New England Donor Services Referrals

Effective July 30, 2025, you will notice a small but significant addition to your MEFIRS run reports. For calls meeting specific criteria (e.g., termination of resuscitation in the field), a new question will appear, "Did you make a notification to New England Donor Services?" (Yes/No)

Based on your answer:
If "Yes," you will be prompted to enter the NEDS Referral Number.

If "No," you will be presented with a short list of the reasons a referral was not made.

If you select “Other,” a free text box appears and is required.

Reason for the Change

Our protocols (Termination of Resuscitation #2) require notification to New England Donor Services (NEDS) for specific resuscitation terminations in the field. This is a critical step that can lead to organ and tissue donation, offering a profound opportunity to save or improve lives. This update aims to support EMS clinicians in consistently making this notification.

Absolute Rules-Outs to NEDS Notification include:

• Obvious signs of decomposition
• Last known alive is greater than or equal to 18 hours ago
• Evidence of IV drug abuse
• Known HIV or Hepatitis diagnosis.

Your responses to these questions will provide valuable insights into our current practices regarding NEDS notifications. This data will allow Maine EMS to understand trends and identify opportunities for improvement.