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UAB Medicine has successfully completed more than 15,300 organ transplants since 1968 , when we performed Alabama ’ s first kidney transplant . One of the busiest centers in the country , our nationally ranked hospital performs 400-plus transplants annually , including heart , lung , kidney , pancreas , liver , and multi-organ procedures . During this past half-century , UAB Medicine ’ s transplantation program pioneered many changes , including new medications , groundbreaking research , and innovative techniques that we teach to the next generation of transplant clinicians .
UAB ’ s solid organ transplantation expertise is consolidated under the
Comprehensive Transplant Institute ( CTI ). Its mission is to build upon our distinguished heritage by serving patients across the region using advanced therapeutics and technologies that promote successful transplantation . This important alignment of resources supports our mission to deliver
the highest caliber of care , develop new treatments , train future transplant leaders , and attract top talent .
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The UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute ( CTI ) has always prioritized patient convenience and increasing access to care , and that focus paid off during the COVID-19 pandemic . The CTI never stopped transplant services , thanks to the heroic efforts of our talented staff and a telehealth infrastructure that was quickly ramped up to serve patients , donors , and referring physicians beyond our four walls .
TELEHEALTH For the convenience and safety of our patients during the COVID-19 outbreak , we converted most visits to telephone or video telehealth sessions , allowing the flexibility to see patients remotely or in person ( as safety allows ) from our satellite clinics in Alabama , Mississippi , and Tennessee . Telehealth technology has served our patients well by allowing us to continue evaluating and monitoring patients despite the virus , and we also use it to educate and train patient advocates through our Living-Donor Navigator Program .
About two-thirds of transplant-related appointments are now conducted via the UAB eMedicine telehealth service , which keeps patients connected to our care through videoconferencing and telephone appointments . eMedicine continues to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus without delaying care , especially for patients who live outside the Birmingham area .
“ Telehealth has been quite positive , particularly for patients who live a good distance from UAB ,” says CTI Director Jayme Locke , MD , MSPH . “ We ’ ve also tried to work with patients who don ’ t have access to the Internet and other technologies , and that ’ s where our partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health has been so important .”
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For the past few years , the CTI worked with the Alabama Department of Public Health to establish telehealth sites at county health departments throughout the state , where organ recipients can be evaluated and monitored remotely by UAB Medicine transplant physicians using video and Bluetooth technology .
POST-TRANSPLANT DIALYSIS SERVICE To help patients with delayed kidney graft function , the CTI in 2019 launched a new collaboration with DaVita Dialysis that allows patients to be more quickly discharged following transplant and receive outpatient dialysis sessions , as needed . “ This has made a huge improvement in patient experience and satisfaction ,” Dr . Locke says . “ We don ’ t want patients sitting in the hospital if they don ’ t need to be , particularly with COVID-19 and other things . Being at home in your own environment is a better environment to heal .”
UAB TRANSPLANT APP Developed in house and launched in fall 2020 , the UAB Medicine Transplant app gives referring physicians 24 / 7 access to the CTI team . It includes quick references to our selection criteria and secure access to patient records , plus contact information for all CTI doctors and surgeons . A built-in form allows physicians to easily start the referral process from their iOS or Android device . The app is freely available on the Apple and Google Play stores , and our traditional referral system remains in place for physicians who prefer it .
“ The app is designed to connect our physician colleagues with us in a timely fashion and allow them to complete the referral process with a touch of their phone ,” Dr . Locke says . “ It links all of us in a meaningful way and enhances the team approach to caring for these transplant patients . The more often and more easily providers are able to communicate , the better the care for the patient .”
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