Banner Good Samaritan Kidney Transplant Center Named Top in the United States

Online, December 14, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The National Institutes for Health funded a study by a web-based service, called Konnectology which has identified the top 10 kidney transplant centers in the United States, and at the top of their list is Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. All 246 kidney transplant centers in the United States were assessed using publicly reported data from the transplant centers and Medicare.

"We, at Banner Good Sam are very proud of this most recent accolade for our Transplant Center," said Lauren Rutledge, Director of Banner Good Samaritan Organ Transplantation Center. "Our goal is to treat every patient dignity, respect, and excellent patient care."

Banner Good Samaritan is Arizona's oldest and most experienced transplant center, The first kidney transplant in Arizona was performed at the hospital on Violet Lopez in 1969. There have been almost 3200 kidney transplants performed at Banner Good Samaritan in the years following.

Konnectology found wide variations in patient outcomes among transplant centers. While the average survival rate for three years after transplant is high at 90%, survival varies widely depending on the center. The new method reveals that the risk of death is three times higher at the worst center compared to the best. A highly accurate scientific method was used to assess the transplant centers based on patient outcomes, experience and wait times.

Patients are referred to the Banner Good Samaritan Transplant Center from all over the Western United States and are cared for by a skilled team of transplant surgeons and an interdisciplinary team dedicated to providing the best care available to patients requiring a transplant. The team provides an integrated approach to care that helps patients and their families before, during and after the transplant. This includes the highest standards of hospital and outpatient medical care, combined with a comprehensive network of support led by transplant nursing coordinators and social workers.

Kidney Transplantation Stats
• An estimated 12,000 people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation
• Every day, 18 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung or bone marrow.
• 90,000 Americans are on the wait list for a kidney (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network)
• 16,000 kidneys become available each year
• Average wait for a kidney is 25 months
• Nearly 10 percent of the patients currently waiting for heart transplants are young people under 18 years of age.
• One-year cost for transplant, medication and other related treatment runs at least $60,000 and up to $100,000
• All costs related to the donation of organs and tissues are paid for by the donor program.
• Approximately 13% of the adult population has Chronic Kidney Disease.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 45% of new cases.
• Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the United States, representing about 23% of new diagnoses.
• 104,748 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; more than 4,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month.