LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jewish Hospital is voluntarily placing its heart transplant program on long-term inactivation beginning August 17, 2019. The transplant program is a partnership with the University of Louisville and has been in place since 1964.
- Heart Transplant Program Ends August 17
- Only Heart Transplants are Affected
- Program Can Be Reactivated After 12 Months
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require heart transplant programs in the United States to perform a minimum of 10 heart transplant procedures in a year to maintain compliance. According to Kentucky One Health, new nationwide organ allocation policies reduced the number of hearts available for transplant at Jewish Hospital. As of July 18, Jewish has only performed one heart transplant procedure since January.
"Jewish Hospital Transplant Care will assist all patients (including those on the waitlist, in evaluation and recently transplanted) in transferring their care to another transplant center," said Dr. Ronald Waldridge, president of Jewish Hospital. "Our goal is for this transition of care to be as seamless and expeditious as possible, minimizing stress and anxiety for our patients and their families. "
For several months the hospital and UofL leadership have discussed the low volume of heart transplants and the loss of transplant cardiologists. The hospital says even though the heart transplant program is shutting down, it will continue to provide care to current heart transplant program patients.
Waldridge added, "Please know that this has not been an easy decision. Along with adhering to a zero-harm policy regarding patient care, maintaining our regulatory compliance with CMS is a top priority."
Jewish Hospital will continue to provide liver, lung, pancreas and kidney transplants. Long-term inactivation can last up to 12 months. At tht time, CMS and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) must approve the plan for the program to reactivate.