Surgical Recovery Specialist (SRS)

Job title: Surgical Recovery Specialist (SRS)

About the Role Surgical Recovery Specialist (SRS) will collaborate with transplant teams and donor agencies to recover abdominal organs and tissue from deceased donors for transplantation and research, using Surgical First Assist techniques. The role involves managing the operative environment across locations in the Upper Midwest, ensuring regulatory compliance, and continuously improving recovery and preservation processes. This position offers autonomy, variety, and opportunities to learn and develop advanced recovery techniques.

What You'll Do

• Assist surgeons in the recovery of organs for transplantation and manage the operative environment, ensuring collaboration with transplant teams, donor hospitals, and LifeSource to meet requirements.
• Ensure organ recovery procedures for Donation after Brain Death (DBD) and Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) meet national standards.
• Collaborate with the Organ Recovery and Preservation team to coordinate with surgeons, hospital staff, physicians, and donation agencies to meet recovery and education standards.
• Direct the flow of activity in the OR, including donor hospital staff and others involved in the recovery process; execute preoperative safety measures and standard regulatory procedures.
• Oversee proper patient positioning, exposure, sterile field setup, and barrier protection to prevent contamination during the procedure.
• Identify and acquire appropriate instrumentation in collaboration with the surgeon and surgical technologist.
• Inspect the abdominal cavity for abnormalities requiring pathological evaluation.
• Execute surgical recovery techniques (dissecting, identifying and developing planes, clamping, cauterizing, suturing, inserting, manipulating, retracting, cutting, ligating) as needed with safety and regulatory compliance.
• Independently recover research organs and heart for valves in donor hospitals.
• Conclude the recovery procedure per surgeon preference and donor care standards.
• Perform mechanical preservation of kidneys by positioning cannula and placing kidneys on pulsatile perfusion devices using sterile technique.
• Foster a professional operating room environment, driving collaboration to achieve donation outcomes.
• Collaborate within the organization and with external resources to promote practices that increase organ recovery for transplantation and research.
• In collaboration with the Medical Director, review surgical injuries as appropriate.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with key transplant center partners; ensure practices and procedures comply with regulatory and accrediting standards.
• Participate in the research committee, drive processes, and maximize donation opportunities.
• Provide ongoing training on surgical technique, anatomy, and dissection of research organs; attend Clinical Advisory Board and organ-specific committee meetings as appropriate.
• Engage with professional associations to obtain continuing medical education credits.
• Provide training and mentorship of surgical fellows in transplant programs.
• Participate in performance improvement activities to streamline efficiency, stewardship, and effectiveness of preservation and transportation.
• Fulfill duties outside case activities, including in-office responsibilities and schedule management.
• Participate in case debriefs, team meetings, and other activities as directed.
• Maintain knowledge of surgical techniques, positioning, supplies, and preservation through continuing education.