RFID Implementation And Real-Time Cold Tracking

The current system between the Living Legacy Foundation OPO and their local Medical Examiner’s office requires frequent calls to obtain “cooling times” for decedents being evaluated as potential tissue donors. These calls are a distraction to the autopsy technicians’ primary duties and the information obtained may be inaccurate. Automation and validation of cooling time data collection would reduce the risk of inaccurate time logging and time to determine tissue donor suitability. These improvements could lead to a reduction in bacterial contamination improving recipient safety.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this presentation the participant will understand the difference between Bar Coding and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
The participant will begin to understand the limitations of passive RFID tagging.
The participant will understand the impact of cumulative uncooled time as it relates to tissue donor suitability and recipient safety.
The session attendee will learn about the current use of RFID technology at the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Maryland (OCME) and how this can be leveraged to automate cumulative uncooled time data collection

Rick M. Kolovich, MSN, RN, CCTC, CTBS

Director, Tissue Recovery Services

Infinite Legacy

Rick Kolovich is an Army Veteran with forty years of leadership experience in organ, eye, and tissue donation. He was the former Director of the Army/Navy Transplant Program and held clinical leadership positions at the Washington Regional Transplant Consortium, Oklahoma's Organ Sharing Network, and the Living Legacy Foundation.

Rick earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Nursing from Kent State University and is also a certified clinical transplant coordinator, tissue banking specialist and received his certificate in the “Art of Leadership for Transplant Professionals” from the Wharton and Fox Schools of Business in 2018.

Rick is currently the Director of Tissue at the newly merged OPO (Infinite Legacy), formally, (the Washington Regional Transplant Community and the Living Legacy Foundation).