That means HUMC’s 300 kidney transplant patients will be transferred to four other transplant programs without losing credit for time on the waiting list. The hospital is currently negotiating with CMS on a standard improvement agreement. Once signed, the hospital leaders will temporarily shut down the program next month and begin work to improve the quality and safety of its transplant services. According to the report, 10 of 90 transplant patients at HUMC died in the 30 months ending Dec. 31, 2010.
HUMC is not the only hospital to be embattled with problems regarding its transplantation program. Since CMS boosted transplant standards in 2007, numerous hospitals have temporarily suspended or permanently shut down their transplant programs, including 27 hospitals in 2011.
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