Featured CTBS - Ronda Horstman
Becoming CTBS Certified
I started in the tissue banking field as a tissue recovery technician. I was a Certified Surgical Technologist working in surgery at the time. When I participated in surgeries, I had the opportunity to use allografts in many of the orthopedic procedures. Learning how the allografts were made available and being a part of the process made me more interested in the tissue banking industry. I started taking any opportunity to learn more about the field. I made myself available to assist in any way I could by taking orders for scheduled surgeries, helping surgeons determine the right graft they may need for a particular case, and even learning about the processing steps in order to do release reviews of grafts. I was offered the opportunity to take the CTBS Exam. I knew studying for and obtaining my CTBS would be a huge step in making tissue banking my career. As I grew in the industry, my CTBS has set me apart from others on many occasions. It has allowed me to advance my career and to be seen as a subject matter expert in the field. When you become certified as a tissue banking specialist, it shows that you have the initiative to learn about all of the aspects of tissue banking and have the desire to excel in the field.
About Ronda Horstman
Ronda Horstman is the Vice President of Donor Services for CryoLife where she has been a member of the Donor Services team since 2007. She has been in the tissue banking industry since joining Community Tissue Services (CTS) in 1996. After serving in many roles at CTS, she transitioned to LifeGift Organ Donation Center in 2002. While at LifeGift, she focused on organ recovery and quality assurance for both organ and tissue recovery. She is a Certified Tissue Banking Specialist and an active member of AATB. At AATB, she has served as the Chair/Member of the Board of Governors, a Vice-Chair, the Secretary of the Recovery and Donor Suitability Council, a Coach for the Emerging Leader’s Program, a member of the Public and Professional Relations Committee, and a member of the Accreditation Committee. In 2000, she was awarded AATB’s Peer Recognition Award for Public and Professional Relations. She is currently the Tissue Liaison on the Donate Life America Advisory Council and a member on the Advisory Board for Midwest Transplant Network. In 2006, Ronda was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Tarrant County College. She is a four-time President’s Club Award winner for CryoLife. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Medical Management and a minor in Business Administration.
