Hartford Hospital's Kidney Transplant Program Honored

Connecticut Hospital Association

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford-are hospital's kidney transplant program was honored recently by a major hospital association in the state.

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) awarded Hartford Hospital the 2024 John D. Thompson Award for "Excellence in the Delivery of Healthcare Through the Use of Data" for its adult kidney transplant program.

Hartford Hospital was presented with the award at the 2024 CHA Annual Meeting June 13 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville.

According to the CHA, Hartford Hospital’s adult kidney transplant program has "reimagined the hospital’s approach to kidney transplant waitlist management, organ acceptance, and post-transplant care."

The hospital achieved the best-observed patient outcomes for one-year kidney transplant survival out of all kidney transplant programs in the United States, as reported by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

“I am so proud of our team for their continued high performance and successful outcomes in kidney graft survival rates, setting the standard for excellence in healthcare,” said Bimal Patel, president of Hartford Hospital & Hartford Region. “This extraordinary accomplishment and remarkable success would not be possible without the dedication and expertise of the entire kidney transplant team."

CHA officials said the hospital's approach to kidney transplants makes it stand out.

“It’s an honor to present this award in recognition of the innovative and high-quality care provided by Hartford Hospital that has changed lives and saved lives,” said Jennifer Jackson, the CHA's chief executive officer.

“This program shows how a team can use data to support innovative and creative solutions to improve care and increase access to healthcare."

Faced with the prospect of performing fewer kidney transplants and using higher-risk organs, resulting in poorer patient survival, Hartford Hospital adopted a new approach, the CHA said.

According to the CHA, the hospital created a weekly status review meeting to review patients in all phases of kidney transplant evaluation and disseminated a weekly list of those patients most likely to be transplanted in the next week.

This, the CHA said, ensures there were no gaps in evaluations to preclude kidney patients from receiving offers.

Through the active 360-degree review of patients, the hospital more than doubled the transplant rate, the CHA said.

Learn more about the program by watching the award recognition video here.

For the full CHA announcement on Hartford Hospital's award, click on this link.