Structure.  DCIDS is governed by a five-member Board of Directors who determine the goals and objectives of the organization.  A Medical Advisory Board (comprised of healthcare professionals and donor family representatives) makes recommendations regarding tissue allocation, donor criteria, ethical issues, public education and financial reviews for DCIDS Tissue Services.  Medical Directors work closely with DCIDS Tissue Services staff to ensure adherence to medical standards and protocols.

Processing.  DCIDS Tissue Services houses a full service processing operation with two class 100 clean rooms located in our Nashville, Tennessee facility.  Since its inception in 1992, the processing center has been responsible for processing all musculoskeletal and skin tissue recovered by DCIDS locations.  The processing center is equipped with many state-of-the-art features, including:

Distribution.  DCIDS maintains the largest possible inventory and, through our large population base, can distribute specific tissues to meet individual needs.  We strive to serve the needs of patients and physicians, even when circumstances require rare or precise sizes of surgical tissue.  Additionally, DCIDS maintains working relationships with AATB (American Association of Tissue Banks) and EBAA (Eye Bank Association of America) accredited banks across the country to supply tissue to our local hospitals when we cannot meet an immediate need.

Grafts Distributed        8,748      9,950        10,791

Quality Assurance.  Our quality assurance (QA) program is comprised of stringent check points throughout the entire tissue banking process.  QA monitors documentation and activities in the areas of:

Recovery.  DCIDS Tissue Services has experienced tremendous growth and currently recovers and processes tissue from approximately 1,000 donors annually, resulting in the processing of approximately 15,000 transplant allografts.

                            1999           2000            2001

Donors                    848            942            1,145

Bone                       493            545               743

Connective Tissue    348            357               343

Heart Valves            309            278               222

Vein                        263            283               186

Skin                          18            146               120  

Corneas                   282            354               420

Research.  DCIDS is actively involved in tissue banking-related research in a variety of ways.  We provide funding for research through an application process to programs that strive to enhance organ, tissue or ocular transplantation. 

DCIDS conducts research investigating ways to improve tissue banking procedures and to identify alternative uses for donated human tissue.

Additionally, we provide tissue to researchers within our recovery service area to promote the advancement of scientific investigation and medical therapy.