By Thomas A. Parmalee
Before he entered the organ and tissue donation field, Logan Miller was a coroner’s investigator who relied on funeral home partners for removals, transportation and cooling.
“I have always understood the personal sacrifice that funeral directors make, so that a family feels like they are the only priority,” he said. “Funeral directors have always been there to lend a helping hand.”
In his role working for a coroner’s office, Miller realized that the communication and working relationship between funeral directors, coroners’ offices and organ and tissue companies could be much better than what we typically see.
“I joined the organ and tissue donation field as a medical examiner/funeral home liaison (with Gift of Life Michigan) – and that is how I became so specialized in this niche spot,” he said.
Miller would go on to work in a variety of roles in the organ and tissue donation fields, serving as a marketing strategist with the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation; as an account executive with FireStarter, which specializes in health care, orthopedics, organ/tissue donation and transplantation marketing; and as director of product development for MediGo, which provides location data, shipment tracking, and centralized communication during the organ and tissue donation process.
In 2022, he founded Precision Consulting Solutions, knowing he could make an even larger impact. The firm recently launched a separate unit, Dignity Communications, which works directly with funeral homes, educating them about organ and tissue donation and helping them navigate the process.
As a certified coroner who has completed hundreds of complex forensic death investigations, Miller understands the investigative process – as well as cutting-edge methods to determine cause and manner of death. He’s passionate about applying that knowledge to help save lives and offer the miracle of donation to more families.
FuneralVision.com recently caught up with Miller to learn more about how his firm is helping funeral homes navigate the terrain of organ and tissue donation. Edited excerpts follow.
Can you share with us a little bit about Precision Consulting Solutions, which you serve as CEO?
I founded Precision Consulting Solutions in 2022 after working alongside several organ and tissue donation companies that operated in the Midwest. Precision Consulting Solutions streamlines the organ and tissue donation process for the partners like coroners and funeral homes. We foster collaboration between funeral directors, coroners and medical examiners, and the donation team, provide comprehensive education on recent advancements, and advocate for transparency.
My journey began as a deputy coroner in a large county, a challenging role that granted me deep insights into the organ and tissue donation process. I observed the intricacies and challenges inherent in this system, particularly the need for clearer communication and increased collaboration among coroners, funeral directors, and donation teams.
Inspired to effect change, I shifted my career into the organ and tissue donation sector. I had the privilege of serving as a liaison for respected organizations such as Indiana Donor Network and Gift of Life Michigan. In these roles, I leveraged my experience to bridge knowledge gaps and foster improved collaboration between funeral homes and medical examiners.
Why did you decide you needed to create a unit – Dignity Communications – that works specifically with funeral homes?
The pain point for many coroners and medical examiners is focused on the organ donation process and the significant two or three-day timeframe associated with that. Also, organ recovery can limit what is present internally for autopsy, so documentation during the surgery is imperative. Precision Consulting Solutions and ForensicOrganRecovery.com are geared for an audience of donation professionals who are learning more about how they can serve forensic partners and improve organ and tissue donation operations internally to their company.
With that said, funeral homes are working each day to communicate with teams and accommodate tissue recovery and that is a main point of frustration for them. Timing, communication, and reconstruction are the items that funeral homes would fix if they had their way and Dignity Communications is my way of keeping a good dialogue going that can change the donation process organically over time. With the Dignity brand, I am speaking directly to the funeral director, and hopefully it is content that they connect with, and they feel like meets them where they are.
The goal is to connect the two audiences around a shared mission to make the organ and tissue donation process more collaborative and partner oriented.
What services do you offer funeral homes?
I offer communication and process improvement between funeral homes and the organ, tissue and cornea donation companies they work with. I review recent interactions and applicable state and federal regulations to ensure funeral homes are receiving the proper level of service from their donation organizations.
I also offer training, education, and resources for funeral homes looking to improve internal knowledge with frontline and prep room teams. Organ and tissue donation is a constantly evolving field and understanding the latest techniques and process can ensure smooth working relationships.
Lastly, we offer an answering service specific to organ, eye, and tissue donation for small and large firms who want a dedicated point of contact during recovery events. This is a cost-effective service that improves the service to donor families by streamlining communication from referral to recovery and beyond.
What does the pricing look like … is it based on funeral home volume, is it a per usage charge … how exactly does pricing work?
Training and education is priced by the course or module and is reasonably priced for small and large firms. A comprehensive training module on tissue donation may cost most firms $199 and includes about three hours of virtual instruction from industry leaders tailored to the local working relationships and regulations. Training can be tailored to fit audiences looking for generic overviews or detailed instruction and can be purchased in a series for discounted pricing.
The organ and tissue specific answering service varies by call load and is billed monthly, cancel at any time. This is really geared at firms that need to offload frustration or donation related work to a dedicated team that will serve donation partners with dignity. We believe that a good partnership ultimately serves the family well.
What is the biggest misconception that funeral homes have when it comes to the organ and tissue donation process?
I would say that some funeral directors may believe that the tissue recovered from tissue donors isn’t used in transplants that save the life of a recipient. I always encourage funeral homes to ask the recovery organization they work with if they recover heart valves from tissue donors. Heart valves are used for example, in pediatric patients who are sometimes on a waitlist for a valve to become available.
Annually there are more than 1 million tissue transplants nationwide, so the impact that is made from tissue donation is a significant benefit to the health care system. Understanding the ways in which skin, bone, tendons, and vasculature help others is something any funeral director might find interesting.
How can funeral homes better support organ and tissue donation when families are preplanning/prearranging?
I encourage funeral homes to have resource material on organ and tissue donation on hand for anyone inquiring about what is means to become a donor. I would ask that funeral directors maintain awareness of persons stating that they intend to have their body donated to science/pursuing whole body donation, as this interferes with organ and tissue donation eligibility at death.
Lastly, it is important that funeral directors encourage people to discuss their organ and tissue donation wishes with their family. Many people might have a heart on their license, but informing loved ones about the decision to register can improve the process when someone has died and tissue donation is a possibility.
Is there anything a funeral home can do when it comes to an at-need death?
I would encourage funeral homes to ask the hospital if a tissue referral has been made when a family contacts the firm. Understanding if tissue donation is still a potential is an important first piece of information that a funeral director needs. Cooling is imperative for tissue eligibility, so maintaining awareness of refrigeration status and attempting to place ice on the donor if a morgue is not available is key. Also, funeral homes can encourage families to contact tissue donation organizations when appropriate to help a family consent or decline tissue donation in a timeframe conducive to all parties. Funeral homes can help facilitate a tremendous experience for a family that is being offered the possibility of tissue donation during a really difficult time.
Beyond when a funeral home is directly working with families preplanning or in an at-need situation, what steps can it take to promote organ and tissue donation awareness?
Place education material in an area that the public interacts with. Look into partnership and advocacy opportunities with the organ and tissue companies, especially during National Donate Life Month, each April.
Maintaining a good working knowledge of tissue recovery and donor reconstruction is a great way to proactively serve donor families who authorize recovery.
Open dialogue and foster a courteous working relationship with organ and tissue recovery professionals to ensure the process runs as efficiently as possible.
What is the biggest objection you hear from funeral homes that are reluctant to get involved in this area?
I hear quite often that families are not always sure of the timing or steps involved in tissue donation when they are giving consent or completing the medical and social history. I would encourage funeral homes to ask to see the consent process and learn more about the education that the families receive about the process.
I also think that staffing is quite an issue for firms working with the donation process when it comes to extra phone calls or delays.
What role does/should a funeral home play in terms of following up with a family whose loved one donated tissues/organs?
Funeral homes should ensure that families are satisfied with the process and communicate feedback or recommendations to the organ and tissue recovery professionals to ensure a high standard of service. I would also encourage funeral homes to inquire into any aftercare or grief support material that the donation teams are providing the donor family. I believe that a shared approach to grief support material is conducive to a great family experience following the death of a loved one.
How many funeral homes do you work with – are you focused on a particular region or nationwide?
I consult for and provide education to about a dozen funeral homes, serving partners nationwide. In addition to that, we have operations that serve coroners and funeral homes specific to organ and tissue recovery in cases with forensic concerns, such as a homicide.
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