Prisma Health today announced a new program for organ transplant services.
The program was announced during a virtual press conference.
Prisma Health CEO Mark O'Halla noted the rising need for transplants across the country. As such, Prisma has instituted this a local organ transplant program, beginning with kidney transplants later this year. Pancreas and liver transplants will be considered based on the needs of the population being served.
Dr. Will Cobb, the Chair of the Department of Surgery for Prisma Health Upstate, said this program is a vital resource for critically ill patients. He further said organ transplants are labor intensive from the initial tests to the ongoing care after a successful transplant.
Another difficulty with organ transplants is the travel required; Dr. Cobb reports that before the institution of this program, patients had to travel out of state to Georgia or North Carolina for an organ transplant.
During the press conference, Dr. Cobb said the need for transplants is increasing across the nation higher, both in a higher number of transplants and a higher number of people added to lists waiting for an organ donation. There are currently nearly 120,000 people on the organ transplant list in United States; approximately 100,000 of those people need kidney transplant.
