Referral Responder ( Nursing, Paramedic, RT)

LifeLink Careers•Tampa, FL

47d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join LifeLink — Join a Life Saving Team! LifeLink Foundation was established over four decades ago with a mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation. It has grown into a vision-driven organization of more than 700 dedicated professionals across west-central Florida, Georgia, parts of South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. LifeLink is united by its mission: To honor donors and save lives through organ and tissue donation. Their vision is to maximize the gift of life while giving hope to donor families and transplant patients. The organization is grounded in the values of Compassion, Excellence, Legacy, People, and Quality. The Referral Responder directly contributes to LifeLink’s life-saving mission by serving as a primary clinical referral management professional. This role is responsible for the timely evaluation, coordination, and progression of potential organ and tissue donor referrals within the service area. The Referral Responder receives and responds to donor referrals, conducts medical record review, gathers and documents clinical and prognostic information, and coordinates referral activity with hospital teams to ensure every potential donor is evaluated consistently and promptly. This role ensures all activities align with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and performance standards. Additionally, the Referral Responder collaborates with division leadership and hospital partners to support timely referral practices, appropriate escalation, effective communication, and a respectful, family-centered approach that ensures the legal next-of-kin is provided the option of donation in accordance with anatomical gift law, hospital policy, and LifeLink practice standards.

Requirements

Minimum of an Associate degree in a clinical discipline (e.g., Nursing, Respiratory Therapy), Paramedic certification, Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., biological sciences, health sciences, donation-focused disciplines), or equivalent combination of clinical/donation experience demonstrating competency in medical record review, clinical communication, and acute-care decision support.
Minimum of two (2) years of relevant clinical experience or donation-focused experience involving medical record review, patient assessment, clinical communication, and time-sensitive coordination.
Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to collaborate with hospital clinicians and support families through sensitive interactions.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds (e.g., equipment, supplies) and perform routine physical tasks associated with field-based clinical work.
Ability to work independently in a field-based environment while maintaining alignment with centralized operations and escalation pathways.
Ability to work a rotating schedule and respond to time-sensitive operational demands.
Requires a valid driver’s license with a good driving record, and the ability to meet LifeLink driving requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience in ICU/ED, rapid response, transport, respiratory therapy, paramedicine, or OPO referral intake/donor management.

Responsibilities

Maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and interpersonal relationship development, promoting a positive and collaborative work environment aligned with LifeLink’s mission, vision, and values.
Serve as a professional and visible clinical partner to hospitals, demonstrating discretion, sensitivity, and sound judgment in high-acuity and emotionally complex environments.
Collaborate effectively with cross-functional LifeLink teams and external partners to support timely referral response, effective communication, and consistent case progression.
Receive, triage, and manage incoming hospital referrals; screen for donor potential and complete time-sensitive referral evaluations to determine organ and/or tissue donation suitability in accordance with LifeLink policy and applicable guidelines.
Identify and reinforce clinical triggers and escalation thresholds; provide real-time feedback and initiate consultation or next-step planning when conditions may influence donor acceptance or case direction.
Obtain, interpret, and document the potential donor’s medical and social history, including organ/tissue-specific factors and behavioral risk indicators, consistent with LifeLink policy and regulatory guidance.
Conduct comprehensive medical record review and clinical synthesis (HPI, PMH, malignancy review, treatments/interventions, diagnostics) and communicate key findings to appropriate LifeLink clinical resources for decision-making.
Evaluate and support donation pathways, including donation after circulatory death (DCD) screening and progression, consistent with LifeLink practice standards and hospital processes.
Demonstrate understanding of legal and hospital requirements for death declaration (neurologic and circulatory frameworks as applicable) and the operational interface with donation workflow; apply working knowledge of physiologic changes associated with critical illness and neurologic death to support appropriate escalation and donor management planning.
Communicate clearly with hospital clinicians regarding case status, information needs, anticipated next steps, and timing considerations; support a professional, responsive hospital experience.
Identify the patient’s legal next-of-kin or legally authorized decision-maker consistent with applicable anatomical gift law and hospital documentation practices.
Assess family dynamics and support needs (cultural, religious, emotional, informational) and coordinate appropriate LifeLink resources; demonstrate discretion and sensitivity to family circumstances, beliefs, and preferences.
Guide the facility and LifeLink team process to ensure authorization/consent is requested by a designated requestor in accordance with LifeLink and hospital policy, ensuring families are offered the option to donate in a sensitive, informed, and caring manner.
Understand and comply with procedural requirements for blood, culture, and typing specimen collection, labeling, and documentation as required by policy and workflow.
Review, enter, and maintain required information in the donor record accurately and promptly (labs, diagnostics, procedures, risk screening elements, referral communications) within the OPO EMR and related systems; comply with documentation, privacy, confidentiality, and record maintenance standards.
Provide hospital-based education and real-time donation process support in collaboration with hospital development staff, reinforcing timely referral practices and effective case communication.
Collaborate with the Medical Examiner/Coroner office as applicable to support jurisdictional requirements for death investigation, authorization constraints, and procedural coordination to satisfy legal requirements.
Use organizational resources responsibly and with professional judgment; leverage hospital profiles and other operational tools to support effective referral response and documentation.
Participate in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) activities as outlined in the OPO QAPI Plan and evaluate personal performance by comparing outcomes to expectations.
Complete administrative responsibilities and perform other duties as assigned to support departmental operations, performance, and quality objectives.