Are you a Surgical First Assist looking for a purpose-driven role where your OR expertise directly supports transplantation, research, and life-saving outcomes? LifeSource is hiring a Surgical Recovery Specialist (SRS) to collaborate with external / internal partners in the surgical dissection, removal, and preparation of abdominal organs and tissue recovered from deceased donors for transplantation and research, utilizing your Surgical First Assist procedural techniques.
As a Surgical Recovery Specialist, your surgical expertise directly supports organ and tissue donation, helping make transplantation and research possible for recipients, donor families, and the healthcare teams who depend on timely, precise recovery and preservation.
In collaboration with the Surgical Recovery team, the SRS manages the operative environment to ensure collaboration between transplant teams, the donor hospital and LifeSource.
The SRS provides prompt, professional service to partners and customers, including transplant centers, heart valve processors, and other partners while supporting regulatory requirements and continuous improvement efforts that maximize organs recovered for transplantation and research. This includes engaging in continuing education and development of efficiencies, stewardship and effectiveness of recovery and preservation processes.
In this role, you will have variety - no two days are the same! This includes scrubbing in for a variety of cases in locations across our designated service area of the Upper Midwest and building working partnerships with different hospital teams. The OPO / organ procurement space has a lot of innovation in techniques and devices, so it is a constant opportunity to learn and grow your skills.
If you are an adaptable, highly-detailed, and technical Surgical Assist / Surgical First Assist looking for an exciting new role that offers autonomy and new challenges, we encourage you to continue reading for more detail.
As a Surgical Recovery Specialist, you’ll advance our life-saving work by performing the following job duties:
Assist surgeons in the recovery of organs for transplantation by engaging in effective communication and collaboration in an operative environment.
- Ensure organ recovery procedures, both Donation after Brain Death (DBD) donors and Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) donors, meet national standards for organ recovery and transplantation.
- Oversee proper positioning of donor and exposure for the recovery procedure including proper rotation and positioning of extremities, prevention of patient sliding on bed, and proper handling and placement of lines.
- Execute surgical recovery techniques including dissecting, identifying and developing surgical planes, clamping, cauterizing, suturing, inserting, manipulating, retracting, cutting, and ligating tissue as necessary in partnership with surgeon, according to safety and regulatory requirements.
- Independently recover research organs and heart for valves in donor hospitals.
- Prepare for recovery as appropriate to expose, prep and drape to create the sterile field and ensure effective sterile technique
- Evaluate and incorporate products to ensure effective barriers are established and maintained that prevent contamination during the entire procedure.
- Identify and acquire appropriate instrumentation in collaboration with the surgeon and surgical technologist.
- Responsible for inspecting the abdominal cavity for abnormalities that necessitate pathological evaluation.
- Execute mechanical preservation of kidneys by positioning cannula and placement of kidney on pulsatile perfusion device using sterile technique to optimize organ acceptance.
- In collaboration with the Organ Recovery and Preservation team, manage the operative environment, working in strong collaboration with surgeons, hospital staff, physicians, and related donation agencies, to meet recovery and education standards.
- As an active role within the operating room, participate in directing the flow of activity including donor hospital staff, and others, who participate in the recovery process.
- Execute preoperative safety measures, in accordance with standard safety and regulatory surgical processes and procedures.
- Conclude the recovery procedure, according to surgeon preference and donor care and management standards.
- Engage in supporting a professional operating room environment, driving collaborative discussion and resolution to achieve donation outcomes.
Collaborate within the organization and with external resources to develop and promote practices that increase the number of organs recovered for transplantation and research.
- In collaboration with the Medical Director, review surgical injuries, as appropriate.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with key transplant center partners.
- Assure practices, policies, and procedures are compliant with all regulatory, accrediting, and governing policies and standards.
- Participate in the research committee, driving processes and maximizing donation opportunities
- Provide ongoing training regarding surgical technique, anatomy, and dissection of research organs.
- As appropriate, attend Clinical Advisory Board meetings and organ specific committee meetings.
- Engage in activities, meetings, and initiatives with professional associations such as United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)/ Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN), Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), obtaining required continuing medical education/units per regulatory agency.
- Provide training and mentorship of surgical fellows to programs with active transplant fellowships.
- Participate in performance improvement activities to streamline efficiency, stewardship and effectiveness of preservation and transportation.
- Fulfill duties outside of case activities including availability and attendance at in-office activities, managing schedule appropriately.
- Participate in case debriefs, assigned work groups/special projects, team member meetings, and other activities as directed.
- Maintain knowledge of surgical techniques, positioning, supplies, and preservation through continuing education.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Requires a combination of education and experience equivalent to a minimum of three years of operating room experience focusing on applied knowledge of sterile technique, instrumentation, surgical assist techniques, and awareness of recovery procedures.
- Surgical Technologist Certification and/or Surgical First Assist Certification preferred.
- Requires successful completion of Certified Transplant Preservationist certification within two (2) years of entry in the position. Once certified, you must obtain the required continuing education or recertification credits/process.
- Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills to confidently execute reasonable and sound decision making.
- Ability to communicate effectively and interact positively, evaluating questions, concerns, and complaints objectively.
- Demonstrated interpersonal savvy capabilities, building, maintaining, motivating, influencing, and achieving cooperation with both internal and external relationships across all levels of an organization.
- Detail oriented and highly organized with a desire to improve processes, take initiative and solve problems and meet deadlines.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including effective written correspondence, active listening, mentoring or coaching experience, and professional customer service response at all levels.
- Demonstrated ability to exhibit a high degree of quality, integrity, and honor confidentiality of appropriate information including, but not limited to, personal team member data, organizational operations or work processes, donor and donor family information, contributor details, any financial information and medical or protected health information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
- Proven skilled and competent in using technology-based tools such as personal computers and related software, mobile devices, and electronic medical record systems as appropriate for position.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Requires regular on-call availability fourteen (14) 24-hour shifts per four (4) week block, including working weekends and holidays. Rotation requires every third weekend, this includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Follows assigned work schedule, in accordance with Team Guidelines and Expectations, which may vary based on the needs of the organization.
- Must report on-site within 1 hour of notification.
- May require additional time commitment outside of scheduled shifts for meetings or trainings.
- Extensive travel within Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to donor hospitals both by vehicle and aircraft, safely during various weather conditions. In addition, must have required credentials to be able to travel by ground or air throughout the United States commercially. (travel approximately 50%)
- Frequently lift objects up to 100 pounds and transfer short distances. Ability to push/pull up to 150 pounds with assistance. Heavier objects should be lifted and transferred using team help.
- Environmental influences may include unpleasant odors, slippery surfaces, work in operating rooms/morgues at hospitals/funeral homes/medical examiners offices, temperature variations, exposure to human tissue and associated hazards and biohazards.
- Affected team member in Category I are regularly exposed to bloodborne pathogens and have a potential for this exposure or handle materials that could spread infection (one or more potential opportunities per month). Additionally, they have regular interaction with staff in patient or donor areas in a hospital or clinic setting while performing their assigned job duties.
Projected offer rate range: $45-55/hour, based on relevant experience.
Why Join LifeSource:
At LifeSource, we're relentlessly pursuing a day where those in need of a life-saving or life-enhancing organ, eye or tissue transplant receive that gift. By joining the LifeSource team, you will have the chance to positively impact your neighbors in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin maybe someone in your very own community.
Since 1989, the LifeSource team has worked with our regions’ diverse communities to break down barriers to donation. Bringing a rich diversity of perspectives and experience to our organization at all levels strengthens our ability to serve our community and fulfill our mission. Our values embody how we engage in our work - accountability, adaptability, trust, growth mindset, and kindness. More information on our continued work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion can be found on our website.
We set our team up for success by providing comprehensive on-boarding, as well as on-going personal and career development. Team members are offered traditional benefits such as health, vision, dental, and life insurance, generous PTO, and 401k matching. We also support our team through non-traditional benefits such as tuition reimbursement, resiliency coaching, and HSA employer contributions.
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.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
