Pathways to Eye and Tissue Donation in the Hospice Community

Free for members

$25 for non-members 

Lunch will be served

This event will be recorded and available virtually to members afterwards

Session Title: Pathways to Eye and Tissue Donation in the Hospice Community

Session Description:

Each year, hundreds of Minnesota patients receiving hospice care give the rare gifts of life

and sight through eye and tissue donation upon their death. This session aims to explore

the intersection of death, dying, donation and disparity, the important opportunity that the

advance care planning process has in making informed decisions about donation, and

encouraging conversations with our legal decision makers and loved ones. In the care

setting, whose responsibility is it - and isn’t it – to speak with families about eye and tissue

donation? Why is organ donation different? Barriers to donation in clinical and community

settings can include decisions based on myths, misconceptions and bias, contributing to

an unmet public health need for patients awaiting transplants. In addition, data tells a

multi-faceted story of disparity in donation statewide and throughout the country. We will

explore how the largest medical examiner in the state is ensuring every hospice

patient within their jurisdiction has the same opportunity for donation as hospice patients

that die in a hospital, where all patients are referred for donation. Case studies will

illustrate how the donor family experience helps provide a pathway forward. When death

and dying are difficult for families to grasp, hospice providers as donation partners can be a

vital link to hope and healing that donation can bring.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the donation referral and recovery process for in- hospital and out- of hospital

hospice patients.

2. Identify 3 barriers to eye and tissue donation due to myths, misconceptions and bias

about donation that can include the hospice intake process.

3. Explain opportunities in the advance care planning process for dialogue and informed

decision making.

4. Compare donor family and transplant recipient experience.

Patty Stockdale has 18 years experience as an educator in hospital,  community and academic settings.  Since joining Lions Gift of Sight, she has served as an education strategist, storyteller and collaborative partner.  Throughout her career in eye banking, she has been dedicated to fostering a positive culture of eye, organ and tissue donation and lifting up the importance of advance care planning by helping normalize conversations about death, dying and donation.  Patty holds a degree in and has a diverse background in business and is a certified advance care planning facilitator.  She and her husband Todd grew up and reside in the beautiful countryside of SE Minnesota.