Ron Gooden is a coach at heart.
It’s why after he retired from a 30-year career
as an educator, the heart recipient still seeks
opportunities with his football players to share
teaching moments—plenty of which he got in
2015.
“One of the things when I talk to our players, I tell
them that there is only so much about the Xs and
Os—the real thing is that life is so precious, and life
is so short,” Ron says. “Tell the ones that you’re close
to that you love them each and every day that you
have that opportunity.”
He said his players take his words to heart because
they see how grateful he is for his second chance
at life. When the mother of one of his players
passed away and became a donor in 2015, he said it
created a special bond within the team.
Ron says. “I’m so grateful and so blessed to be
able to do those things, and I don’t take things for
granted because what’s been given to me is just
this wonderful gift.”
It has been so
impactful to share
my story with our
players and also with
our community,
“
”
P A R T N E R S H I P S
5
Donor Hospitals and Physicians
CORE worked throughout the
year to continue to enrich the
organization’s relationships with
donor hospitals and physicians,
with the ultimate goal to maximize
organs available for transplant.
At each of the main donor hospitals
in CORE’s service area, there is a key
group of physicians who know the
organ, tissue and cornea donation
process and the importance of
improving outcomes.
CORE also actively sought to
provide donor hospital personnel
with “after action reviews” in 2015.
The result was that CORE was able
to provide important information
about a donation to hospital staff
and physicians, which improved
relationships and understanding
of the donation process.
Local and Regional
Transplant Centers
Creating strong relationships with
transplant centers is another way
CORE can ensure the best outcomes
of organs, tissue and corneas.
CORE has established quarterly
meetings with our local transplant
centers to share data on organs
available for transplant. Having
good relationships with transplant
centers has enabled the
organization to improve outcomes.
Many times, when organs, tissue
and corneas become available,
there may not be a recipient locally
that meets the criteria for that
organ. If not transplanted locally,
the organs, tissue or corneas are
offered to other recipients.
That’s why it’s important to build
relationships with centers outside
of the area, as well. CORE can then
maximize its options to successfully
provide organs for transplant.
Organs being transplanted outside
of CORE’s service area helped lead
to a record year in 2015.
