How Lifebanc CEO Katie Payne is Driving Turnaround

With a little over a year at the helm of Lifebanc, CEO Katie Payne is already being credited with leading a dramatic turnaround. Lifebanc, our region’s only nonprofit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization, recently set a record with 78 lifesaving organ transplants in a single month. But for Payne, the turnaround is not about numbers. It’s about re-focusing on people and families.

“We also have had several record months in the past year,” says Payne. “But that is representative of the Northeast Ohio community’s generosity. Everything we do here is based on public trust. Organ donation is the ultimate act of giving and kindness, especially from the families who have experienced a loss but decided to leave a legacy of life.”

Since 1986, Lifebanc has helped families in Northeast Ohio turn loss into life, connecting the generosity of donors and their families with the patients whose lives depend on a transplant. Lifebanc was one of the first independent organ procurement organizations in the country. Perhaps more importantly, it’s also recognized as a leader in recovery, innovation and compassionate care.

Indeed, Payne’s leadership style is focused on a more personal level.

“Every donor is a hero,” says Payne, “and every family is a part of the story. Every day, our team works to honor donors, comfort and support families and save lives through education, advocacy and collaboration.”

Lifebanc partners with faith-based organizations and communities, nearly all of which support organ donation as an act of charity, love and service. It also partners with businesses, large and small, to provide information and opportunities for workplaces to learn more about the gift of life through presentations, materials or Q&A sessions.

Payne brings more than a decade of experience in organ donation, transplantation and health care leadership to her role as CEO. A registered nurse by training, she previously served as executive director of LifeLink of Georgia, where she helped elevate donation performance and expand community engagement initiatives.

While her leadership role grew out of a professional background, it’s her personal experience with organ donation that really drives her passion.

“When I was 21, my older brother Billy was involved in a tragic accident and became a tissue and eye donor,” says Payne. “Unfortunately, my parents, who had already lost my oldest brother many years before, weren’t able to have any conversations with the donation team. So, they asked me to handle it.

“From the kind words on the other end of the phone, I could tell just how important donation was. My brother was not just a number, but a person who was giving something that he would never see the success of. 

“So today, when we are working with these families, we have to think about them first, because it is really hard and painful for everyone involved. 

“Sometimes, people are going to be angry, and that’s OK. Above all, we have to be as respectful and patient as possible. Remember, a tragedy can happen to any one of us. We have to make sure our donors are not a number. Remember, they were once somebody’s someone.”

That same family-focused philosophy is extended to all the organizations that are Lifebanc partners.

“We need to make sure that we are really consistent and committed with everyone we deal with,” says Payne. “Whether it’s a local hospital that we are working with or another transplant organization, we need to show up and be just as good as we can be every time.”

Because it’s a nonprofit, Lifebanc’s biggest challenges this year include maintaining solvency with federal funding policies changing.

“We need to make sure we are sustainable financially,” says Payne. “We also need to have the right people in place for long-term growth, as well as finding ways to support our community. We have to make sure that our community knows we are here to help.”