Andrew was never supposed to be in healthcare. With a career path set in Information Technology (IT), he was simply looking to do something a little different for the summer — and, that’s when everything changed.

“I really wanted to volunteer as a paramedic in Virginia Beach. During my very first training rotation, I worked with an OPO staff member who was managing an organ donor. What I remember the most was his level of care — how passionately he worked overnight while having the patience to answer my questions and explain everything. It was my first exposure to organ donation, and I immediately looked for job opportunities at an OPO after that experience.”

Using his primary skillset at the time, Andrew secured an IT position at an OPO and worked up the ranks while attending school. Currently working on his Doctorate in Health Science, he now serves as WRTC’s Advanced Practice Coordinator and continues to serve his hometown community of Virginia Beach as a volunteer paramedic.

Together with WRTC’s Medical Directors, Dr. Carlos Fernandez-Bueno and Dr. Jacqueline Honig, they made the case for using a new donor management protocol — serial bronchoscopies. Their work has resulted in increased lung transplants by providing continuous close-up airway evaluation and by frequently clearing matter that could hinder lung function, increasing the medical suitability of donor lungs.

Because Andrew’s initial exposure to an OPO was so impactful, it changed the course of his life, and he now saves MORE LIVES every day.

Learn more about Organ Procurement Organizations like WRTC and how OPOs are working to save more lives through organ donation and transplantation at MoreLives.org.

Andrew, MSBS, CPTC, NRP

Advanced Practice Coordinator

WRTC | Washington Regional Transplant Center