Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), a vital part of Ontario Health, plays a crucial role in coordinating organ and tissue donation and transplantation across Ontario. Our mandate includes increasing public awareness, educating healthcare professionals, and ensuring a safe and effective donation and transplant system. We foster growth, valuing honesty, trust, respect, and compassion while working collaboratively with our stakeholders.
We are seeking a highly motivated permanent full-time Tissue Coordinator to join our team in Toronto. This role is instrumental in providing professional services related to tissue donation, consistently upholding TGLN's mission and values. The Tissue Coordinator manages the entire process from donor screening and family consent to securing tissue acceptance by banks, coordinating recovery activities, and conducting post-donation family follow-up for consented non-recovered tissues.
Key Responsibilities
The Tissue Coordinator responds to calls from referring hospitals, conducts preliminary assessments of patient history, and identifies all relevant donation options. This includes assessing the clinical suitability of donors and completing medical and social histories in consultation with families. The role involves engaging with families by telephone to discuss the donation process and secure consent from family members.
Further responsibilities include providing consultation as an expert in tissue donation matters and assessing expert consultation regarding tissue suitability or other medical issues. The coordinator provides complete, privacy-compliant information to tissue banks concerning donor and tissue suitability for placement. Timely completion of the medical-social history is crucial, often at the time of donation, to minimise missed opportunities.
The coordinator approaches the substitute decision-maker in a timely manner, re-approaching when necessary to obtain consent for tissue donation, while continuously learning and applying new techniques. This role involves continuous liaison with on-site personnel, including Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators, healthcare professionals, and recovery staff at referring hospitals, to complete risk assessment, screening, testing, and evaluation of individual tissue suitability post-consent. Collaboration with the coroner’s office is also required to facilitate tissue donation, escalating cases to the Regional Supervising Coroner as needed.
Additional duties include obtaining temporary surgical privileges for tissue recovery personnel in accordance with hospital policies, coordinating the timing and confirmation of recovery facility availability, and ensuring the arrival of tissue recovery teams. The coordinator conveys all relevant donor information to the appropriate tissue recovery personnel and tissue bank, and ensures relevant hospital departments are contacted after tissue recovery for the timely transport of the body to the funeral home. Communication and engagement with family members are key, including informing them if donation opportunities cannot proceed despite signed consent.
When assigned as Team Lead, this role involves taking accountability for the work of the group during a given shift, prioritising and assigning tasks such as active tissue donation cases, early referral case follow-up, and closure. The Team Lead oversees the preceptorship of new employees, distributes accurate shift reports, monitors and assigns case follow-up and closure with the Provincial Resource Centre Tissue Team, and tracks active organ cases for tissue offering. The coordinator uses clinical experience and judgment to answer team questions before involving management or consulting physicians regarding tissue suitability. Regardless of Team Lead assignment, all Tissue Coordinators are responsible for following the Team Lead’s direction.
The Tissue Coordinator is responsible for the timeliness and accuracy of data entered into all electronic systems and paper charting, as well as for documenting and reporting variances and complaints. Compliance with both clinical and administrative policies and procedures is also a core responsibility.
What You'll Bring
Candidates must possess a university degree or college diploma in health sciences, biological sciences, or a recognised equivalent major. Certification in eye or tissue banking, such as Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) or Certified Tissue Banking Specialist (CTBS), blood banking, or being a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) or a paramedic is considered a valuable asset. A minimum of three years of working experience in organ and tissue donation, health sciences, a healthcare environment, or tissue recovery and processing is preferred. Experience in a healthcare setting or working with patients and their families during times of crisis is also preferred.
Key skills include an in-depth knowledge of biological and health sciences, as well as quality assurance standards, which is an asset. The ability to maintain and protect patient confidentiality at all times, demonstrating discretion and sound judgment, is essential. Demonstrated time management skills, with the flexibility to prioritise multiple tasks and projects in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment, are required. We seek a motivated self-starter who can work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Superior written and oral communication skills, accuracy, close attention to detail, and strong computer skills are also necessary.
Compensation & Work Environment
This permanent full-time position offers a rate of pay ranging from $34.13 to $42.65 per hour. The work schedule involves a combination of weekday and weekend 12-hour shifts within a 24/7 environment, which includes days, nights, and mid-day shifts, as well as weekends and statutory holidays. All day shifts require working in the office located in Toronto, Ontario. Applicants must be residents of Ontario to be considered for roles at Ontario Health.
