This page is to provide you with some information regarding the program coverage plan and the process of how you will be notified in the unlikely event that the Stony Brook Transplant Program is unable to perform living donor or deceased donor transplants due to any unexpected event.
The Department of Kidney Transplant at Stony Brook Medicine is dedicated to providing the best quality care to all of our patients. We have an extremely knowledgeable multidisciplinary team that participates in the care of each patient. Our team consists of transplant surgeons, transplant physicians, transplant administrator, clinical coordinators, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, dieticians, pharmacists, data coordinator, financial coordinator, continuous quality improvement coordinator, independent living donor advocates, and clerical staff. In addition, there are residents and fellows from both the Department of Urology and the Department of Nephrology that participate in the care of our transplant patients.
Our transplant surgeons and physicians are employed by Stony Brook Medicine, are credentialed by the Hospital, and are able to independently manage the care of transplant patients. They do not provide on-call services for coverage at other transplant centers. Stony Brook Medicine will always have continuous medical and surgical coverage by having a surgeon, physician, and coordinator on-call and available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide program coverage. This coverage includes but is not limited to:
- Patient Management
- Organ Procurement
- Organ Acceptance
- Transplantation
In the event of an emergency, Stony Brook Transplant has an agreement with Downstate Medical Center (located in Brooklyn, NY) that allows our patients to have their post-transplant care transferred to their facility in order to provide the services that cannot be provided by Stony Brook University Hospital. There should never be a time when you are not able to receive your transplant and have it performed by qualified transplant personnel. In the event that Stony Brook Transplant is unable to perform a transplant, we will follow the OPTN inactivation guidelines and assist our patients in finding and transferring to another transplant center. In an emergency, if possible, all patients will be notified via telephone by a member of the transplant team; a detailed voicemail with instructions and other information will be available on the main Transplant Office number (631 444 2209). The priority of notification to our patients will be as follows: Waitlist Status 1, Waitlist Status 7, Pre-transplant Evaluation, Living donors, Post-transplant Patients.
During exceptional emergency circumstances such as a regional disaster, total hospital facility evacuation, or catastrophic event, the Hospital’s normal ability to contact patients may be impacted and may need to be supplemented or replaced. In such exceptional circumstances, please refer to the Hospital and/or the University web sites and social media channels, as well as local television, radio, print, and electronic news media. Stony Brook’s Public Information Officer will provide information to these channels in order to put the message out to the public in a rapid fashion. We do not anticipate ever having to activate the disaster plan; however, we want to make certain all our patients are aware of the procedures we have in place.