Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/55875
PHOTOS © SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON SPECIAL FEATURE THE TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS A Team Approach to Life Extension By Alex Strauss AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT in the U.S., more than 100,000 people are waiting for life- saving organ transplants. Not only is there a continuing shortage of organs available to meet the demand, but there is a limited number of hospitals with experience and expertise to manage these complex cases and to provide each transplant patient with a lifetime of follow-up care. Of the approximately 6,000 hospitals in the American Hospital Association, only 248 have transplant programs. University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center is one of them. Since 1968, when the first organ transplant took place at UH, more than 3,300 solid organ transplants for adults and children have been performed there. The kidney was the first organ to be transplanted by UH surgeons, followed by pancreas transplants in 1986, heart transplants in 1988, liver transplants in 1989 and lung transplants in 1999. In 2007, the program — which was once made up of a small group of specialists from various departments scattered across UH's main campus — was solidified into an institute anchored by a large multi-disciplinary team, united by location as well as focus. "One of the goals of bringing all of our transplant services together James Schulak, MD, is an abdominal transplant surgeon and the director of the University Hospitals Transplant Institute. Janie Morrison, FACHE, is the administrative director. Since 1968, when the first organ transplant took place at UH, more than 3,300 solid organ transplants for adults and children have been performed there.