What is a Surgical Recovery Coordinator?

Surgical Technologist and Organ Recovery Specialist, known at LifeSource as a Surgical Recovery Coordinator (SRC) is a team of specialists that aid in the donation transplantation process by ensuring that organs are delivered to the recipients while making sure that the hospital staff are provided with the right resources. 

SRC’s work primarily in the operating room (OR) as coordinators to surgeons and the hospital team directly aiding them through the organ recovery. These duties include assisting the hospital team on what items are needed for the organ recovery. 

In the OR, one of the SRC’s primary responsibilities is to aid the hospital team on how to properly preserve, package, and deliver the recovered organs. This means that the SRC’s are required to actively work with the hospital team in order to be efficient, as the window of time is very limited.

During the recovery process, there can be upwards of 6 different recovery surgeons or teams that are coming into the OR to assist in the recovery of an organ. This is because the recovery of each life-saving gift requires a team of surgeons.

Responsibilities of a SRC

Some of the important responsibilities of an SRC include: 

• Aid in operating room set up for surgical procedures
• Communicate directly with surgeons during the procedure to optimize recovery 
• Assist in the maintenance/upkeep of a clean clinical area while ensuring that documentation and restocking is up to date between recovery of gifts
• Complete quality assurance checks and make sure that guidelines are set in compliance with the FDA, AOPO, EBAA and AATB
•  Provide support for organ, eye or tissue cases
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration with hospital staff, physicians, and donation organizations to fulfill donation/transplantation

This position requires at least 2 years of experience in the OR and a Transplant Preservationist certification to be provided within 2 years of hire. With that, advanced educational experience is required in the surgical department.

Interested in this role in saving lives? Click here to see if we’re hiring Surgical Recovery Coordinators.

About LifeSource

LifeSource is a nonprofit organization that saves lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. It’s our privilege to serve the 7 million people who live in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and portions of western Wisconsin.

We are dedicated to working with our hospital and community partners to support donor families, manage the donation process and educate our communities to create a culture of donation. We’re a passionate and committed cross-functional team who believe in our vision that everyone shares the gift of life. Each of our team members plays an integral role in our life-saving work, using their unique talents and contributions to further our mission.

As an organization, LifeSource is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and welcoming workplace with opportunities for all talent to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourage BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, veterans, persons with disabilities, members of marginalized communities, and non-traditional applicants to apply.

If you’re interested in joining the team, visit our careers page. We also offer informational interviews, to connect with a member of our talent engagement team, please contact us.