Gift of Life Organ Donation Growth Collaborative
Upcoming Webinar
As a follow-up to our Organ Donation Growth Collaborative, we are hosting a webinar on Shared Accountability, HRSA & CMS Reporting Updates.
We are offering two opportunities to attend this webinar, both covering the same content. Please register for one of these sessions and we look forward to connecting with you then!
Session 1 – Register Here
Thursday, June 25
4:00–5:00 PM ET
Session 2- Register Here
Tuesday, June 30
7:30–8:30 AM ET
On April 29, 2026, Gift of Life Donor Program hosted the inaugural Organ Donation Growth Collaborative in partnership with the Gift of Life Institute, facilitated by Diane LaPointe Rudow, Dennis Wagner, and Chris Zinner of the National Community Partnership for Organ Donation and Transplantation. Insightful presentations were delivered by Dr. John Magee and Dr. John Chessare.
Hosted across two locations and connected virtually, the event brought together 116 attendees from 39 hospitals, including national and regional leaders in organ donation alongside hospital executives, physicians, nurses, quality leaders, and operational teams from across our region — all united by a shared mission: strengthening collaboration to ensure every potential organ donor and donor family receives the highest quality, most equitable care possible.
Throughout the day, participants explored how stronger hospital–OPO partnerships can improve system reliability, strengthen trust, support regulatory excellence, and ultimately provide more lifesaving organs for patients awaiting transplant.
Three powerful speakers — Jazmin Evans, Robert Detweiler, and Alison Conklin — shared deeply personal stories of organ donation and transplantation, providing meaningful reminders of the purpose behind this work.
We are grateful to our speakers, hospital partners, and colleagues from New England Donor Services, Center for Organ Recovery & Education, Yale New Haven Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Temple University Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario for highlighting OPO–hospital collaboration best practices that inspired thoughtful discussion and action-oriented planning.
Thank you to everyone who attended for your leadership, engagement, and commitment to continuous improvement in donation and transplantation.
Speakers
Rachel Beekman, MD
Dr. Beekman is a neurointensivist and the director of the Yale Neurocritical Care Fellowship. She is chair of the organ donation advisory council at Yale University. She is also the medical director for catastrophic brain injury at Yale New Haven Health System.
John B. Chessare, MD, MPH
John B. Chessare, is the Professor of Practice in the Department of Health Sciences at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. Until recently he was the President/CEO of GBMC HealthCare, in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Chessare is a graduate of Boston College, the University of Rome School of Medicine, and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He completed his Pediatrics residency at the University of Massachusetts and fellowship in Academic General Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Chessare is recognized for his work in utilizing operations management to improve patient flow in the hospital, and for designing safer medication delivery systems. At GBMC he helped transform his organization to deliver better health, better care, and lower cost with more joy for those providing the care. In 2020, under Dr. Chessare’s leadership, the GBMC HealthCare System achieved the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest level of recognition for performance excellence in the United States. In 2022, Dr. Chessare received the Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award from the Baldrige Foundation.
Susan Chodoff
Susan Citta Chodoff is the Director of Regulatory and Accreditation Compliance at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. With extensive experience in healthcare regulatory leadership — including her prior role as Corporate Director of Performance Improvement and Regulatory Compliance in a South Jersey health system — Susan has dedicated her career to strengthening standards, advancing patient care, and supporting high quality outcomes.
She previously served on the Gift of Life Donor Program Medical Advisory and Policy Board, where she contributed to policy development supporting organ and tissue donation. A longstanding advocate for donation, Susan’s commitment to the mission is grounded in her belief that every donor story represents hope, healing, and community impact.
James Cipolla, MD, FACS
James Cipolla is Chief of Trauma & Acute Care Surgical Services, and Director of Surgical Quality & Safety at St. Luke’s University Health Network. He earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed internships at Hahnemann University Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. His residency was also at Maimonides Medical Center and completed a fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He is double boarded in general surgery and surgical critical care and also has special qualifications for the care of trauma patients.
Diana Colonna, MSN, RN
Diana Colonna is the Director of Nursing for Critical Care at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. For 26 years, she has worked in pediatric critical care, burn, trauma, cardiac, and step-down as a bedside nurse, educator, manager, and director. She holds a master’s degree in nursing in healthcare leadership and administration and has been instrumental in implementing new service lines within the hospital.
Sonny Dhanani MD, FRCPC
Dr. Sonny Dhanani is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada. Dr. Dhanani received degrees in pharmaceutical sciences and medicine form the University of British Columbia in 1998. He completed his residency in pediatric and fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in 2002 and further trained at the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, UK.
He is the chief of the pediatric intensive care unit at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa and Professor (Pediatrics) at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Dhanani’s work as an intensivist in Pediatric Critical Care has been recognized by awards granted by several organizations including, the University of Ottawa, the Canadian Critical Care Forum, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, and CHEO.
He is the Ontario Health Lead for Pediatric Critical Care. He has previously been the Chief Medical Officer – donation and also Medical Lead for Research for Trillium Gift of Life, Ontario’s organ procurement organization. He is the Chair of the Canadian Donation Physician Network and is Chair of Canadian Blood Services’ national Deceased Donation Advisory Committee. Dr. Dhanani is Associate Director for donation research for the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program.
In addition to his work as an intensivist, Dr. Sonny Dhanani has received significant funding from research organizations such as Physicians Services Incorporated Foundation (PSI), Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). His own area of focus is leading international research pertaining to practices and standards for determining death after cardiac arrest for the purposes of donation. In recognition of his work Dr. Dhanani has been invited to give presentations at national and international forums.
Dr. Dhanani’s research and guideline work can be found in New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Canadian Medical Association Journal, and Critical Care Medicine. His work has led to multiple education protocols, and e-books such as “Organ Donation in Ontario: A Guide for Critical Care Residents.”
Joseph DiMartino, DNP, RN, CCRN, NEA BC
Joseph DiMartino is the Assistant Vice President of Nursing at Temple University Hospital, a 721-bed academic medical center in Philadelphia. He serves as Health Systems Chair for the Organ Donation Council, leading system level process improvement initiatives to strengthen donor identification, referral practices, and interdisciplinary collaboration across the donation continuum. He also represents nursing on the Gift of Life Medical Advisory Board, contributing to regional clinical policy and donor management strategies. Dr. DiMartino holds a doctorate in executive nursing leadership from Temple University, with research focused on improving organ donation awareness in African American communities and brings extensive critical care and executive nursing experience.
John Edwards, RN, RRT, CPTC
John Edwards is the Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Gift of Life Donor Program, and has over 20 years’ experience in the Administrator On Call (AOC) role at one of the busiest OPOs in the U.S. Additionally, John is responsible for training personnel new to the AOC position and is a faculty member for Gift of Life Institute. He has spoken nationally about the importance of NRP.
Rick Hasz, MFS, CPTC
Rick Hasz is President of Gift of Life Donor Program where he sets strategic direction for all clinical and administrative activities of this non- profit, independent organ procurement organization (OPO), to provide organ and tissues for transplantation. Additionally, he oversees Gift of Life’s Family House, Gift of Life Institute, Gift of Life Transplant Foundation, and Transplant Pregnancy Registry International and works with over 300 hundred employees and volunteers and represents the organization in local, regional, national and international forums.
Rick has shared his knowledge and expertise with government and other national organizations. He served as a faculty member for the HRSA Breakthrough Collaborative and has provided expert testimony for National Academy of Sciences on Organ Donor Intervention Research, Donation after Circulatory Death, and, most recently, on a Fairer and More Equitable, Cost-Effective, and Transparent System of Donor Organ Procurement, Allocation and Distribution. He also provided testimony to the HHS Advisory Committee on Blood & Tissue Safety & Availability. Recently Rick served as a technical expert panel member for the CMS Kidney Transplant Initiative.
Rick has delivered lectures and educational sessions for over 70 organizations and professional societies in the U.S. and internationally. He has also contributed to over 50 publications in peer reviewed journals to improve the science of donation and transplantation.
Shannon Kaminski, RN, ASN, CPTC
Shannon Kaminski serves as Vice President of Transplant Coordinator Services at Gift of Life Donor Program, where she leads a high-performing team of transplant coordinators, referral coordinators, donation authorization coordinators, advanced practice coordinators, and managers. With nearly two decades of experience in organ donation, she oversees daily clinical operations and serves as an Administrator on Call, supporting one of the nation’s leading organ procurement organizations.
Since joining Gift of Life as a transplant coordinator in 2006, Shannon has advanced through leadership roles, most recently as Manager of Transplant Coordinator Services, where she provided clinical oversight and guided teams in delivering compassionate, family-centered care while partnering closely with hospital teams throughout the donation process.
Her clinical foundation as a surgical ICU and open-heart step-down nurse informs her leadership approach, grounded in both operational excellence and patient-centered care. Shannon is a Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator (CPTC), a licensed registered nurse in Pennsylvania, along with a certificate in The Art and Science of Leadership from the Gift of Life Institute.
Dianne LaPointe Rudow, ANP-BC, DNP, FAAN
Dianne LaPointe Rudow is Professor of Population, Health Science and Policy, and Director of the Zweig Family Center for Living Donation at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital. She leads a comprehensive care team for living kidney and liver donors that provides innovative expertise in medical, surgical, and psychological health before and after live organ transplantation.
Dr. LaPointe Rudow began her career as a transplant coordinator at NYU Medical Center in 1992. In 1998 she helped start the liver transplant program at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University. She joined Mount Sinai Hospital in 2010 as Director of the Living Donor Program. Dr. LaPointe Rudow has held many leadership roles in the field including President of NATCO in 2004. She also served as the first non-physician member on the Board of Directors of the AST (2009-2012) where she made a lasting impact on the diversity of the society’s leadership and its position on live donor advocacy. She led the Best Practices in Live Organ Donation Consensus Conference, jointly sponsored by 11 transplant-related organizations, whose recommendations addressed transplant program efficiency, education, research, and policy, resulting in 8 publications. In recognition of her exemplary work, she received the AST Clinician of Distinction Award in 2013.
Dr. LaPointe Rudow has also been deeply involved in the OPTN and served as Board President. Since beginning her first term on the Board of Directors (2004), she has served on the Policy Oversight, Living Donor, Membership and Professional Standards, DTAC, Finance, and Executive Committees. Throughout, she has been instrumental in bringing groups with differing opinions together to develop educational programs and policies that directly impact the field.
Madison Long, RN, BSN
Madison Long joined CORE in 2021 with previous work as a Critical Care RN. Previously an OPC, Maddi now works as Team Lead to oversee daily operations along with NRP and Pediatric focuses.
Melissa Luman, MS
Melissa Luman is a Manager for Donation Strategy at New England Donor Services. She has a Master’s Degree from Springfield College and is a Certified Child Life Specialist. Having spent over 12 years in the child life field she joined NEDS initially as a Family Services Coordinator then transitioned to Donation Strategy.
John Magee, MD
Dr. John Magee is the Jeremiah and Claire Turcotte Professor of Transplant Surgery at the University of Michigan and a Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Michigan. During his residency, Dr. Magee spent three years as a research fellow in the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center. He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), where he is helping shape national policy, accountability, and system-wide performance in organ donation and transplantation.
A strong advocate for collaboration across the transplant ecosystem, Dr. Magee has worked closely with organ procurement organizations throughout his career, including serving on the governing board of his local OPO. His leadership extends nationally through the Organ Donation & Transplantation Alliance, where he served two terms as Board Chair, and through numerous roles within the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. He also serves as Chair of the Transplant Accreditation and Certification Council, overseeing the accreditation of transplant surgery fellowship programs and certification of graduates.
Dr. Magee’s clinical and research work has focused on improving outcomes for children and adults requiring kidney, pancreas, and liver transplants. He has held numerous leadership roles at the University of Michigan, including Surgical Director of the Pediatric Liver and Kidney Transplant Programs and the Adult Kidney Transplant Program, as well as Director of the Transplant Center and Section Head of Transplant Surgery. His contributions have been recognized with induction into the University of Michigan Medical School’s League of Research Excellence and the Dean’s Outstanding Clinician Award.
A pioneer in advancing pediatric liver disease research, he has served since 2006 as Principal Investigator of the NIH-funded Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) and previously chaired the Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) Consortium. He has also led multiple national initiatives, including HRSA-funded efforts, to expand both living and deceased organ donation and improve access to transplantation.
Donna Sabol, RN, MSN, CPHQ
Donna Sabol serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for St. Luke’s University Health Network. Ms. Sabol was named Chief Quality Officer in June 2007. Prior to that time, she held various administrative positions in her tenure at St. Luke’s. In addition to overseeing Quality, Ms. Sabol is also administratively responsible for other Network functions including Care Management, Clinical Documentation Improvement, Coding, Clinical Risk Management, Infection Prevention, and Clinical Analytics. Under Ms. Sabol’s leadership, St. Luke’s University Health Network has earned numerous state and national quality awards. St. Luke’s was named a 2024 Premier 100 Top Hospitals for the tenth consecutive year for a total of 12 times overall with St. Luke’s University Hospital identified as the #1 Teaching Hospital in the country in 2021. Several additional St. Luke’s hospitals have made the 100 Top Hospitals list multiple times. Other achievements include Leapfrog “A” Safety Grades across all St. Luke’s hospitals, Leapfrog Top Hospital, CMS 5 Star hospital ratings, 2020 Premier Alliance Excellence Award, and Newsweek World’s Best Hospital.
Ms. Sabol has a Master’s in Nursing from DeSales University in Allentown, PA. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Wilkes University in Wilkes Barre, PA.
Dennis Wagner, MPA
Dennis Wagner is a Principal and the Managing Director of Yes And Leadership, LLC. He recently concluded service as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that conducted an extensive review and made recommendations to improve the nation’s organ donation and transplantation system.
Mr. Wagner and teams that he has led have supported large public and private sector communities in achieving unprecedented improvements and results. These results include increased access to higher quality health care for rural, underserved and other vulnerable populations, dramatic and lasting national increases in lifesaving and life enhancing organ transplants, and major national improvements in hospital patient safety.
Mr. Wagner and two fellow senior executives were recognized as Federal Employees of the Year in 2016 by the Partnership for Public Service. Their leadership and work to improve safety in all US hospitals resulted in an estimated 2.1 million fewer harms to patients, $19.8 billion in cost savings, and 87,000 lives saved.
Throughout more than 33 years of service at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mr. Wagner has led, coached and supported others in the systematic use of powerful and proven leadership mindsets and methods. These methods not only help to generate meaningful results, but also contribute to greater joy, resilience and abundance in work and in life.
He and his co-author, John Scanlon, recently released their book, Choosing to LEAD, which documents these leadership mindsets and methods, together with the stories of people who have used them to lead major successful local, state, national and international initiatives.
Jessica Yokubeak, BS, CPTC, CTBS
Jessica Yokubeak joined CORE in 2001. She is currently CORE’s Director of Procurement Operations.
Chris Zinner
Chris Zinner is a Managing Director within Accenture Health. Chris has worked in transplant system improvement with CMS and the OPTN starting in 2018 and led the team that was contracted to support the Expeditious Task Force. Chris is a committed member of the NCPG leadership team and is heavily involved in the planning, outreach, and facilitation of the D&TGC events.
Mr. Zinner has over 25 years of consulting experience delivering across public, non-profit, and private sector industries. He specializes in helping organizations develop and execute strategies for transformational initiatives, with a special focus on customer and employee experience, through well researched and data-driven strategy, human centered design (HCD), technology implementations, and cultural change, leveraging digital, data, and analytics at every step of the way.
Mr. Zinner’s current client focus since 2018 has been working with CMS and the OPTN to modernize our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. Applying HCD and systems thinking, he led a 2-year, multi-phased initiative for CMS ESRD National Coordinating Center (NCC) to understand root causes and develop, test, and pilot solution concepts to address the accelerating non-use rate for deceased donor kidneys. Since 2021, he has focused on bringing multiple innovations to the OPTN in the form of predictive analytics for surgeons to improve offer acceptance, redesigned user experiences based on research with patients and OPTN members, and technology improvements such as external APIs or enhanced dashboards and reporting to drive improved member quality efforts. He is currently leading an Accenture team to support the OPTN Expeditious Task Force.
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