LifeGift hospital recognition programs

The Dove Award Recognizes LifeGift Hospital Partner Excellence

LifeGift is proud to introduce The Dove Award, a hospital recognition honoring excellence in organ and tissue donation partnership. The Dove Award recognizes hospitals that demonstrate outstanding commitment to saving lives through collaborative clinical practice, staff education, community engagement and measurable performance outcomes. Hospitals are recognized at the Silver, Gold, or Platinum level based on standardized performance scorecards tracked throughout the calendar year.

Launching 2026 as the inaugural performance year, The Dove Award highlights hospitals that lead with purpose and accountability in key areas, including:

• Clinical education and donor-focused staff engagement
• Community outreach and donation awareness
• Donor management goals and clinical process improvement
• Performance metrics and authorization outcomes
• Growth in donor designation and advocacy

Awards will be presented in 2027, recognizing hospitals by region to ensure fair and meaningful comparison among peers.

“The Dove Award reflects LifeGift’s commitment to honoring hospitals as true partners in the donation process,” says Shanté Wells, senior director of donation systems. “These recognitions celebrate not only outcomes, but the dedication, teamwork and leadership that make donation possible for patients and families.”

Through The Dove Award, LifeGift reinforces its mission to save and heal lives while elevating hospital partners who exemplify excellence, innovation and compassion in donation. Hospitals interested in participating in this year’s recognition program are invited to register at link: LifeGift Hospital Partner Excellence Recognition Program or scan via the QR code below. Registration ends April 30th.

LifeGift Honors Excellence in Donor Care with Heart of a Hero Award

LifeGift proudly presents the Heart of a Hero Award, a recognition honoring frontline healthcare professionals who demonstrate extraordinary compassion, excellence and commitment during organ and tissue donor cases. The Heart of a Hero Award celebrates members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team—including nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and other clinical professionals—who go above and beyond routine clinical responsibilities to ensure donor care is delivered with dignity, respect and integrity.

Nominees are recognized for their exceptional contributions in areas such as:

• Providing compassionate, patient-centered care and meaningful support to donor families during profoundly vulnerable moments
• Demonstrating outstanding clinical judgment, critical thinking, and problem-solving that positively impacts donor stability, organ viability and donation outcomes
• Collaborating effectively with LifeGift, ICU teams and ancillary staff to enhance coordination and teamwork
• Serving as role models who positively influence hospital culture and promote donation awareness and education

The Heart of a Hero Award also honors individuals whose actions help preserve and honor the donor’s legacy, ensuring that the gift of donation is treated with the utmost respect and care. Nominations are submitted through a digital nomination process and include narrative reflections describing how the nominee exceeded expectations, strengthened the donation process and supported donor families throughout the journey.

Through the Heart of a Hero Award, LifeGift recognizes that behind every successful donation is a healthcare professional whose compassion and commitment make life-saving gifts possible.

Individuals interested in nominating a frontline healthcare professional for this year’s award are encouraged to scan the QR code below.

Educational courses – 24/7

Organ & Tissue Donation 101

This foundational, scenario-based course equips hospital staff with the essentials of donation. Participants will learn the differences between organ, tissue and eye donation; basic donor eligibility; and how the national system works, including the roles of the OPO, transplant centers and regulators (CMS, UNOS). We clarify key terms (brain death, DCD, first-person authorization, consent) and walk through the step-by-step process from referral to recovery, highlighting clinical triggers, referral obligations, family authorization and the impact of late or missed referrals. The session also covers core legal/ethical frameworks (UAGA, CMS CoPs) and culturally sensitive communication strategies.

To learn more and view course, click here.

OR Readiness for Organ Recovery

This concise, practical course prepares OR teams to support safe, efficient organ and tissue recoveries. We review donor pathways (brain death, DCD, tissue/eye) and what each means for timing and OR readiness; outline required supplies and equipment (back table setup, preservation solutions, sterile instruments, perfusion/packaging needs) and walk through a structured Pre-OR Huddle to clarify roles, timelines and safety checks. In-room, we cover key actions during recovery, sterile field management, labeling/specimen handling and support for organ flush/packaging, then finish with the after-recovery workflow: documentation, chain of custody/handoffs, room turnover and brief team debrief. Participants leave with clear checklists and role expectations for each phase.

To learn more and view course, click here.