Ten Years and Counting, Honoring a Decade of Partnership with Donor Network West

For a decade, Royal Team Members have played a behind-the-scenes role in organ donation across Northern California. This is the story of how that work happens and why the partnership matters. Royal Ambulance’s commitment to organ and tissue donation has not only strengthened our healthcare community but also improved patient outcomes across the region.

The Role of Donor Network West

Most people don’t think about organ donation until life forces them to. Even fewer still realize the intricate web of coordination, care, and compassion that makes donation possible. Understanding the role of organ procurement organizations (OPOs) like Donor Network West helps highlight the importance of every step in the donation process, from donor identification to organ transplantation.

That’s where Donor Network West comes in.

They’re the federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) for northern California and northern Nevada. Hospitals are required to partner with an OPO like Donor Network West to help make organ and tissue donation possible. Their team works with families, coordinates logistics, supports transplant centers, and handles the details most of us never see. Through these efforts, Donor Network West ensures that every organ and tissue donation is handled with the highest level of professionalism, care, and efficiency, ultimately saving countless lives.

Royal Ambulance’s Vital Role

Royal Ambulance has partnered with Donor Network West for ten years. Our role is simple but critical. When a donor is identified, someone has to make sure that the person gets safely from one location to another. Every transport requires precise coordination, timely communication, and attention to detail, which are all hallmarks of Royal Ambulance’s donor transfer services.

Sharon Swain Reflects on the Partnership

Sharon Swain, Donor Transfer Program Manager at Donor Network West, has worked with Royal crews for years. She remembers when the partnership first began.“You started with us when you were a much smaller company,” she said. “You were just beginning to do critical care transports. And from the beginning, you treated our work like a priority. That has always stayed with me.”

Sharon’s background is in critical care nursing. She left the bedside to do this work full-time and took a pay cut to do it. What she found was purpose. Her dedication highlights the human element behind organ donation, emphasizing that compassion and expertise go hand-in-hand in this life-saving process.

“I think people forget that you can still have purpose in death,” she said. “For families, knowing that someone else will live because their loved one donated makes an impossible situation feel just a little more meaningful. That matters.”

Our crews don’t do donor calls for recognition. They do it because they care. And they ask questions. They want to know which organs were placed and how the donor will help someone else. This curiosity and dedication reflect Royal Ambulance’s mission to prioritize patient-centered care in every aspect of donor transport.

“It’s not just a shift for them,” Sharon said. “It’s something they take seriously. You can tell.”

Josini Machathil, RN, Royal’s CCT Manager, sees that mindset every day.

“Our teams understand the weight of these calls. There’s a different kind of focus when you’re transporting a donor. It’s not just about the clinical side. It’s about being present, being respectful, and knowing that you’re part of something bigger than yourself.”

JohnRey Hassan, RN our Chief Administrative Officer and in-house counsel, has worked as a critical care transport nurse himself. He sees that same sense of purpose in our crews.

“This is sacred work. It demands clinical skill, but it also calls for empathy and humility. I’ve been on those transports. I know what it feels like. And I’m proud of how our teams carry that responsibility.”

Their consistent focus on safety, care, and respect ensures that each organ donation journey is handled with dignity and precision.

For many team members at Royal, donor calls are the first time they see this side of healthcare. It’s a quiet responsibility. But one that stays with you. Experiencing this aspect of healthcare often inspires our staff to continue growing their skills and dedication to patient care.

Hasieb Lemar, our President, sees the impact of the partnership from both a clinical and leadership lens.

“It reflects who we are. When someone trusts us with their loved one’s final act of care, we show up with everything we’ve got. Donor Network West has been an incredible partner, and we’re proud to play a small role in such meaningful work.”

Our leadership’s commitment ensures that Royal Ambulance remains a trusted partner in organ donation across Northern California and Northern Nevada.

Reflecting on Donate Life Month

This month is Donate Life Month. It’s a chance to reflect on what this work means.

We’re proud to support Donor Network West. And grateful for the years of trust and partnership. It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and encourage more people to register as donors.

To the donors and families who say yes.

To the clinicians who make it possible.

To the people behind the scenes doing the work every day.

Together, we continue to honor the legacy of every donor, uplift families during difficult times, and contribute to the life-saving mission of organ donation.

Thank you!