MCLEAN,
Va., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At its
Annual Meeting today, the Association of Organ Procurement
Organizations (AOPO) proudly awarded Jan
Finn, President & Chief Executive Officer at Midwest
Transplant Network, with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement
Award. This award is given to individuals who have made
significant, enduring contributions to the organ procurement
community and have supported AOPO's mission to save and heal lives
through organ, eye, and tissue donation.
Jan Finn began her medical career
as a Registered Nurse in Joplin,
Missouri, in a critical care environment. In 1990, she
joined Midwest Transplant Network (MTN), the OPO serving
Kansas and western Missouri, to pursue a career in organ
donation. Over her 34-year tenure as a leader in the OPO community,
Finn has been instrumental in increasing organ donation through her
commitment to collaboration, data-driven strategies, and continuous
improvement. Under her leadership, MTN has established
groundbreaking initiatives, including a robust donation after
circulatory death program, an on-call critical care team, and a
donation and transplantation advocacy council.
Moreover, Finn's leadership extends well beyond MTN. She has
held pivotal national roles such as President of AOPO and the North
American Transplant Coordinators Organization (NATCO), and member
of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board
of Directors and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation. Additionally, she
serves as Chair on the Donation Board of Trustees for MTF
Biologics, is a member of the Missouri Governor's Organ Donation Advisory
Committee and is the Immediate Past Chair for The Organ Donation
and Transplantation Alliance. She also contributes locally as a
Board member for Friendship Inn of Kansas
City and the Gift of Life Foundation.
Steve Miller, CEO of AOPO,
remarked, "Jan's visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to
AOPO and the OPO community have left an indelible mark. Her
willingness to make difficult decisions and lead during turbulent
times have strengthened both AOPO and the entire donation and
transplantation system. She is truly deserving of this Lifetime
Achievement Award."
The AOPO Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the highest honors
attained within the OPO community, recognizing an individual who
has made remarkable and lasting contributions to organ, eye, and
tissue donation. This award highlights Jan
Finn's outstanding leadership and her relentless pursuit of
excellence in the field of organ donation and transplantation.
About the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
(AOPO)
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
(AOPO) is the not-for-profit trade association leading the nation's
organ donation community to save and improve lives through organ,
eye, and tissue donation. Founded in 1984, AOPO advances organ
donation and transplantation by driving continual improvement of
the donation process, collaborating with stakeholders, and sharing
successful practices with its 48 member OPOs. AOPO envisions a
future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved.
For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.
Contact Information:
Jenny Daigle | jdaigle@aopo.org
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SOURCE Association of Organ Procurement Organizations