Saving More Lives Through Innovation at LifeSource

In 2022 LifeSource saw immense change: from welcoming a new CEO to honoring the wishes of Covid+ donors. Even in a time of change in our organization and in the healthcare world – we saw growth as we continued to provide compassionate, people-focused care. 

Saving More Lives

In 2022, LifeSource coordinated 760 organ transplants from local donors (33% increase from 2021). This included first ever organ donations at Maple Grove Hospital and Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital; and a record year for St. Cloud Hospital which cared for 19 organ donors and 57 tissue donors in 2022, which is nearly double any previous years. LifeSource also cared for 31 donors who were COVID positive, resulting in 69 organs being transplanted.

Our team set a bold goal of recovering gifts from 1,000 tissue donors in 2022. In December, we celebrated reaching this historic milestone for our program well-established program. Ultimately, LifeSource recovered life-saving tissue from 1,058 donors in 2022.

“This amazing accomplishment requires a tremendous amount of effort, skill, collaboration and dedication. But reaching this milestone was only possible because of the generosity of our community – those 1,000 people and their families had to say ‘yes’ to giving the gift of life.” 

Kyle Kinsey, Director of Tissue & Donor Services Center 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

LifeSource increased employee benefits with equity in mind last year. We expanded tuition reimbursement for full-time team members, added six weeks of paid parental leave, domestic partner coverage and added Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an official paid holiday.

Our adaptations to recruitment and support resulted in a 5% increase (to 14%) of team members of color at LifeSource – creating a more robust organization with which to support our community. We had the honor of supporting 121 organ, eye and tissue donors of color in 2022, and had a total of 22% of all organ donors come from communities of color last year.

As we continue to build partnerships and support our community, we are honored to be trusted with the legacies of those who said “yes” to helping others. LifeSource welcomes candidates of all backgrounds to consider joining our team and contribute to the robust, comprehensive, culturally competent care we provide families, when they need it most.

A Historic First

Joan Azure of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians became familiar with LifeSource after her grandson, Greyson passed away due to complications with pneumonia after receiving a heart transplant. Shortly after the devastating loss, Joan was at a LifeSource event and saw a heat map of registration rates across North Dakota. She noticed the lowest rates corresponded with tribal lands. Joan thought that if the option to register as a donor was available on tribal IDs, more tribe members would register.

On June 7, 2022, the Tribal Council of Turtle Mountain adopted “The Greyson Initiative,” a law to add organ, eye and tissue donor registration to tribal identification documents. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa are the first tribe in the Nation to say “yes” to offering this option for their members.

Did You Know?

• Tribal identification (ID) cards are federally recognized forms of ID.
• There are 574 federally recognized sovereign Tribal Nations in the United States.
• Tribal Nations are not required to have a state ID.

At the core of our mission is the very best of humanity – to give on another the gift of life. As the world around us changes, we have evolved to answer that mission and fulfill our purpose. We thank everyone who says “yes” to donation and advocates to save the lives of others.