Update on the OPTN COVID Collaborative

Published on: Thursday, July 9, 2020

As the donation and transplant community continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network remains committed to providing support through the development of resources and platforms that help members continue their lifesaving work.

As the crisis continues to evolve, so will member needs, and the OPTN is working to redirect resources to the areas which offer the most support.

In April 2020, the OPTN launched a COVID-19-focused interactive collaborative project, the OPTN COVID Collaborative, as a private platform for member discussion during the crisis. The member engagement with the Collaborative’s cross-disciplinary webinars proved to be very high, both in registration numbers and in satisfaction.

To that end, after assessing member needs, the OPTN COVID Collaborative private website, including the discussion forums, will be closed for registration effective July 10, 2020, in order to focus on development of more webinar resources.

 The Collaborative’s cross-disciplinary webinars will continue, and the previously recorded webinars will be made accessible in the near future.

• Register now for the July 24 webinar: “COVID-19: Past, present and future transplant hospital operations.”
• As transplant hospitals are building new processes in response to the pandemic, they are assessing staffing models, staff and patient safety, workspace configuration and a range of operational processes.
• Intended for both donation and transplant audiences, this webinar will provide insight into how transplant hospitals are adapting in the wake of COVID-19.

The existing OPTN Collaborative private site will be archived, with the understanding that it will be reactivated in future phases of COVID-19, as needed. Reactivating the site will be the result of assessing community needs as they are discussed across a variety of channels, including listservs and other community forums.

Once the platform is inactivated, current registered participants for the OPTN COVID Collaborative will no longer be able to log into the site. However, their credentials will remain active for future iterations of the COVID Collaborative.

For additional information about registration and access, email covidcollab@unos.org.

The OPTN will continue to support the community through the COVID crisis through resources such as educational offerings, policy development, and working with the community to monitor data and patient safety.

OPTN COVID actions to date

The OPTN’s Executive Committee, on behalf of the OPTN Board of Directors, has taken a number of actions to help members document COVID-19 issues affecting organ donation and transplantation and assist them in focusing needed resources on essential clinical services.

Read more about OPTN COVID operational actions here.