| Shands - Jacksonville, FL Transplant Program Shuts Down Voluntarily!
Today's (01/21/11) issue of the First Coast News in Florida reports the Shands Hospital - Jacksonville Hospital, affiliated with the University of Florida, will shut down the kidney transplant program there. A hospital spokesperson claims the shutdown is due to low transplant numbers. Only 30 procedures have been completed in the last 12 months. Of course, this leaves the transplant candidates on the waiting list at thet program up in the air. They must now find another facility to be listed with. A big question is, will they retain the seniority they have now.
Although the hospital insists the program is being closed due to low numbers, seceral complaints have been filed with federal and state officials in recent years for shoddy practices within the program. One Florida resident who received a cadaver transplant in 2004 contracted Hepatitis C from a contaminated kidney. She had been told the kidney was a perfect match. It wasn't. She wasn't told the kidney originated in Toledo, Ohio, was sent to California, rejected by 2 transplant centers there and then sent to Florida. The patient's insurance carrier paid $62,000.00 to the local OPO for the kidney.
For the past 4+ years she and others have filed complaints with the Centers for Medicare Services, the Florida Department of Health. Lots of excuses were included in responses from these governmental agencies and the hospital, however, it seemed nothing was being done. Maybe there was something being done and it took 4 years.
Not unusual in the unethical and unfair US transplant industry!
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