In the fast-paced world of organ donation and transplantation, the ability to make swift, informed decisions can mean the difference between a life saved and a missed opportunity. The team at Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) knows this all too well. They work 24/7 to serve more than 10 million residents in Texas and Arkansas while partnering with 270 donor hospitals and 10 transplant centers.
To help maximize the number of viable organ transplants, STA needs fast, high-quality pathology interpretations. But traditional methods for performing frozen sections, sharing images and requesting reads posed significant challenges – until their partnership with CompuMed unlocked a new level of efficiency.
Pathology Challenges Before CompuMed
Prior to 2023, Selena Warden, director of laboratory services at STA, says the OPO’s laboratory team was heavily dependent on hospital pathologists for frozen section interpretations.
“We were on their timeline,” says Selena. “The sample would be collected and transported to whatever location was willing at the time to help us process the frozen section.”
Some of the OPO’s challenges included:
- Limited Access to Pathologists: Finding an available pathologist at night or on weekends was challenging.
- Inconsistent Slide Quality: Even after introducing an in-house cryostat, STA’s lab team still had to send out frozen section slides for interpretation. If those slides weren’t properly prepared, the entire process had to be repeated, causing further delays.
- Lack of Visual Data: Reports came as written interpretations without accompanying images, making it difficult for transplant surgeons to quickly and confidently accept an organ for a patient.
Recognizing these pain points, STA sought pathology solutions, focusing on two things they could control: turnaround time and slide quality.
“In 2023, that’s when we really started focusing on what we could do better to improve the process,” says Selena.
Implementing a New Workflow with CompuMed
STA’s key changes included partnering with CompuMed on:
- Digital Pathology & Remote Interpretations: Through the partnership, STA digitized and shared slides using a scanning microscope and CompuMed’s secure donor management portal.
- 24/7 Access to Pathologists: CompuMed’s network of transplant-focused sub-specialists meant STA no longer had to track down pathologists, day or night.
- Streamlined Reporting: Now, instead of waiting for a written report, transplant surgeons receive a digital link to view pathology results in real-time on their phone or computer, allowing for faster decision-making.
- AI-Driven Analysis & Image Galleries: CompuMed’s advanced AI tools provide additional visual insights, such as detailed galleries of sclerotic and non-sclerotic glomeruli, for more confidence in organ acceptance.
Selena reports that the new process helped STA achieve its goal for turnaround time, with the time from slide upload to interpretation dropping to under an hour. Another game-changer was CompuMed’s expert training support, which addressed the OPO’s second goal: to improve slide quality.
Training & Standardization for Better Results
Through its partnership with CompuMed, STA’s lab technicians began receiving feedback on slide quality. CompuMed’s lead pathologist assistant Fernando Chang, IMG, played a crucial role in helping STA refine and standardize their frozen section technique and process. From hands-on training sessions to virtual support, Fernando has guided staff through best practices for cutting, staining and preparing high-quality slides.“I can’t say enough about the training, both on-site and remote, the evaluation of our workflow and seeing the instant feedback,” says Selena. “It’s improved our slide quality, and, of course, that results in more lives saved.”
Tackling New Challenges Together
As additional challenges have arisen, STA and CompuMed have tackled them together. For example, STA initially faced some uncertainties when presented with donor organ biopsies outside of the usual liver and kidney cases. Instead of reverting to the old process of tracking down hospital-based pathologists, CompuMed helped STA connect with specialists who could provide timely remote interpretations.The Power of Partnership in Saving Lives
It’s clear to STA that there’s power in partnership. Since the OPO started collaborating with CompuMed, the team has been named a national Lab of the Year runner-up by Medical Laboratory Observer, a testament to the strides made in workflow efficiency and slide quality. But more importantly, their lab and process changes have directly contributed to improving transplant outcomes.“We now spend less time troubleshooting and more time focusing on what truly matters – saving lives,” says Selena.
For OPOs looking to optimize their pathology process, CompuMed is here to support every step. From remote interpretations to hands-on training, digital tools and AI-powered insights, we offer more than just a service – we offer a partnership. We’d love to connect and learn how we can work together to save more lives. Let’s talk.We’re grateful to Selena and the team at STA for sharing how powerful partnerships can advance organ donation and transplantation. You can hear more from her in the on-demand webinar, Industry Insights: Unlock New Efficiencies in Laboratory Processes
Selena Warden
Director, Laboratory Services
Southwest Transplant Alliance
Selena Warden is the Director of Laboratory Services at Southwest Transplant Alliance. In her role, she oversees the operations of STA’s full-service laboratory for organ and tissue donors. The laboratory includes a complete clinical lab offering along with infectious disease testing, HLA typing, microbiology, molecular and histology.
Selena received her Master of Science from the University of Florida and her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Additionally, Selena is a certified technologist per the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and is a U.S. Marine.
