Tissue Services

LifeCenter Northwest is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks, acknowledging our commitment to providing the highest quality of tissue service. We believe that tissue donation is an important part of the donation process—and we serve the families of tissue donors and the medical professionals that make these gifts possible with compassion.

LifeCenter Northwest averages 67 grafts processed per donor, which exceeds the average of other tissue organizations. We offer extensive donor family care with an 18-month minimum bereavement program, a service that supports the family through the healing process after losing a loved one.

We work with three skilled processors that allow us to maximize the number of lives touched by these generous gifts:

  • Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation. MTF is the largest tissue processor in the world, with the best record of safety and quality. MTF is also heavily committed to research and development, continually investigating and creating innovative surgical allografts. MTF processes a wide variety of “proprietary” grafts, processed and distributed exclusively by MTF.
  • International Biologics. IB utilizes tissue from older donors to create specific allografts. This allows LifeCenter Northwest to offer tissue options to an expanded number of individuals who otherwise may not have the opportunity to donate.
  • CryoLife. CryoLife recovers cardiovascular tissue for LifeCenter Northwest. Heart valves are used primarily for transplant in pediatric patients with congenital heart anomalies. Other vessels are also recovered for various vascular repairs

Working with LifeCenter Northwest for both the organ and tissue program allows for a streamlined experience for hospital staff and donor families. If LifeCenter Northwest becomes your tissue recovery partner, all MTF tissue grafts processed from your hospital will be offered to your surgeons first—which gives you and your donor families a generous way to give back to your own community.


Jan Hendrix
Director, Tissue Donation Services

At LifeCenter Northwest since: April 07, 2008
Personal Statement: The courageous and gracious spirit of the donor families that we are so privileged to serve, as well as the miraculous transplant outcomes made possible through organ and tissue donation.

Rob Houghton
Tissue Services Project Specialist

At LifeCenter Northwest since: March 9, 2005
Personal Statement: Every time a person’s life is saved, I know LifeCenter Northwest is providing such a special service to the community.