Background
Mid-America Transplant, a St. Louis-based nonprofit, serves 84 counties across Eastern Missouri, southwestern Illinois, and Northeast Arkansas. As one of just 55 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the U.S., its lifesaving mission is bold and clear: bring the transplant waiting list down to zero. Beyond facilitating organ and tissue donation, testing, and transportation, Mid-America Transplant supports donor and recipient families with services like the Mid-America Transplant Family House, which eases hospital access for those waiting for and recovering from an organ transplant.
With more than 300 employees working across multiple off-site locations, seamless, time-sensitive coordination and communication are essential to making that mission possible.
Challenge: When every second matters, communication cannot fail
Paul Nahrgang, IT Solutions Manager at Mid-America Transplant, oversees IT infrastructure and operations to ensure every team has the reliable technology and tools they need to save lives. His work helps connect transplant surgeons, hospitals, and couriers in real time to preserve, transport, and deliver organs and tissues at a moment’s notice. When a donor becomes available, every second counts—and dependable communication can mean the difference between life and death.
Carrier outages In February 2024, a carrier outage left coordinators scrambling to access Wi-Fi to communicate with hospitals and operate critical systems. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident.
Limited first responder access Despite repeated escalations, other carriers struggled to enable the organization on their priority first responder networks.
Coverage in remote areas Teams traveling into rural regions often lacked reliable connectivity for both voice and data, putting time-sensitive coordination at risk. Mid-America Transplant needed consistent connectivity for both.
When communication glitches like this latest outage kept getting in the way of their mission, it was a wake-up call. As Nahrgang put it, “We can’t take no for an answer anymore.”
Solution: Partnering with T-Mobile for best-in-class communications
After exploring alternatives, Mid-America Transplant turned to T-Mobile for its coverage, technology, and a partnership that delivers real impact.
WPS + T-Priority: Mid-America Transplant partnered with T-Mobile to qualify and access Wireless Priority Service (WPS) for lifesaving critical communications. Their 5G devices are enabled on T-Mobile’s T-Priority network, helping to ensure reliable voice and data during high-congestion events.
5G-enabled mobility: To support rapid growth and evolving technology needs, Mid-America Transplant needed a single source for mobile technology, support, and scalability. With 100+ mobile lines and an expanding 5G device footprint, they are fully equipped to scale efficiently and stay ahead in mobile innovation.
Satellite innovation: Delivering lifesaving transplant services in remote areas demands advanced solutions. T-Mobile’s collaboration with Starlink highlights forward-looking approaches to bridging coverage gaps, providing a foundation for reliable connectivity in hard-to-reach locations.
Impact: Communication that saves lives
With T-Mobile, Mid-America Transplant can now deploy robust solutions that safeguard critical communications between coordinators, surgeons, and hospitals. The nonprofit now has enterprise-grade tools that were previously out of reach for smaller organizations. The results are tangible and immediate:
Continuity of care: Seamless communication ensures organ recovery and transport proceed without dangerous delays.
Time savings: Faster, reliable access to hospital systems and donor screening platforms accelerates decisions when every second counts.
Scalability: With access to America’s Best Network, Mid-America Transplant now has more reliable connection for employees across their service area.
Until No One Is Waiting
Every day, over 100,000 people await a lifesaving transplant. You can help change that. Learn how to register to be an organ and tissue donor at DonateLife.net.
Conclusion
Embracing innovation and technology is core to Mid-America Transplant’s culture, because when lives are at stake, innovation isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s essential.
As the organization grows, its partnership with T-Mobile ensures a technology ally who understands the sensitivity of their mission and the urgency of every single call.
“It’s hard to find big tech companies that care. T-Mobile is one of the few.”
Paul Nahrgang
Operations and Technology
Mid-America Transplant
Looking for enterprise-grade communications for your business?
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