New Organ Transfer Service

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Last Wednesday I was invited to tag along with Hamilton/Halton's Police Marine Units for their reenactment of an organ transfer which took place over at Fisherman's Pier. This is a new initiative to use the waterways instead of the busy highways for the transport of vital organs for transplants.

From the Trillium Gift of Life Network's meadia release-

"The Halton and Hamilton Joint Forces Marine Unit (JFMU) celebrated the 2 month anniversary of an innovative new relationship with Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) yesterday by demonstrating how they help health care recovery teams transport organs, tissue and specimens across Lake Ontario in an effort to expedite lifesaving transplants in the province.

“All of us at JFMU know how important transplantation is,” said Constable Andy Olesen. “And we also know that time is definitely a factor in the retrieval and delivery of organs and tissue that save lives. As a result about 2 months ago we started helping TGLN with a water highway delivery of these lifesaving organs and tissue to the people who need them. And we are proud to be part of it.”

The JFMU has 4 boats in its fleet allowing resources for this kind of partnership. When they are not being utilized for other police activities and when weather is permitting they are available for the safe transport of health care recovery teams, organs, tissues and specimens across the waterways."

So if you see the Marine Police flying through the canal this summer, they may be on another type of rescue call.

Thanks to Constable Andy Olesen from the Marine Unit, Nancy Hemrica and Kari Cuss from the Trillium Gift of Life Network.

 

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Police speed vital organs across lake

Posted with full permission from the Hamilton Spectator.
By John Burman
The Hamilton Spectator(Jul 31, 2006)
Halton police Constable Andy Olesen has managed to shave half an hour off the time it takes to rush an organ for transplant, and a surgical team, between Hamilton and Toronto.

Olesen, a member of the Halton and Hamilton police Joint Forces Marine Unit, did it with a simple idea -- go by boat.

Olesen got the idea last year after meeting up with Nancy Hemrica, Hamilton co-ordinator for the Ontario Trillium Gift of Life Network, in the emergency room at Hamilton General Hospital. At the time, he was preparing to do an organ run to Toronto using a police cruiser.

Using a fast police boat relay shaves about 13 kilometres off the trip and avoids the danger of getting slowed or stopped in heavy, rush-hour QEW traffic. "Lights and sirens are fine," says Olesen. "But when we can do it, this is faster, and safer."

It takes about an hour door-to-door, less time than by road. Depending on what's available, the marine unit uses a Zodiac inflatable, a cabin cruiser or a Boston whaler capable of hitting 70 km/h to 100 km/h.

Hemrica gives the 18-year veteran Halton police officer full credit for the idea.

"It was a simple idea, a great idea and it is turning out wonderfully," she said, adding the Trillium has used the water route three times in the two months it has been up and running.

Hemrica said Trillium has used the boats twice for transferring blood samples to confirm donor matches and once for an organ and transplant team going to a Toronto hospital.

"When the team went it was kind of rough weather, but they said everything went fine each time," she said.

The samples and organs are not flown to Toronto by helicopter as there is "a significant cost" and only two busy medical helicopters in the province.

"With the marine units, all I have to do is make one phone call and they set it all up. A cruiser comes and picks up the package, takes it to the boat and they're off. It is wonderful."

Olesen said the water service can only function if the weather is acceptable and if the police marine units are available for a relay.

Otherwise the service can run from March until November.

"We use a relay so we aren't leaving our patrol areas uncovered," he said, adding that Zodiac Canada has donated the use of a boat and Yamaha a marine engine to the Halton and Hamilton unit to support the program and augment the unit's four boats. The boat will be ready next week.

Olesen said the mercy relay may be his idea, but it is a team of dedicated marine unit officers in four jurisdictions which make it work. "We can do this because we know each other, we are tight and we all care."

When an organ package arrives at the Metro Toronto Police marine headquarters it is put aboard a Toronto Emergency Services ambulance stationed there and taken to the hospital where it is needed.

Mark Vimr, vice-president of clinical operations and chief nursing officer for Trillium, said shaving 30 minutes off the overall time it takes to get an organ from donor to recipient is "excellent."

"At that time, every minute counts," he said.

Trillium has had an excellent relationship with the Ontario Provincial Police and municipal police forces transferring organs by road, he said and will continue to do so.

"Using the boats is just one more way," he said. "This is a very good thing."

For Olesen, the satisfaction is finding a clear example of why he became a cop. "Something like this we do can really make a difference," he said.

jburman@thespec.com

905-526-2469