Anatomic Gift Foundation Inc

THE ANATOMIC GIFT FOUNDATION, INC., (AGF) D/B/A ANATOMY GIFTS REGISTRY AND CREMATION CENTER OF MARYLAND, IS A NON-PROFIT, 501 (C) (3), ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 1994. THE MISSION OF AGFS CARING AND COMPASSIONATE PROGRAM IS TO SERVE MERITORIOUS RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, CLINICIANS, AND MEDICAL EDUCATORS WITH EXPERTLY PREPARED, SAFE, AND EFFICACIOUS, HUMAN ANATOMICAL SPECIMENS GIFTED FROM DONORS AND DONOR FAMILIES PARTICIPATING IN OUR WHOLE BODY DONOR PROGRAM. AGF ALSO SERVES THE DONORS AND THEIR FAMILIES BY PROVIDING SERVICES RELATING TO THE DONATION PROCESS; INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: OBTAINING INFORMED CONSENT / AUTHORIZATION FOR DONATION WITHIN ESTABLISHED LEGAL HIERARCHY, ACQUIRING VITAL STATISTIC INFORMATION FOR PURPOSES OF FILING A DEATH CERTIFICATE, TRANSPORTATION OF THE DECEASED FROM THE PLACE OF DEATH TO OUR FACILITY, PERFORM CREMATIONS AND PROVIDE ASHES TO THE FAMILY (FOR THEIR MEMENTO, INTERNMENT, SCATTERING), RESOURCES REGARDING GRIEF COUNSELING, ETC.

II. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2021: A.AGF MAINTAINED ITS ACCREDITATION BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TISSUE BANKS (AATB) AS A NON-TRANSPLANT DONATION ORGANIZATION UPON PASSING OUR ON-SITE EVERY THREE-YEAR CYCLE ACCREDITATION INSPECTION; WITH A LEVEL A DESIGNATION. B. AGF SENIOR STAFF-MEMBERS HAVE DONATED THEIR TIME AS MEMBER PARTICIPANTS IN VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTS IN THE FURTHERANCE NON-TRANSPLANT ANATOMIC DONATION (NADO) AND MEDICAL EDUCATION COMMUNITIES; INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: AATB (NADO COUNCIL, EDUCATION COMMITTEE, MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE, EDUCATIONAL WEBINAR PRESENTER), ASSOCIATION FOR BIOSKILLS LABORATORY EXCELLENCE (ABLE: BOARD MEMBER, GUIDANCE DOCUMENT COMMITTEE, MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE), C. ALL STAFF WHO WERE DUE TO SUBMIT THEIR CERTIFIED TISSUE BANK SPECIALIST (CTBS) CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEU)S TO RE-CERTIFY WITH AATB IN YEAR 2021 HAVE DONE SO AND HAVE KEPT THEIR CERTIFICATION. D. AGF MAINTAINED ITS NEW YORK LICENSE AS A NON-TRANSPLANT ANATOMIC BANK. E. AGF MAINTAINED ITS LICENSES & PERMITS BY THE MARYLAND BOARD OF MORTICIANS FOR OPERATING A CREMATORY; AS WELL AS FOR MORTUARY TRANSPORTERS F.AGF PASSED ALL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS BY VARIOUS ENTITIES, I.E., FIRE MARSHALL, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT (BOTH AIR & RADIATION), ETC. G. AGF HAS CONTINUED ITS QUALITY SYSTEMS; WHICH INCLUDE REGULAR AUDITING AND REPORTING OF FINDINGS. III. 2021 STATISTICS: A. DONORS 1. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 1438 DONORS IN 2021. COMPARED TO 1260 DONORS IN 2020 (REPRESENTING AN OVERALL 14% INCREASE FROM THAT IN 2020) DUE TO THE GRADUAL LOOSENING OF THE PANDEMIC CONCERNS (LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT ADVICE & INDIVIDUALS' CONCERNS FOR POTENTIAL INFECTION, THERE WERE SEVERE RESTRICTIONS ON GATHERING SIZE, INTER-STATE TRAVEL, ETC., PLACED ON THE NUMBER OF MEDICAL EDUCATION TRAINING SESSIONS. AGF CONTINUED COVID-19 SCREENING AND TESTING PROTOCOLS AND KEPT UP WITH BREAKING NEWS IN A QUICKLY EVOLVING PANDEMIC CONCERNS). THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, TO KEEP PACE WITH THE SOMEWHAT IN CLIENTS' NEEDS INCREASING (OVER INITIAL PANDEMIC 2020), AGF INCREASED ITS COVERAGE AREA TO ITS HOME STATE OF MARYLAND; AND THEN REGIONAL STATES, AND GRADUALLY ADDED PRE-REGISTERED DONORS FROM STATES OUT OF AREA. THE BREAKDOWN OF DONORS BY AREA WERE: MD 39%, REGIONAL 40% AND OUT-OF-AREA 22%. MANY POTENTIAL DONORS WHO HAD EITHER CONTRACTED COVID-19, HAD SYMPTOMS WITHOUT A NEGATIVE TEST, OR HAD DIRECT CONTACT WITH SOMEONE INFECTED WITH COVID-19 WERE NOT ACCEPTED; REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHIC AREA. 2. A TOTAL OF 5,563 SPECIMENS WERE RECOVERED IN 2021; EITHER FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLIENT NEED OR FOR HOLDING FOR FUTURE TYPICAL APPLICANTS' NEEDS. EACH DONOR IS EVALUATED BASED ON A MYRIAD OF ITEMS TO MAKE AN INDIVIDUALIZED TISSUE RECOVERY PLAN. CONSIDERATIONS ARE MADE AS TO AGE, SEX, SURGICAL HX, PATHOLOGY, BONE & JOINT QUALITY, ETC., AS WELL AS ANY REQUESTS FROM THE DONOR BEFORE THEIR DEATH OR FROM THEIR NEXT OF KIN AS TO PREFERENCE FOR PLACEMENT TO ANY DISEASE OR TYPE OF SURGERY OR SPECIFIC USE). 3. THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE INDEED CHALLENGING DUE TO BEING SHORT-STAFFED AFTER SEVERAL EMPLOYEES DID NOT RETURN TO WORK AS BUSINESS GRADUALLY RESUMED IN 2021. HOWEVER, THE COMMITMENT TO THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION WAS DEMONSTRATED BY ALL OF THOSE IN MIDDLE AND UPPER MANAGEMENT AND KEPT THINGS GOING AND ON TRACK. B. FUTURE DONORS: IN 2021 WE CONTINUED TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS TO BE PRE- REGISTERED WITH AGF TO BE FUTURE DONORS. THIS INFORMATION IS REVIEWED, CATALOGED AND ENTERED INTO OUR DATABASE FOR FUTURE RETRIEVAL, TO ASSIST THE FAMILIES AT THE TIME OF DEATH. DONOR AND FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR STAFF CONTACT OUR REGISTERED FUTURE DONORS EVERY FEW YEARS TO UPDATE THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS AND NEXT-OF-KIN CONTACT INFORMATION. C. TISSUE PLACEMENT & USE: 1. A TOTAL OF 5527 SPECIMENS WERE PLACED TO APPROVED HUMAN TISSUE APPLICANTS IN 2021; FULFILLING 1779 CLIENT REQUESTS FOR TISSUE IN BOTH OUR IN-HOUSE BIOSKILLS LAB USE; OR AS SHIPMENTS TO CLIENTS' FACILITIES (WHICH IS THE PREDOMINANCE OF PLACEMENTS). 2. IN-HOUSE SPECIMEN USE: A TOTAL OF 177 SPECIMENS WERE USED ON SITE WITH OUR IN-HOUSE BIOSKILLS LAB FACILITY: WE HOSTED AND PROVIDED SPECIMENS FOR 64 LAB SESSIONS IN 2021, SERVING HUNDREDS OF LEARNERS. THE BREAKDOWN BY TYPE WAS: A. PHYSICIAN / SURGEON TRAINING: 22 SESSIONS (8 MORE THAN 2020) B. RESCUE / LIFE-SAVING / EMS TRAINING (ANATOMY AND PROCEDURE PRACTICUM LABS: 39 SESSIONS (13 MORE THAN 2020). C. STUDENT /ANATOMY AND PROCEDURE PRACTICUM LAB EVENTS (INCLUDES HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, COLLEGE LEVEL AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT EDUCATION SESSIONS): WITH A TOTAL OF 3 SESSIONS IN THIS GENRE (5 LESS THAN 2020). D. SOME OF THE INCREASE OF THE NUMBER OF TOTAL SPECIMENS AND LABS WAS INFLUENCED BY THE LIFTING OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. THE DECREASE IN STUDENT LABS WAS DUE TO LACK OF STAFF TO FACILITATE THEM. IV. PROGRAM INITIATIVES THAT ASSIST THE ORGANIZATION TO MEET ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS: A. EDUCATION 1. PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTIVITIES 2021: THESE ACTIVITIES CONTINUED TO BE CURTAILED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND WE HAD SWITCHED TO MORE VIRTUAL MEETINGS. A. ZOOM PRESENTATION WITH Q&A SESSION FOR COMMUNITY GROUP "LEHIGH VALLEY HUMANISTS" B. IN PERSON PRESENTATION, ALONG WITH REPS FROM DONATE LIFE AND MARYLAND ANATOMY BOARD, TO COMMUNITY GROUP "AT HOME CHESAPEAKE 2. PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES 2021: SEE ABOVE. LIVING LEGACY FOUNDATION / JOINT VIRTUAL PRESENTATION 3. STAFF EDUCATION, CREDENTIALING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION A. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TISSUE BANKS: CERTIFIED TISSUE BANK SPECIALIST (CTBS) STAFF CERTIFICATION AND ON-GOING CONTINUING EDUCATION (CONTINUALLY ACCRUE THE REQUIRED 40 CEUS OVER EVERY 3 YEARS TO MAINTAIN CERTIFICATION). B. MAJORITY OF MANAGEMENT (10 / 10 STAFF) HAVE THE CTBS CREDENTIAL. THIS IS A CONTINUED TREND FROM LAST YEAR. C. CONTINUING EDUCATION, AS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN STAFF'S VARIOUS LICENSES (I.E. MORTICIAN'S LICENSE AND REGISTERED DIETICIAN) D. SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION E. MEDICAL EDUCATION: TERMINOLOGY, NORMAL AGING, DISEASES, DISEASE AGENTS, SURGICAL PROCEDURES, ETC. THROUGH WEB-BASED PROGRAMS BY AMERICAN NURSES' ASSOCIATION, RN.COM, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TISSUE BANKS, ASSOCIATION OF OPERATING ROOM NURSES, MEDLINE UNIVERSITY, PFEIDLER ENTERPRISES, ETC. F. IN-HOUSE EDUCATION REGARDING BLOOD-BORNE PATHOGEN, EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN, HAZARDOUS COMMUNICATION, HUMAN DIGNITIES ACT, ETC. G. CREMATORY OPERATOR CERTIFICATION (4 STAFF-MEMBERS) H. MORTUARY TRANSPORTER CREDENTIALING (ALL ANATOMIST AND CREMATORY STAFF AND MAJORITY OF TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT) I. CPR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING. 4. EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO TISSUE END-USERS: INCLUDES RESEARCH STUDY DESIGN, SPECIMEN OR DONOR TYPE SELECTION, FEASIBILITY, LOGISTIC CONSTRAINTS, PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS, ETC. B. PARTICIPATION WITH PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: ACCREDITATION, LICENSING, PERMITS AND CREDENTIALING, STAFF MEMBERSHIPS, STAFF CREDENTIALING, ETC. 1. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TISSUE BANKS (AATB): IN 2021 OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER AND OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME FOR NUMEROUS PROJECTS WITHIN THE NON-TRANSPLANT ANATOMIC DONATION ORGANIZATIONS (NADOS) COUNCIL AND SUBCOMMITTEES, AS WELL AS THE AATB EDUCATION COMMITTEE. THESE AATB COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS DEVELOP AND PROMOTE BEST PRACTICES FOR THE INDUSTRY; AS WELL AS PROVIDE EDUCATION OF FELLOW AATB MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES GERMANE TO NADOS; AND THE ASSOCIATION AT LARGE. THE CSO WAS ELECTED BY HIS PEERS TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NADO COUNCIL IN 2021. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE IN 2022. 2. CREMATORY ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA 3. CREMATORY LICENSE, MARYLAND 4. ASSOCIATION FOR BIOSKILLS LABORATORY EXCELLENCE (ABLE). IN 2021, OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS CONTINUED TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO AN ABLE COMMITTEE THAT IS ATTEMPTING CREATE A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING AND MAINTAINING BIOSKILLS LABORATORIES FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION. IN EARLY 2019, OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & CSO WAS ELECTED TO ABLE'S VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CONTINUED TO SERVE IN 2021. 5. NATIONAL FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION 6. MORTUARY TRANSPORTER PERMIT 7. NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BLOOD AND TISSUE RESOURCES; LICENSURE (NY IS THE NEAREST STATE THAT HAS LICENSING FOR NON-TRANSPLANT ANATOMIC BANKS; LICENSE HELD SINCE 1994.) C. REPORTING OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASE TESTING RESULTS TO REDUCE SPREAD OF DISEASE AND PROMOTE SCREENING FOR THOSE EXPOSED. NOTIFICATION LETTERS ARE SENT REGARDING EVERY DONOR WHO HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR CONTAGIOUS DISEASE AFTER ARRIVAL TO THE FACILITY TO THE FOLLOWING: 1. RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENT(S) OF HEALTH IN THE COUNTY OR STATE OF THE DONOR'S RESIDENCE; WITH SPECIFICS AS TO DISEASE TESTING, CAUSE OF DEATH, BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTORS THAT MAY HAVE HAD A ROLE AND FAMILY / NEXT-OF-KIN CONTACT INFORMATION. THIS IS DONE FOR BOTH ETIOLOGIC / STATISTICAL INFORMATION, AS WELL AS PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT WIL