Family & Hospital Partnership Liaison - Western Kentucky (Paducah/Madisonville)

Make a Difference When It Matters Most

At Network for Hope (NFH), we believe every opportunity to save and enhance lives begins with meaningful connections. The Family & Hospital Partnership Liaison (Family HPL) plays a unique and essential role in bringing that mission to life by building trusted relationships with hospital partners and providing compassionate guidance and support to families navigating the donation process.

This position combines relationship development, healthcare collaboration, education, and family advocacy. The Family HPL serves as a trusted resource for hospital staff while helping families understand their options, navigate difficult conversations, and make informed decisions about organ and tissue donation. Through education, collaboration, and compassionate support, this role helps create an environment where donation is understood, respected, and thoughtfully considered.

The ideal candidate is someone who thrives on building relationships, communicating with compassion, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Experience in medical social work, patient and family advocacy, grief support, healthcare customer relations, or a similar patient-facing field can provide a valuable foundation for success in this role.

This is a dynamic position that requires significant regional travel, schedule flexibility, and on-call availability to respond to potential donor situations, including evenings, nights, and weekends.

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Duties and Responsibilities

Hospital Partnership & Relationship Development

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with hospital leadership and key clinical partners, including physicians, nurses, chaplains, social workers, respiratory therapists, and administrators.

• Serve as a primary resource and trusted liaison for assigned hospital partners, anticipating needs and providing guidance and support.

• Collaborate with hospital leadership to establish donation objectives, develop strategic initiatives, and strengthen the hospital's culture of donation.

• Conduct regular on-site visits and engagement activities at assigned hospitals, including night shifts, to maintain visibility and strengthen partnerships.

• Identify and empower hospital donation champions who can serve as internal advocates and resources.

• Identify opportunities for improvement and work collaboratively with hospital partners to address challenges and resolve concerns.

• Provide support to hospital partners as needed, including occasional after-hours and weekend assistance.

• Stay informed of changes in clinical regulations, organizational policies, and hospital staffing that may impact donation processes.

Family Support & Donation Guidance

• Provide compassionate, consistent support to families navigating the potential donation process, recognizing the emotional challenges and unique needs of each family.

• Build trust and establish open communication with families while addressing informational, physical, and emotional needs.

• Help families understand the patient's clinical status, test results, prognosis, and end-of-life considerations in collaboration with the healthcare team.

• Assess family understanding of the patient's prognosis and assist in facilitating conversations surrounding end-of-life decisions.

• Introduce the option of organ and tissue donation, as appropriate, by providing education, addressing questions and misconceptions, and helping families make informed decisions.

• Determine eligibility for Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) and assess family wishes regarding terminal withdrawal of treatment.

• Obtain written authorization for donation and complete the Donor Risk Assessment Interview (DRAI).

• Explain the donation process, coordinate next steps, and facilitate family wishes, including the opportunity to be present during terminal withdrawal when authorized.

• Support families through closure rituals and preparation for hospital departure, regardless of their donation decision.

• Maintain ongoing communication and coordination with the Clinical Services Coordinator (CSC) and Administrator on Call (AOC).

• Document family interactions, dynamics, healthcare team communication, and relevant environmental considerations.

• Participate in internal and external case reviews to evaluate experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.

Hospital Education & Clinical Collaboration

• Develop and deliver engaging educational programs to increase hospital staff understanding of organ and tissue donation, processes, and regulatory requirements.

• Provide real-time education and guidance to hospital staff during active donation cases to clarify responsibilities, appropriate family approaches, and applicable regulations.

• Lead education and training on donation pathways, techniques, and best practices.

• Collaborate with hospital staff and attending physicians to support appropriate donor management and coordination.

• Participate in medical rounds on assigned units and conduct on-site evaluations of potential organ donors.

• Review hospital medical records and clinical documentation for potential donors, documenting findings and appropriate follow-up plans.

• Respond promptly and appropriately to all donor referrals, including local and import referrals.

Strategic Development, Quality & Compliance

• Partner with hospital leadership to review donation objectives, evaluate performance, and implement strategies that improve donation opportunities and outcomes.

• Gather, analyze, and communicate hospital-specific donation metrics, referral trends, and outcomes.

• Present donation performance, process improvement initiatives, audit results, and other relevant information to hospital leadership.

• Participate in post-donor reviews to evaluate processes and identify opportunities to strengthen future outcomes.

• Ensure hospital partners understand and adhere to donation best practices and applicable regulatory requirements, including CMS indicators and accreditation standards.

• Work with hospital-based committees to establish goals, address process concerns, and review donation activity.

• Identify process variances and coordinate appropriate follow-up and corrective actions.

• Recommend and implement departmental process improvements that enhance team effectiveness and reduce administrative burdens.

• Share best practices across assigned hospitals and other organ procurement organizations (OPOs) to support continuous improvement.

• Participate in improvement projects, including formal Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) initiatives, to achieve organizational goals and performance metrics.

• Participate in onboarding and orientation activities for new team members, promoting a culture of learning and excellence.

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of hospital interactions, activities, and case-related information in organizational systems, including iTransplant.

On-Call & Response Expectations

• Maintain on-call availability and respond promptly, within one hour, to potential donor referrals from assigned hospitals.

• Provide timely on-site support and coordination during active donor situations.

• Maintain professional, collaborative communication with hospital staff, physicians, colleagues, and organizational leadership.

• Demonstrate flexibility to meet the needs of hospital partners and families, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays as required.

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Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Healthcare, Communications, Social Work, Child Life Specialist, or a related field required. Exceptional work experience may be substituted for education requirements.

Experience: Three years' experience in healthcare, marketing, communications, business development, or social work with a preference for direct clinical experience. Candidate must have excellent communication, collaboration, and analytical skills.

Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration: N/A

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About Us

Network for Hope is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation. We work tirelessly to provide exceptional care to our donor families, facilitate organ and tissue recovery, and educate the communities we serve. The dynamic field of organ and tissue donation offers exciting and rewarding employment opportunities for those looking to make a meaningful difference in others' lives.

Benefits

Network for Hope offers comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, 401K, life and disability insurance, pet insurance discounts, and wellness programs like Calm. We also provide education reimbursement, flexible schedules, and on-the-job training to support personal and professional growth.

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To learn more about NFH, please visit our website at http://www.networkforhope.org.

Network for Hope is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a participant of E-Verify.