Organ Recovery for Research - IIAM and Nevada Donor Network presented at the 2026 AOPO Annual Meeting
At this presentation, we shared IIAM’s efforts to increase surgical skills allowed more non-transplanted organs to be procured for medical research, honoring donors’ wishes to save and heal lives through donation. Bethany Guieb, Interim Surgical Supervisor at the Nevada Donor Network shared how their organization expanded its mission of honoring the donor gift by increasing the number of organs placed.
IIAM has coordinated 35 Surgical Recovery Workshops, on a national level, starting in 2007. We have also engaged in 1:1 training at OPOs to provide a more focused training, starting in 2024. As a result:
- Approximately 1,100 advanced coordinators have been trained by IIAM.
- Approximately 138 Gift of Body donors have enabled a Gift of Knowledge and been our teachers for this effort to achieve competency in surgical instruction.
- 45 OPOs have sent at least one representative to the IIAM Surgical Recovery Workshop.
- Approximately 175 researcher presentations, summarizing medical discovery to save, change and heal lives, have been offered.
Since our first workshop, IIAM organ placements have increased 144% (2008 placing 722 organs; 2025 placing 1760) - YOY data shows IIAM increasing research placements by 45% from 2024 – 2025, placing 1760 organs and tissues from 1106 donors – demonstrating a strong interest by the OPO and research community to save and heal lives through medical advancements and improving transplant technology.