First kidney transplant center to open in Queens

According to statistics, nearly 80,000 people each year are diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD), the final stage of kidney failure.
But now, those living with ESRD and waiting for a possible kidney transplant have new hope.
A new flagship program – the first in Queens – has been approved by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to be established at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset.
“There is no other program in Nassau County or Queens,” said Jeffrey Kraut, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Marketing for NSUH. “Now, doctors caring for patients (60 to 70 per year in Queens and Nassau County) will be able to refer them to a local facility.”
The hospital had petitioned for the program nearly six years ago, but had to prove that the number of kidney transplants today exceeded the
1998 number by at least 10 percent. “They [the NYSDOH] didn’t want to bring another program on board until the ‘trigger’ was met,” Kraut told The Queens Courier.
Just last month, State Senator Malcolm Smith sought support for the program from Governor George Pataki. “The addition of a kidney transplant program in Queens will save lives,” said Smith. “I was compelled to write to Governor Pataki to make him aware of the urgency of this situation.”
According to Kraut, NSUH, which has spent nearly $1 million on facilities, already has the surgical capacity and the space to house the program.
What is needed now is additional staffing, including, according to Kraut, transplant surgeons and nephrologists. Pre-existing staff will also undergo additional training and all faculty will be integrated.
The program is expected to be fully operational by early 2007 (at an additional cost of $2 to $3 million), and approximately 30 transplants are anticipated in the first year.
“This may increase to more than 100,” said Kraut. “We expect the number of people with renal disease to increase, and the expectation is that more people will qualify for transplants and more will be successful.”