Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation - Resources - Support Services - New York

Since 1967, patients in the New York metropolitan area have chosen Montefiore Medical Center for kidney transplantation. Over the years, our transplant programs have expanded to include heart, liver and pancreas transplantation in adults and children. The Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation is one of only a few centers nationwide to offer this breadth of services and expertise.

By combining a world-class team of specialists with a full range of standard and innovative therapies, Montefiore can offer transplant patients a survival rate of more than 90 percent. That number, significantly higher than the national average, helps allay patients' fears, but our compassionate staff also provides services to support their needs before, during and after a major transplantation procedure.

Some of these services include:

Lifetime Support

During the waiting time before a recipient is matched with a donor, patients on the transplant list are followed up with by physicians and a variety of experts periodically depending on severity of illness.

We communicate with our patients' primary doctors to maintain general health, especially when there are other chronic conditions that could affect the organ. If the patient does not have a primary care provider, the Transplantation Center will assist the patient in obtaining one to help with general health issues.

Patients also receive guidance about nutrition and where to go in case of emergency. Even financial counselors are available to discuss concerns or changes in insurance status.

When the procedure is scheduled and after it is completed, the support continues as patients continue to go through the recovery process.

Education

A transplant can save someone's life. That knowledge and the actual procedure are scary thoughts for a patient to comprehend. Knowledge is an important tool to help address those concerns. During the hospitalization, patients and their families receive daily education on medications, signs and symptoms to watch for after discharge, follow-up care and acceptable activities they can resume during specific timeframes.

Multi-Language Support

The transplantation team takes extraordinary steps to create a support system that makes many patients and their families feel at home. As such, many types of special liaisons are available for support. Among the multiethnic, multilingual staff, patients often find speakers of their native languages. Translators are also available on the premises to help patients, as they cope with the process necessary to save their lives.

State-of-the-Art Comfort

After surgery, patients continue to require support and are transported to a recently renovated inpatient transplant unit. The unit is immaculate, attractive and comfortable, but more importantly, it is staffed by physician assistants and nurses who work solely with transplant patients. The staff is trained to anticipate patients' every need and desire, and also experienced enough to understand the warning signs of complications that may arise from the procedure.