June, 2016
The
American Society of Transplantation (AST) awarded its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, to Thomas Gonwa, MD, at the recent American Transplant Congress (ATC) in Boston. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a senior investigator whose work has advanced the field of transplantation.
Dr. Gonwa earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1975, then completed his residency and fellowship in Nephrology at North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University. Following this, he completed a...
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The AST announced the recipients of the 2016 Achievement Awards and the Faculty and Fellowship Grants at the recent American Transplant Congress (ATC) in Boston. The recipients were selected for their achievements and contributions to the AST and to the field of transplantation.
“This year’s award and grant recipients are an inspiring group of transplantation professionals. They have been selected by their peers for the transformative role they have each played in shaping our field,” said AST President Dr. Anil Chandraker. “We applaud them for their dedication and success.”
AST Achievement...
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May, 2016
CMS released a memo on Friday, May 13, 2016 to outline Revised Guidelines for Solid Organ Transplant Program Outcomes Thresholds. The memo is available for your review on the
CMS website. Highlights include:
The CMS regulation sets the outcomes threshold at 150% (1.5 times) the risk-adjusted expected number of one-year post-transplant patient deaths or graft failures.
While the regulation is unchanged, CMS issues survey & certification...
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Representatives from the AST’s Transplant Administrators Community of Practice joined President-elect Anil Chandraker and representatives from ASTS on a recent call with Mr. Thomas Hamilton, Director of the Survey and Certification Group at CMS. Both societies shared their concerns regarding revised CMS Interpretive Guidelines for the Organ Transplant Conditions of Participation for Transplant Centers.
On the call, Mr. Hamilton indicated that CMS will be revising, clarifying, and in some cases correcting the Guidelines based upon letters from both AST and ASTS as well as discussion on this...
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April, 2016
In 2016, the AST launched an
ATC Travel Award for students and residents interested in obtaining more exposure to the field of transplantation.
Please join us in congratulating this year's award recipients:
Kevin Eddinger, University of Pennsylvania
Jodie Franzil, MD, Wake Forest University
Grace Lee, MD, University of Pennsylvania
Jessica Little, University of Virginia
Priya Marathe, Emory University
Amara Seng, University of Kansas
Jacob Tatum, University of Virginia
Joshua Yang, ...
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On April 1, 2016, President Barack Obama proclaimed April 2016 as National Donate Life Month and called upon health care professionals, volunteers, educators, government agencies, faith-based and community groups, and private organizations to join forces to boost the number of organ, eye, and tissue donors.
"During National Donate Life Month, we lift up the thousands of selfless individuals across America who are living or registered organ donors. And as we honor those who have saved lives in the past by donating organs, we recommit to supporting the researchers, innovators, advocates, and...
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March, 2016
As the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) partners with physicians to enhance the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, ABIM seeks your input in an upcoming study to examine the possibility of ABIM providing access to online resources, such as UpToDate, during an assessment of medical knowledge.
ABIM has heard from many physicians that they would like to have access to online resources during MOC assessments since they use these tools in practice. This study will provide crucial insights into how the use of online resources might impact both diplomate experience and...
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As you are likely aware, we are in the midst of a Zika virus outbreak in the Americas. Zika is transmitted by mosquitos and is an asymptomatic or self-limited illness in the vast majority of infected persons. Relatively little is known about how the virus behaves in immunosuppressed persons. However, Zika is an emerging infectious disease and we need to consider its impact on transplant recipients and organ donors. There exists a potential for donor-derived Zika virus infectious with unknown consequencces for recipients.
The FDA issued the following guidance for industry on donor screening...
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The Cutting Edge of Transplantation (CEOT) meeting, held February 25-27 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Arizona Biltmore, addressed the shortfall between the demand and availability of organs for transplantation. CEOT, the winter meeting of the American Society of Transplantation (AST), had record-breaking attendance in 2016 with over 400 transplantation professionals gathered to discuss a multifaceted approach to addressing the current organ shortage.
CEOT 2016 focused on how the effects of redistricting, the possibility of incentives, and the use of marginal donors impact the donor organ supply...
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Please join the AST in welcoming the 25 newly elected members of the OPTN/UNOS board of directors, including a new president, vice-president/president-elect, vice president for patient and donor affairs, and secretary.
These board members will begin their service on July 1, 2016.
Visit the OPTN/UNOS website for a full list
