Memorial Hermann-TMC halts kidney program temporarily
Texas - Besides its liver transplant program, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center has also temporarily discontinued its kidney program.
"Our primary commitment has always been to provide quality care to our patients, and it is with that in mind that we have made this difficult decision," Memorial Hermann noted in a statement provided to FOX 26.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Memorial Hermann's Texas Medical Center liver transplant program inactivated
This comes in response to identified irregularities surrounding donor acceptance criteria within the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) transplant information database.
As noted in a statement, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center said the irregularities were limited to the liver transplant program and not to any other transplant programs. However, due to a shared leadership structure, the kidney transplant program has temporarily been halted as the hospital evaluates its new physician leadership model. The irregularities primarily revolved around factors such as the age and weight of deceased donors. Upon becoming aware of these irregularities, Memorial Hermann initiated an investigation and chose to inactivate the liver transplant program voluntarily.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has initiated an investigation into the matter.
On Friday, April 12, UT Health gave this statement:
Dr. Steve Bynon is an exceptionally talented and caring physician, and a pioneer in abdominal organ transplantation. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Bynon’s survival rates and surgical outcomes are among the best in the nation, even while treating patients with higher-than-average acuity and disease complexity. UTHealth Houston is proud of the many contributions Dr. Bynon and his team have made to our university, our academic and clinical transplant programs, and to the field of transplant medicine. Our faculty and staff members, including Dr. Bynon, are assisting with the inquiry into Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant program and are committed to addressing and resolving any findings identified by this process.
HHS gave this statement:
"At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we acknowledge the severity of this allegation. We are working across the Department to address this matter now. We are committed to protecting patient safety and equitable access to organ transplant services for all patients. We are working diligently to address this issue with the attention it deserves, including work at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – which are deployed on site to investigate. Working with our federal and state partners, HHS will pursue all appropriate enforcement and compliance actions to the fullest extent available under relevant regulations and policies to protect the safety and integrity of the organ procurement and transplantation system."