Legislative Activities

Consistently high-performing OPO

Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) is committed to expanding the number of organs recovered and transplanted by pursuing all opportunities for donation and engaging in continuous quality review. Since 2016, MTN has seen a 64% increase in organ donor heroes and a 35% increase in lifesaving organs transplanted. When compared to the other 56 federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs) operating in the U.S. from 2011 – 2018, MTN was consistently ranked as one of the top six based on organ donation rates. From 2017 through 2021, MTN ranked first in the nation based on its organ donation rates. Additionally, MTN ranked second in transplant rate in 2020 and third in 2021.

YearNumber of organ donorsNumber of organs transplanted
2017245816
2018271818
2019282929
2020341898
2021373981

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulate different aspects of the U.S. organ transplant system. Under federal law, CMS is charged with conducting surveys of OPOs and recertifying them every four years based on whether they meet the Conditions for Coverage, which include outcome and performance measures. Facilities must correct any problems or deficiencies cited in these surveys to continue receiving payment for services from Medicare and Medicaid. CMS has never found MTN to be out of compliance with any CMS performance measure, which further exemplifies MTN’s commitment to excellence.  

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Meet the Legislative Team

Professional portrait image of Jan Finn.

Jan Finn, RN, MSN 

Jan Finn, President & Chief Executive Officer, has had a long, decorated career working at one of the nation’s premier organ procurement organizations (OPOs), Midwest Transplant Network (MTN). Finn began working at MTN as an Organ Procurement Coordinator in 1990, and she was responsible for all phases of the donation process, including providing services to hospital and community partners. She advanced within the organization throughout her more than 30-year tenure until she became President in 2017.  In her role as President and CEO, she represents MTN in front of regulators, legislators, donor hospitals, transplant centers, donor families, other nonprofit organizations and the public to appropriately reflect MTN as an industry expert and trusted resource to the community. Her legislative efforts are focused on influencing regulatory/legislative actions that will provide the best environment for carrying out MTN’s mission and serving constituents of MTN’s donor service area (DSA) while overseeing MTN’s federal and state lobbying efforts.

Finn also serves on the AOPO Advocacy Committee and regularly attends meetings with federal legislators and their staffers as well as federal administrators who represent the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

Salama Gallimore, MA, JD 

Salama joined MTN in 2019 as the Corporate Attorney and liaison to lawmakers in western Missouri, Kansas and Washington, D.C. She works with state and federal legislators to inform them of current issues, policies and proposed legislation that may impact organ, tissue and eye donation as well as with MTN’s hospital partners to educate legislators on issues impacting transplant centers in Missouri and Kansas and the U.S. transplant system as a whole. Since joining MTN, Gallimore has had the opportunity to meet with legislators in person, participate in legislative hearings, draft public comments in response to proposed regulations and develop relationships with knowledgeable stakeholders from Missouri and Kansas who represent the residents of MTN’s DSA. Gallimore also serves on the AOPO Advocacy Committee to help shape organ donation and transplantation policies and legislation on a national level in conjunction with OPO leaders from across the nation.