Wv black heritage

festival

4Washington Task

force meeting

14Community Liver Alliance Walk / latino harvest

festival23

clarksburg volunteer meeting

2221

19 20hollidaysburg haul 5k & kids

fun run

16DoW employee

health fair / butler Task force meeting

15Chatham University

1718th annual kanawha city

health fair

18Dom costa’s fifth

annual senior fair / charleston

volunteer meeting

30new volunteer

orientation

2928

27highmark blue

cross blue shield – great race expo

26highmark blue

cross blue shield – great race expo

2524american red

cross blood Drive / Wheeling volunteer

meeting

sePTember

1

Quick links

comments and/or Questions

submit your story

become a volunteer

Join our mailing list

regisTer To become a Donor

www.donatelifepa.org

www.donatelifewv.org

visiT our links

WesTern Pa kiDney suPPorT grouPs

The Western PA Kidney Support Group is a non-profit organization which has 12 locations all over Western PA. The group is comprised of kidney patients, transplant recipients, caregivers, friends, family and professionals. Anyone is welcome to attend a

meeting.

Please contactJack Silverstein at either

412-427-2969 orsilverjacki@yahoo.com

www.wpakidneysupport.org

DiD you knoW finding available opportunities to volunteer

As a CORE Volunteer for Life, you have the opportunity to promote organ, tissue and cornea donation in your community. But how do you learn about those opportunities to promote donation? All CORE volunteers, once a month, receive an email that lists all the upcoming volunteer events in their area. That email, sent by coordinators Christy Conley or Katelynn Metz at the start of each month, details events for the next month. The email is specifically tailored for each volunteer and lists only the opportunities that are within close proximity to a volunteer’s home.

If you’re the type of volunteer who doesn’t mind traveling for a CORE event, you can see a complete listing of all CORE events online by visiting the ‘COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR OF EVENTS’ section on the CORE homepage, or by clicking here. The CORE newsletter sent out every month also includes a complete list of upcoming events.

Because space at an event may be limited, please remember that if you see any events in that email or online that you would like to attend as a CORE volunteer, make sure to inform a CORE staffer as soon as possible.

We also would like to remind you that we are moving to a new database system and soon if your information is not in the new system you will be unable to receive emails regarding upcoming volunteer opportunities. We are asking that if you have not completed the online volunteer application you please visit: http://core.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/.

CORE recognizes the importance of our volunteers, for without you, many would not be informed of the powerful decision to Donate LIFE. Thank you CORE Volunteers for Life, for all you do—we are grateful for your commitment.