Expanding Transplant Evaluation Services at UPMC Washington

At UPMC, our experts take a collaborative approach to providing patients with advanced treatment options and support at every stage of their transplant journey. With the opening of pre-transplant evaluation clinics for kidney and lung transplant at UPMC Washington, UPMC experts are working together to increase access to transplant evaluation services for patients in need.

At the lung and kidney pre-transplant evaluation clinics, patients have access to nationally recognized transplant experts from one of the oldest and most experienced transplant programs in the country.

“The opportunity to bring this level of care to our community means a great deal,” said Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. “Our patients deserve access to lifesaving specialty services without the added stress of traveling far from home. These programs help families stay together, allow local clinicians to remain closely involved and give patients the chance to begin their transplant journey with the full support of their community.”

The newly opened transplant evaluation clinics allow us to offer coordinated testing, education, and support all in one place. Pre-transplant evaluation services offered at UPMC Washington for lung and kidney transplant include:

• Imaging scans
• Blood tests
• Radiology
• Diagnostic tests
• Consults and exams
• Ongoing education about the transplant process

Patients who are evaluated for transplant at UPMC Washington and are determined to be candidates for a transplant will have their care seamlessly transitioned to Pittsburgh for surgery.

Lung Transplant Expertise at UPMC Washington

At the UPMC Lung Transplant Program, our goal is to provide life-saving care to all patients who will benefit, including those who have been deemed high risk. The clinic at UPMC Washington provides patients with pulmonary services and pre-lung transplant evaluations at a convenient location close to home.

To best support patients in Washington and surrounding communities, we also provide on-going education and support for patients with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease. Black lung disease develops when coal dust is inhaled over a long period of time. It causes lung tissue to swell as the body fights the dust particles that have settled into the lungs. The damaging effects of the inhaled coal dust may not show up for many years, and some patients don’t develop symptoms until long after their initial exposure. If you are treating a patient with black lung disease, we urge you to contact our program early in their disease progression to discuss a treatment plan and gain access to educational and support resources.

For more information or to refer a patient to the UPMC Lung Transplant Evaluation Clinic at UPMC Washington, call 412-648-6202 or email cttransplant@upmc.edu.

Kidney Transplant Expertise at UPMC Washington

The UPMC Kidney Transplant Evaluation Clinic in Washington provides transplant evaluations to patients with advanced, progressive, or complicated kidney disease who may benefit from kidney transplantation.

We also provide education about the benefits of living-donor kidney transplant with every patient we evaluate. Patients who are candidates for a kidney transplant have access to resources to help find a living donor through the UPMC Living Donor Champion Program.

To learn more or to refer your patient, call 412-692-4081 or email UPMCKidneyReferrals@upmc.edu.