Coordinating Multi-Tissue Donors and Maximizing the Gift

Megan Soceka is an Education Director for MTF Biologics. She began with MTF 18 years ago as a Per Diem Tissue Coordinator and Team Leader. She has also worked as a Procurement Trainer, Donor Coordinator, and Hospital Development Coordinator. Megan has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin with a strong background in anatomy. She is a member of AATB and received her CTBS in 2006.

Ed Ferreol, MD, CTBS did his post-doctoral training consisting of 3 yrs. General Surgery residency at Ohio Valley Hospital Steubenville, OH, 4yrs. in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton OH and a 2 yr. Fellowship in Neuropathology at the University of Cincinnati. Got started in tissue banking 35 yrs. ago while the Director of Blood Collection in Central Indiana when a group of Orthopedic surgeons needed bone allografts. He later developed the MS recovery and processing facility which was the 16th tissue bank certified by the AATB. He joined LifeNetHealth (LNH) in Dec 1990 and started the per diem recovery staff that recovered tissues in Virginia, North Carolina, Southern West Virginia, and Northern VA/ Wash. DC area. He was also involved in the creation/re-establishment of several OPO-based tissue recovery teams that partnered with Lifenethealth and has supported LNH tissue recovery partners through the Donor Center in matters related to donor selection/screening. In 2004, he helped develop the technical tissue recovery trainers that provide technical support to all the tissue recovery partners of LifenetHealth.

Michael E. Gilbert, MBA, CTBS is a Technical Trainer, Donor Services with CryoLife. He is a 2010 graduate of Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor Degree in Sport Management, and a 2012 graduate of Shorter University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Michael obtained his CTBS designation in 2006, and is also certified as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. 

Michael began working at CryoLife in 2004, after transitioning from a career in the Fire/EMS industry. He started as a Donor Services Coordinator in the Donation Support center where he would screen donors with the Recovery Partners. After about a decade in the role (with increasing responsibilities) he was promoted to his current position as a Technical Trainer. As a Trainer, Michael has held workshops with Recovery Partners across the country, focusing on cardiovascular tissue recovery techniques. 

I've been in tissue banking for 13 years. I worked for an OPO for about 9 years, all in tissue recovery, and most of that time as a trainer. I've worked For Axogen as a trainer now for almost 4 years. When I'm not working, I enjoy many outdoor pursuits and travel. Diving with sharks has been a big passion of mine for the past 10 years.