Modernizing the HRSA OPTN Organ Transplant System
Description
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and its Health Systems Bureau (HSB), oversees the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). For nearly four decades, the OPTN has served as the nation’s backbone for equitable organ allocation and transplantation. However, the existing legacy systems and governance models faced significant challenges in scalability, transparency, and technological agility.
In 2023, HRSA launched the OPTN Modernization Initiative — a multi-year effort to strengthen accountability, governance, and technical infrastructure across the transplant ecosystem. With over 100,000 patients awaiting organ transplants, the modernization aims to create a secure, flexible, and human-centered digital platform that supports continuous innovation and operational reliability.
This project was developed as part of a response to the HRSA OPTN NextGen IT Multiple Award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) solicitation — a five-year, $185 million contracting vehicle intended to modernize and streamline the OPTN’s digital infrastructure through agile, modular, and human-centered approaches.
Challenge / Goal
Develop a modern, interoperable, and human-centered digital infrastructure to support organ procurement and transplantation in the United States — ensuring:
- Equity, efficiency, and transparency in organ allocation
- Resilient, modular, and secure IT systems
- Seamless collaboration among federal agencies, transplant centers, and organ procurement organizations
From Insight to Impact
Translating research, design, and storytelling into measurable outcomes.
Discover
Conducted internal interviews with technical, policy, and program experts to surface key modernization opportunities. Leveraged Generative AI to synthesize findings and identify recurring patterns in user needs and operational constraints. Aligned modernization objectives with HRSA’s transparency, compliance, and trust mandates.
Explore
Defined how Human-Centered Design (HCD) frameworks would integrate with Agile delivery. Created AI-generated personas, journey maps, and service blueprints to visualize user experience scenarios. Advocated for inclusive and accessible design aligned with Section 508 standards.
Establish
Developed a storyboard and scripted video to illustrate the user experience vision, highlighting empathy for patients, clarity for clinicians, and reliability for administrators. Visualized how modular, interoperable solutions could reduce friction and improve transparency throughout the organ matching and allocation journey.
Impact
- Delivered a human-centered modernization strategy connecting technology, policy, and service delivery.
- Strengthened the BPA proposal with empathy-driven design artifacts that reflected real user and organizational needs.
- Established a repeatable HCD approach to guide future OPTN design and implementation efforts.
- Elevated the visibility and role of UX/CX in government IT modernization.
My Role
As part of the BPA response team, I defined the UX and CX strategy — connecting modernization goals with human-centered design outcomes. My focus included:
- Establishing the UX/CX vision and approach to demonstrate how user-centered practices would guide delivery.
- Leading internal research efforts to understand current challenges, workflows, and constraints.
- Using Generative AI to explore and visualize insights through personas, journey maps, service blueprints, and storyboards.
- Developing a storyboard and video script to communicate the team’s understanding of challenges, approach, and modernization vision.
- Embedding accessibility, equity, and trust as foundational design principles.
Generated Artifacts
Legal obligations and the confidential nature of the work, I am unable to share specific project artifacts or client details.
- UX/CX approach and phases of modernization
- Stakeholder ecosystem map (HRSA, OPOs, transplant centers, patients)
- AI-generated personas and journey maps
- AI-generated service blueprint or workflow visualization
- AI-generated storyboard frames or video concept
- AI-generated video script
Reflection
This BPA response represented a unique opportunity to demonstrate how UX/CX strategy and Generative AI can co-create meaningful artifacts under accelerated timelines. It reinforced my belief that human-centered design — when integrated early and authentically — bridges the gap between technical modernization and mission-driven transformation in public service.