Tissue Recovery Technician

Gift of Hope•Itasca, IL

6d•$29 - $29•Onsite

About The Position

A Tissue Recovery Technician uses surgical instruments to recover authorized tissues for transplant from deceased donors during tissue recovery cases. The technician supports all aspects of recovery, including preparing the donor and recovery area, performing aseptic tissue recovery, collecting and processing samples, packaging and shipping tissue, and providing post-mortem care. The role also includes precepting new employees and demonstrating respect for each donor. Experience in an anatomy or cadaver lab, or as an EMT, paramedic, surgical technician, or patient care technician, is applicable. The position responds to tissue referrals throughout Gift of Hope’s service area and works in Gift of Hope and hospital operating rooms, as well as coroner and medical examiner offices. It involves rotating shifts, on-call work, travel by personal car, and the ability to arrive at a recovery site within one hour after dispatch when not already on-site at a Gift of Hope office. The schedule includes 12-hour shifts, typically 12 noon to 12 midnight, with flexibility for case length, seven shifts per two-week rotation, and two to three weekends per month while on call. The compensation range is $28.91–$29.28 per hour, with a shift differential.

Requirements

EMT-P (paramedic), EMT-B, CST, or ORT; or a high school diploma/GED plus six months of tissue banking experience or 18 months of related experience; or a bachelor’s degree in biology or a related field with anatomy lab experience. Other candidates may be considered individually based on aligned job experience.
Experience maintaining proper aseptic technique.
Experience using surgical instruments such as scalpels and suture needles.
Ability to recover all donor tissues proficiently once trained.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to drive a personal car to hospitals and other locations for work.
Ability to work outside normal business hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays; work rotating shifts and 12- to 24-hour shifts as organizational needs dictate; and attend meetings or training outside scheduled hours.
Ability to walk, stand, bend, stoop, and kneel; stand for up to six consecutive hours; and see, hear, and speak as needed to perform job duties.
Fine motor skills for packaging and labeling recovered tissue, and ability to use surgical equipment such as needles and scalpels without causing injury.
Ability to move up to 50–75 pounds and, with assistance, move and turn donors weighing up to 400 pounds between carts or from a cart to a table.
Ability to use a personal cell phone for business purposes, respond promptly to notifications, and remain accessible outside regular business hours.
Ability to arrive at a tissue recovery site within one hour after dispatch when not already at a Gift of Hope office.
Ability to work in environments with possible exposure to communicable diseases, hazardous materials, and pharmacological agents while following established health precautions.

Nice To Haves

History of high-quality tissue procurement, with a low error rate and low level of tissue contamination.
Anatomy or cadaver lab experience, or experience as an EMT, paramedic, surgical technician, or patient care technician.
Ability to transition to the Tissue Recovery Coordinator role within one year after completing training as a technician.

Responsibilities

Advance Gift of Hope’s mission, vision, and core values; provide compassionate service, contribute to strong teams, and adhere to organizational policies and procedures.
Use surgical instruments, including scalpels and saws, to recover authorized donor tissue.
Load and unload equipment; clean and decontaminate instruments; and transport or transfer donors to and from morgues, patient rooms, or other recovery areas as needed.
Set up tissue recovery supplies and equipment aseptically, and prepare and drape the donor.
Verify donor identification, authorization, and understanding of the tissue to be collected.
Assist with the donor’s physical assessment for high-risk behaviors.
Aseptically recover authorized tissue and verify authorization for recovered tissue.
Collect donor blood samples and perform testing as trained.
Culture, package, and ship tissue as needed.
Provide post-mortem care, including reconstruction, re-identification, and placing the donor in a body bag; close post-operative and other incisions, including autopsy incisions, as needed.
Clean the recovery suite and other relevant recovery areas.
Act as a preceptor to new employees.
Attend organizational or departmental events, staff meetings, and training outside regularly scheduled hours.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance options for full-time employees.
Generous paid time off (PTO) plan.
403(b) retirement plan with company match.
Tuition reimbursement up to the IRS-allowed maximum.
Personalized learning and educational development opportunities.
Monthly cell phone and internet stipends.
Paid parental leave.
Annual employer-funded Lifestyle Spending Accounts to support wellness needs.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Critical Incident Stress Consultants (CISC) support and counseling for personal, work, financial, or family needs.
Shift differential.