Following years of debate, Florida hospitals are opposing a proposed rule for transplant program approvals, arguing it could jeopardize patient safety and quality of care, NPR affiliate WUSF reported Sept. 23.
On Aug. 19, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration proposed a new rule for transplant program approvals. Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami — which all operate transplant programs — are challenging the proposal.
In a joint petition filed with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, UF Health Shands and Jackson Memorial said “the proliferation of low-volume, low-quality programs endangers existing programs, like Shands and Jackson, by siphoning off patients from existing programs.”
Tampa General’s petition said the state’s proposal risks patient safety because it would not require a minimum number of transplants each year or a minimum outcome standard, according to the report.
“As a result, if this proposed rule were adopted, the agency would have no authority to take any action against an organ transplant program that is performing only one or two transplants per year with minimally experienced staff, or that has substantially worse patient outcomes compared to what was expected,” the petition said.
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