AOPO Recognizes OPO Leader Jan Finn with Lifetime Achievement Award

MCLEAN, Va., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At its Annual Meeting today, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) proudly awarded Jan Finn, President & Chief Executive Officer at Midwest Transplant Network, with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given to individuals who have made significant, enduring contributions to the organ procurement community and have supported AOPO's mission to save and heal lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. 

Jan Finn began her medical career as a Registered Nurse in Joplin, Missouri, in a critical care environment. In 1990, she joined Midwest Transplant Network (MTN), the OPO serving Kansas and western Missouri, to pursue a career in organ donation. Over her 34-year tenure as a leader in the OPO community, Finn has been instrumental in increasing organ donation through her commitment to collaboration, data-driven strategies, and continuous improvement. Under her leadership, MTN has established groundbreaking initiatives, including a robust donation after circulatory death program, an on-call critical care team, and a donation and transplantation advocacy council.

Moreover, Finn's leadership extends well beyond MTN. She has held pivotal national roles such as President of AOPO and the North American Transplant Coordinators Organization (NATCO), and member of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board of Directors and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation. Additionally, she serves as Chair on the Donation Board of Trustees for MTF Biologics, is a member of the Missouri Governor's Organ Donation Advisory Committee and is the Immediate Past Chair for The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance. She also contributes locally as a Board member for Friendship Inn of Kansas City and the Gift of Life Foundation.

Steve Miller, CEO of AOPO, remarked, "Jan's visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to AOPO and the OPO community have left an indelible mark. Her willingness to make difficult decisions and lead during turbulent times have strengthened both AOPO and the entire donation and transplantation system. She is truly deserving of this Lifetime Achievement Award."

The AOPO Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the highest honors attained within the OPO community, recognizing an individual who has made remarkable and lasting contributions to organ, eye, and tissue donation. This award highlights Jan Finn's outstanding leadership and her relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of organ donation and transplantation.

About the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is the not-for-profit trade association leading the nation's organ donation community to save and improve lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Founded in 1984, AOPO advances organ donation and transplantation by driving continual improvement of the donation process, collaborating with stakeholders, and sharing successful practices with its 48 member OPOs. AOPO envisions a future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved. For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.

Contact Information:
Jenny Daigle | [email protected]

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SOURCE Association of Organ Procurement Organizations