Increasing organ recovery from level I trauma centers: the in-house coordinator intervention.

Purpose: Daily presence of organ procurement organization staff in level I trauma centers combined with early family contact and interaction can increase donation rates.

Methods: A successful in-house coordinator program already in place at 2 level I trauma centers in Houston was replicated in 6 other level I trauma centers in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Organ procurement organization staff were placed inside the 8 trauma centers to provide early family support in potential donor situations and day-to-day donation system management.