Recent CNN Article Regarding Denver Transplant Center Program
Porter Adventist Hospital announced Tuesday that it is suspending its transplant program until further notice. The change is hoped to be temporary, but still will leave 232 patients currently listed ineligible for an organ transplant through the medical center.
Base don my background in transplant, I do general care management for some pre and post transplant patients. As a result, I have had a few individuals forward questions to me about this situation. I wanted to post a reminder of policies below:
As addressed in the OPTN/UNOS Policy 3.2.2.1, patients may transfer their primary waiting time from one transplant center to another center. This transfer may be necessary for a number of reasons, such as a change in the transplant candidate’s health insurance, if the candidate has moved or in this case if the center is not offering these services. Patients should contact this medical center timely to transfer time to another transplant center such as the University of Colorado Hospital. This lead me to my next point multiple listing. Patients will need another transplant center to transfer their time to.
All patients may list with multiple centers for transplant. This is called “multiple listing.” I encourage this for all my clients of course, along with exploring all living donor options. UNOS policy permits patients to be considered for organs that become available in other areas by being evaluated and listed at more than one center.
Multiple listing may reduce a patients waiting time in some cases, but not always. Patients need to should seek a center outside of their current listings organ procurement organization. There is no advantage to listing at more than one transplant center in the same Organ Procurement Organization local area. Patients should monitor the wait time where listed and keep their primary listing time at the center with the shortest wait time if possible. This must be monitored over time as wait times can change.
Each center has its own criteria for listing transplant candidates, and each center can accept or refuse to evaluate patients seeking to list at multiple centers. If a patient wishes to be listed at more than one center they need to contact their primary center and the other centers being considered. Evaluation diagnostics and information will need to be forwarded for multiple listing consideration.