Transplant hospital

[Dizzy]

What hospitals are you listed at?

Or where did you get your new kidney? 

And how far from your home is/was it? 

[jbeany]

I got mine at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  I lived almost 5 hours away.  If you get listed at one that is a long distance drive, you can usually sign up with Angel Flights or a similar local organization to get a free plane ride when you get the call.

[cattlekid]

I am listed at Northwestern Memorial here in Chicago and University of Wisconsin in Madison.  I am about 45 minutes away from Northwestern (depending on traffic!) and two and a half hours away from Madison.  I will be getting my kidney from Madison as the wait list is about 80% shorter than at Northwestern.

[Chris]

 
I had my transplant at Northwesatern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL and it is about 47 miles. Getting there at 2 am only took less than 40 min and when I go there for check ups, I take the commuter train to the city. Commuter train schedule is great in the mornings during rush hours, it takes 33 minutes to get into the station and about a 15 min ride on bus. However I use to take the taxi a lot and that was quicker, but got to expencive and I learned how to use the bus system and way around the city

[MommyChick]

- I received my 1st kidney from Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA. It is about a 30 - 45min depending on traffic.
- I am now listed at Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg, PA. Its about a 45min to an hour drive depending on traffic.
I transferred hospitals so I could stay with my original surgeon when I found out I needed a 2nd kidney.

Good Luck All 

[okarol]

What hospitals are you listed at? Daughter needs 2nd kidney - now listed at USC/LosAngeles, CA and Scripps/LaJolla, CA

Or where did you get your new kidney?  1st kidney was living donor at Scripps

And how far from your home is/was it? Drive time --  USC is 20 mins & Scripps is 2 hours

[bleija]

i got my kidney at Shands in Gainesville, and its a 2 and half hour drive give or take with traffic.

[sullidog]

I'm listed at the OSU medical center in Columbus Oh, I'd say it's about 10 to 15 mins from me.

[jeannea]

I was listed at Penn State Hershey. It's about an hour and a half from my home and an hour from my parent's home.

Like MommyChick, I got my first transplant with that doctor. But when he left to start another program in Harrisburg, I stayed with Hershey. I recently got my second transplant at Hershey. The docs have been wonderful to me.

[Fatkidney]

I'm listed at Barnes Jewish in St. Louis. 
It's a little less than 2 hours away.

[phyl1215]

Got mine at Christ Hosp. in Cincinnati, OH
45 min. away....Wonderful hospital and transplant team.

[Deanne]

I'm listed at OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) in Portland, OR. It's about a half hour from home.

[YellowRose]

- I received my 1st kidney from Stanford University, CA. It is about a 20 to 30 min depending on traffic.
- I am now listed at  University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), CA. Its about an hour to an hour and half drive depending on traffic.
They are both good programs but I prefer Stanford because it is closer but my insurance does not work with Stanford any more 

[Dizzy]

Is 3-1/2 hours to Cleveland Clinic too far to travel?

[Lillupie]

I got mine at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  I lived almost 5 hours away.  If you get listed at one that is a long distance drive, you can usually sign up with Angel Flights or a similar local organization to get a free plane ride when you get the call.

Dont you have to notify Angelflights ahead of time? If you get a call at the last min, how are going to get Angel Flights?

Lisa

[smcd23]

What hospitals are you listed at? Currently listed at Dartmouth Hitchcock, Lebanon NH.

Or where did you get your new kidney? My husbands first transplant was at Mass General, Boston MA. He was listed there for a few years before switching to DHMC. Wait in MA - 4-6 years. Wait in NH - 1-2. Reason to switch seemed clear.

And how far from your home is/was it?  Boston is shorter distance, 45 miles but can take 2+ hours to get there in peak traffic. DHMC is 86 miles or so and about an hour and a half drive but there is never any traffic, so it works out better. Plus all follow up can be done at their local clinic once he is on a monthly or less check up schedule. If we had stayed in Boston, we'd have to go there no matter what.

[Poppylicious]

Would you mind if I asked what may be a ridiculously stupid question?

Over here in the UK there's only one (national) List so you'll just get called to your nearest transplant hospital and the kidney will be taken there, from anywhere else in the UK (or sometimes even from elsewhere in Europe) when it's been determined who's the best match. I think.  You only get evaluated once (plus a check up every so often to determine that you're still physically okay to receive one) and I assume that if we'd moved to somewhere else within the UK, Blokey's medical notes would have followed and he wouldn't have needed to be evaluated again because it is just the one (national) List.

Therefore I don't really understand the getting listed at different transplant centres and the difference in their wait times for a kidney.  How does it work?  Does the kidney come from someone who has passed away at THAT hospital (or the nearest)? Does that account for the differing wait times (the local demographic/medical standards, etc)?

Apologies ... that was three questions, not one.

 

[Dizzy]

Poppylicious,  The transplant center 30 min away took my husband off the list after 18 months "due to health reasons".  After asking again last year they again said no.  He has been undergoing evaluaions at Cleveland Clinic and initial indications are they will approve. 

[Sax-O-Trix]

Living Donor Transplant @ Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, which is 1.5 hours away.   

[rileysmom]

i was listed at both northwestern memorial in chicago and university of wisconsin madison.  i was on the list at northwestern for 4 years and was still told it would be another 4 years min. so i transfered my time to univers. wisc. madison and i recieved my kidney eight months later (august 29,12)
university of wisconsin in two hours away and when i have to go up there. they put me u[p in  a hotel room five minutes from the hospital with transportation to and from the clinic/hospital

[MightyMike]

Got transplant in 2005 at Our Lady of Lourdes in Camden, Nj.  Re-listed at same place in 2009.  Only 5 - 10 minutes away from my house.

[smcd23]

Over here in the UK there's only one (national) List so you'll just get called to your nearest transplant hospital and the kidney will be taken there, from anywhere else in the UK (or sometimes even from elsewhere in Europe) when it's been determined who's the best match. I think.  You only get evaluated once (plus a check up every so often to determine that you're still physically okay to receive one) and I assume that if we'd moved to somewhere else within the UK, Blokey's medical notes would have followed and he wouldn't have needed to be evaluated again because it is just the one (national) List.

Therefore I don't really understand the getting listed at different transplant centres and the difference in their wait times for a kidney.  How does it work?  Does the kidney come from someone who has passed away at THAT hospital (or the nearest)? Does that account for the differing wait times (the local demographic/medical standards, etc)?

Apologies ... that was three questions, not one.

 

Poppy, it is a national list, but it's broken up into regions. A kidney that is donated in your region gets offered to the tx centers that region first, then it gets expanded if there is no match. And I know certain hospitals get priority - our hospital gets priority over any organs that become available in our state, and if no match is found then it gets offered to the rest of the region. That's why the wait time is half of what it was at our old facility because there are 7 tx hospitals in the other state. But how some people register at different centers within the same region, I don't know... Sorry I can't help more.