Suggestions on South Florida Centers?

Posted by bmcgowan67 @bmcgowan67, Jul 9, 2018

Good morning.

I am a pre-liver patient at the University of Kentucky. I have been listed on the registry for ~3 years, but am (for now) fairly stable.

We are considering buying property in south Florida (near Wellington) to accommodate my wife’s business.

I understand that it is possible to be listed in more than one region, but would welcome suggestions, opinions, and/or information regarding centers in the area. Theee are 3 that I am aware of within 75 miles: Jackson Memorial (Miami), Cleveland Clinic (Weston), and Broward General (Ft. Lauderdale).

Kind Regards,
Bill

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.

Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Jul 9, 2018

@bmcgowan67, Good Morning and Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am thrilled to greet you from my home in central Kentucky - and it is indeed beautiful morning!
I received my combined liver/kidney transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I was listed there for a liver transplant until the team referred me to the Mayo in Rochester for the specialty care that I needed. I was not dual listed, however, due to my critical situation. I have great memories and received top level care at from the people at the Univ of Ky. Is Fr-- S---- still there as a preliver transplant nurse coordinator?

Bill, I am not at all familiar with the information that you request, since I am not from the Florida area. While we wait to hear from some members with Florida roots, I want to send you the link to the Mayo Liver Transplant in case you have not seen it.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/liver-transplant/home/orc-20211818
Have you thought about talking to the transplant people at the Jacksonville Mayo about listing there? The distance requirements might not be as restrictive as they are in Kentucky.

I look forward to learning with you.
Rosemary

Kristen Quick, Marketing Specialist | @kequick | Jul 10, 2018

Hi @bmcgowan67 and thanks for your post. I’m a Mayo Clinic employee and wanted to chime in with some additional information that may be helpful as you evaluate transplant centers in Florida.

You’re fortunate there are several liver transplant centers in Florida. When choosing a transplant center, many patients base their choice on factors like the number of transplants performed each year; survival rate while on the waitlist; how fast they get transplanted; and survival after transplant.

I’d like to share this blog post with you, “Five Things to Know about the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients” because I think it may help you understand the importance of factors like patient survival and transplant rate when choosing a transplant center – here’s the link: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/newsfeed-post/five-things-to-know-about-the-scientific-registry-of-transplant-recipients/. Also, you can click here: http://beta.srtr.org/transplant-centers/?&organ=liver&recipientType=adult&state=FL&sort=mortalityRate#centers and access a list of all the liver transplant centers in Florida and view outcome measures and see how each of the centers compare to the others.

While geography is certainly a consideration, it shouldn’t be the most important factor as you weigh your options. It’s not at all uncommon that patients travel in order to receive care at quality transplant centers. At Mayo our team is well versed in supporting patients with the logistics of traveling for care.

Let us know if we can help answer any addition questions. And good luck on your move from KY to FL!