For the fourth consecutive year, the University Health Transplant Institute’s liver program has been recognized as the best in the nation by INTERLINK. This independent organization evaluates the performance of 94 liver transplant programs, and its findings guide insurance companies in making transplant patient recommendations.
INTERLINK’s Chairman and CEO, John M. Van Dyke, commended the program for its dedication to excellence. “This award showcases their commitment to quality care across every aspect,” he said.
What sets this program apart? INTERLINK looked at 32 factors, such as transplant numbers, patient wait times, and the handling of complex cases. Significantly, the program’s expertise in using living donor livers, which often result in better outcomes, also factored into the decision. Recently, this program gained attention as the first in the U.S. to successfully coordinate an organ exchange that matched seven living donors with seven recipients.
Patricia Jones, the vice president for transplant and donation services at University Health, states, “Our ongoing success is a reflection of our dedicated team. We take pride in delivering top-quality care to our patients.”
INTERLINK didn’t stop with liver transplants; it also recognized the kidney and lung programs for their excellence. The kidney program achieved ELITE status, awarded to only about 10% of top transplant centers. It boasts impressive survival rates and is particularly notable for being the only center in South Texas to offer robotic surgery for living donor kidney transplants. This advanced technique allows for more precise surgeries and quicker recovery times.
Dr. Richard Freeman, the medical director for INTERLINK, noted, “Reaching this level of success requires not just skill but incredible teamwork in a highly demanding field.”
The lung program achieved SELECT status, a prestigious designation earned by around 25% of leading programs. Since 1987, University Health has completed nearly 800 lung transplants, boasting some of the longest-living lung transplant patients in the U.S.
This sustained recognition is not just a victory for the University Health Transplant Institute; it reflects an overall trend in the transplant field, where patient outcomes and innovative surgical techniques are increasingly valued. As experts in the field argue, the combination of skilled teams and advanced technology is paving the way for better patient care in transplant procedures.
For more on transplant excellence and to explore findings from INTERLINK, you can visit their [official site](https://interlinkhealth.com/).
