As a result of the vote, physicians at the medical center expect to begin seeing and evaluating patients as potential candidates for kidney transplantation and potential candidates for living kidney donation.
“Kidney transplantation is a much preferred alternative to life-long kidney dialysis for patients with end stage kidney disease,” Dominica Tallarico, chief operating officer for Advocate Christ Medical Center and Hope Children’s Hospital, told the state planning board. “Kidney transplantation is less costly than dialysis over the life of the patient and immeasurably improves a patient’s life. We are prepared to offer this quality option to patients in a portion of the Chicago area not now served by a kidney transplant center.”
“Christ Medical Center’s commitment to transplantation is reflected in its success as a heart transplant center and its status as a leading provider of organs and donor tissue in Illinois and Northwest Indiana,” said Deepak Mital MD FACS, director of the new kidney transplant program and lead surgeon. “The state’s approval of our role as a kidney transplant center will now encourage people to donate more organs and increase the number of transplant surgeries that can be performed.
“Establishing a kidney transplant program is a logical extension of the medical center’s extremely strong nephrology service,” he added. “We currently have 22 nephrologists on staff providing both pre- and post-transplant services.”
