Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
Steinle recognized with Individual Excellence Award in Donation
Arielle Steinle never intended to become an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician – but now she’s making waves in Butler County as she enters her seventh year with Butler County EMS. What started out as a special interest in tissue donation has already impacted the lives of 101 people.
Wichita native Steinle planned to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University in earth science, geology and a minor in paleontology to be a park ranger. Her education panned out just fine – but her end goal had shifted upon graduation. While looking for something that would make her stand out as a potential ranger, she decided to earn her Emergency Medical Technician, (EMT), at Flint Hills Technical College and suddenly fell in love with lifesaving and EMT work.
“I just absolutely fell in love with it,” said Steinle. “I was like, this is awesome. This is what I want to do.”
After earning her EMT she went on to earn her Advanced Medical Technician, (AEMT), at Flint Hills Technical College, bringing her to Butler County EMS in 2018. Before Butler County, she worked at a funeral home in Emporia where she realized the gap in tissue donor patients and the result of their donation lies in the fate of where they die.
As she worked as a Lead Removal Technician, Steinle was tasked with picking up those who died from the location of where they died and bringing them into the funeral home then obtaining consent for embalming or cremating from the family.
This is when she realized that not all patients are equal in where they die and can donate their tissues if they want. All patients who are hospitalized and die in a hospital are guaranteed to be checked if they have chosen to donate tissues due to state law. Others are not given the same rights. Steinle found this to be an issue to her as it is the person’s last dignity and choice they had as a human is to give back after their time on earth is over.
While she was studying to earn her paramedic certification she was tasked with a research project. Steinle chose to center the research project on tissue donation and location of death while working to give those dying outside the hospital a choice – at least in Butler County.
As she began her research, Steinle realized it was quite common for patients who die outside of a hospital to not be given their donor choice. Although it’s required by hospitals, it isn’t required by law enforcement for by EMS providers to check their donor status.
Lucky for Butler County residents, Steinle has worked to develop a policy in which this is now required. She’s developed a Prehospital Eye and Tissue donation liaison program that requires EMS to send all patients who pass to Midwest Transplant Network who then checks if they’re tissue donors and takes care of the donor process from there if they are.
Although the process was smooth, it was a feat to accomplish. In order to create this program and policy, Steinle had to contact Midwest Transplant Network for supporting resources then gather all death investigators, police chiefs plus the sheriff’s office. They all had to agree on this change in policy.
“It’s amazing that Midwest Transplant Network pretty much made this so easy,” said Steinle.
Steinle was recognized with the Individual Excellence Award in Donation by Midwest Transplant Network, (MTN). MTN is a not-for-profit organ procurement organization, (OPO), serving Kansas and western Missouri since 1973. The organization ranks in the top 10% in the country among OPOs (according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services measures).
“If this project grows, it can change a lot of lives,” said Steinle. “I really hope I’m doing everything right to make sure that this program is successful so that it grows to help a lot of people. It’s important for me to kind of give some dignity and power back to people who have passed on.”
Since Steinle’s program was implemented in March, one successful donation has been recorded that was able to help 100 people who needed a donor. This program is the first successful program in the Midwest.
Tissue donors don’t have an age requirement, and most people qualify to donate. The oldest donor recorded in Kansas was 90 years of age. According to Midwest Transplant Network’s website, 95% of Americans are in favor of being a donor, but only 60% are listed as registered donors. To learn more about donating tissue or organs and to register yourself, visit donatelife.org.
