Focus on Safety:
Employee Spotlight: Perry Lange, VP, Cardiovascular
If anyone can tell the story of LifeNet Health, it's Perry Lange. After 25 years in the business, he's witnessed the evolution of an
organization and the advancement of an entire industry. You might say he grew up with LifeNet Health.
"When I joined the Eastern Virginia Tissue Bank in 1985, I was one of only ten employees" says Lange.
He began in organ recovery and quickly moved to the tissue bank team, but his daily routine included
everything from procurement to processing to QA. "We were a typical 'mom-and-pop' operation then; we
all did everything, no matter what our job description was."
Perry Lange, Vice President, Cardiovascular
Today, Lange heads up a large division as the Cardiovascular Vice President, along with his
leadership team including Robert Wilson and Alyce Jones, PhD. He manages bio-implant specialists
across the country, works closely with St. Jude Medical and several other independent distributorships,
communicates daily with cardiac surgeons and helps resolve technical challenges to ensure the best
possible quality and service.
LL: What brought you to LifeNet Health and the field of organ and tissue recovery?
PL: I had just completed my studies as a P.A. at Eastern Virginia Medical School and was working in
several hospitals when I was approached by a physician who recruited me to work part time in organ
recovery. The research component of the job appealed to my academic nature – as a graduate of University
of California at Berkley and former professor at Old Dominion University. But the thing that intrigued
me most was the opportunity to be a part of something that would eventually make a tremendous impact
on the world. When I started in this business, there were only a few thousand tissue transplants performed
a year. Now there are more than 2.5 million tissue implants taking place each year in the U.S.
LL: What are some of your most memorable career highlights at LifeNet Health?
PL: Last year I was honored to receive the Lifetime of Service Award from the American Association
of Tissue Banks. This was truly rewarding because it was a peer-nominated award and it meant a lot
to me and my family.
LL: Any other interesting moments?
PL: One of my most exciting opportunities was the filming of a National Geographic special on transplant
tourism with reporter Lisa Ling. While the story was an expose on the horrific black market for organ
trading outside the U.S., it was a good opportunity to tell the story of LifeNet Health's tissue donation
capabilities on an international level. After that show aired, The History Channel visited LifeNet Health
to shoot video for an episode of "Modern Marvels" about the wonders of the human body.
LL: What do you love most about the work you do at LifeNet Health?
PL: I know this sounds trite, but I have a job that really does make a difference. We helped 400,000
people this year – many of whom had little hope of survival. That's what keeps me going.
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