Hackensack University Medical Center Kidney Transplant Leaders Participate in National and Regional Events to Increase Access to Organ Transplantation

Newswise — The kidney transplant program at Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center is the fastest growing program in the U.S., with adult kidney transplant volumes increasing by 2,000 percent since 2015. 

With more than 103,000 men, women and children on the national transplant waiting list and 17 patients dying each day while waiting to receive an organ transplant, increasing access to organ transplantation care represents a critical health care need across the U.S.

As a national leader in kidney transplant volumes, outcomes and program growth, Hackensack University Medical Center will be represented by Michael J. Goldstein, MD, FACS, Director of the Division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation, and Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, President & Chief Hospital Executive and Regional President, at the Transplant Growth Collaboration event in Salt Lake City, Utah, in April 2024. The event — held during National Donate Life Month, which promotes all types of organ, tissue and blood donation — will bring together national transplant leaders with a shared goal of increasing the number of life-saving organ transplants performed in the U.S.

“By 2026, our goal is to perform 60,000 deceased donor transplants per year in the U.S.,” said Dr. Goldstein. “We were chosen to participate in this collaborative effort with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) because of the growth of our transplant program and our enhanced utilization of organs. As a result, we will play a role in developing pathways to increase the number of successful transplants and improve the way organs are allocated — so we can find the right organ for the right recipient.” 

Dr. Goldstein also noted that Hackensack University Medical Center is leading the way in organ offer acceptance rates and developing collaborative partnerships with our nation’s organ procurement organizations in order to maximize utilization of hard to place organs. We have implemented innovative technology to address the current organ shortage in the U.S. In 2019, Hackensack University Medical Center was the first in NJ to develop a hospital-based kidney perfusion program to expand the donor pool and mitigate the risks of delayed kidney function. In 2022, the hospital became the first center in New Jersey and the second in the world to use IRIS imaging technology before surgery to assess living donor kidneys and guide the removal procedure. In February 2023, the medical center became the first in the nation to use Kidney Assist, a new technology that can expand the window of time in which a kidney is viable. 

“With the support of Hackensack University Medical Center leadership, we’ve been able to develop our team, and build support services to enable the rapid expansion of the program as we utilize more available organs and improve our kidney transplant wait times,” said Dr. Goldstein. “Our C-suite leaders and transplantation surgeons are excited to participate in the Transplant Growth Collaboration event and share how we have integrated technology and other enhancements into our program.” 

“Our team is honored to participate in this inaugural event, which emphasizes the importance of growing the field of organ transplantation,” said Sparta. “We are proud to share the impact Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian’s academic flagship,  has made in the field of kidney transplantation, and we look forward to collaborating with our colleagues to explore new opportunities for increasing access to life-saving organ transplantation care across the nation and in New Jersey.”

Closer to home, Hackensack University Medical Center hosted a National Donate Life Month Celebration on April 17, 2024, at American Dream shopping mall in East Rutherford, NJ. The event featured a transplant panel and Q&A session, as well as performances by members of the NJ Symphony Orchestra and the Midland Park High School Band. To learn more, click here. 

ABOUT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Hackensack University Medical Center, an 803-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital, was Bergen County’s first hospital founded in 1888. It is also the first hospital in New Jersey and third in the nation to become a Magnet®-recognized hospital for nursing excellence, receiving its seventh consecutive designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2024. The academic flagship of the Hackensack Meridian Health network, Hackensack University Medical Center is the #1 hospital in New Jersey according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best Hospitals list. In addition to being ranked the top hospital in New Jersey, Hackensack University Medical Center is ranked #6 overall in the New York Metropolitan area as well as being home to the John Theurer Cancer Center, a premier cancer center in New Jersey.  Hackensack University Medical Center has the best, nationally-ranked programs in New Jersey in Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery (#42), Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (#24), and Geriatrics (#36). It is also the only New Jersey hospital nationally ranked in Neurology and Neurosurgery (#22) and Urology (#27). The hospital is also nationally ranked in Orthopedics (#33). Hackensack University Medical Center is also recognized for 18 high-performing procedures and conditions. Named to  Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2024 list, Hackensack University Medical Center is also the recipient of the 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ by Healthgrades as well as an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group. This award-winning care is provided on a campus that is home to facilities such as the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, ranked #1 in the state and top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report. Hackensack University Medical Center is listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. The hospital’s comprehensive clinical research portfolio includes studies focused on precision medicine, translational medicine, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and vaccine development. In 2023, the hospital completed the largest healthcare expansion project ever approved by the state: construction of the Helena Theurer Pavilion, a 530,000-sq.-ft., nine-story building housing 24 state-of-the-art operating rooms with intraoperative MRI capability, 50 ICU beds, and 175 medical/surgical beds including a 50 room Musculoskeletal Institute.