Gift of Life begins recovering organs and tissue at new Ann Arbor surgical center

Gift of Life Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MI – A new era of organ and tissue donation has begun in the state with the first organ and tissue recoveries at Gift of Life Michigan’s state-of-the-art surgical center.

The $14.3-million expansion at Gift of Life’s Ann Arbor headquarters now houses an intensive care unit and operating rooms allowing Gift of Life, the state’s federally designated organ and tissue recovery organization, to transfer donors to its facility and recover organs and tissues in-house.

This change will increase efficiency and better serve donor families by shortening the process, on average. Additionally, state-of-the-art equipment should help provide higher-quality organs for transplant. Gift of Life is now one of only a handful of organ procurement organizations nationwide to have its own surgical center for organ recoveries.

The new 40,000-square-foot wing also features a waiting area for families of donors. The building’s green roof (live plants) also is available as a place of reflection for employees and visitors.

The first donor at Gift of Life – for tissue – took place on May 9 and Tuesday (June 7) marked the beginning of organ donor cases. Eversight Michigan began recovering corneas at Gift of Life in May.

“We are thrilled to launch this next phase in Gift of Life’s nearly 45-year history,” said Rick Hillbom, Gift of Life interim chief executive officer. “We know this will better serve our donor families, hospital partners, transplant centers and waiting recipients.”

Key features of the expansion include:

  • 40,786-square-feet that connects two Gift of Life buildings into one
  • 4 surgical suites to be used for organ and tissue recoveries
  • Capability to do cardiac catheterization, echocardiograms, liver biopsies and pathologies in-house
  • A learning center for conferences and other events that can hold 200 to 225 participants

##############

Gift of Life Michigan is the state’s only federally designated organ procurement organization. It acts as the intermediary between donors, their families, hospital staff and transplant centers. It also promotes the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. To join, go to https://giftoflifemichigan.org/.

Read More Posts

X-ray images of brains

The Facts: Brain death, circulatory death and comas

Most Americans are in favor of organ donation, but not everyone who joins the donor…

Read More
Paddles for a Purpose

Grand Rapids pickleballers take on Guinness World Record for a worthy cause

Four Michigan pickleball players are hoping to set a new world record and raise both…

Read More
Hailey Brouillet had a fantastic time in Europe shortly before she passed and became an organ donor. Pictured here holding a red rose in front of a tall building.

Sharing her spirit

Hailey Brouillet was 20 years old and in her junior year at Oakland University when…

Read More
Sue Pilon

Celebrating BRA Day and the gift of tissue donation

Each year, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Gift of Life Michigan recognizes Breast…

Read More
Blake Hermann, liver transplant recipient, playing with foam numbers on a wall.

Two-year-old Blake receives life-changing liver transplant

When Blake Hermann was seven months old, his mother, Molly, noticed that he wasn’t progressing…

Read More
Ossium Health is working to find more sources of life-saving bone marrow for patients in need. Organ donors are now giving marrow through Gift of Life Michigan and other organizations.

Michigan organ donor contributes to historic bone marrow transplant

A Michigan organ donor has made history and saved the life of a 68-year-old woman…

Read More
Scroll to Top