The University of California, Davis Transplant Center is an accredited liver transplant program. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
By achieving CMS certification, UC Davis Health can now accept potential liver transplant patients insured by Medicare or Medicaid (also known as Medi-Cal in California.) This designation significantly expands access to life-saving liver transplants for patients throughout Northern California.
“This is an important milestone in that it recognizes the quality of care and services that the UC Davis Transplant Center provides to patients throughout the region,” said Dr. Sophocris Pantelis Alexopoulos said. “CMS accreditation is proof that we have the appropriate infrastructure and resources to make our programs successful. This is just one example of UC Davis’ commitment to providing world-class care to our community. .”
“This is an important milestone for the UC Davis Transplant Center in that it recognizes the quality of care and services we provide to patients across the region.” —Sophocris Pantelis Alexopoulos
To achieve accreditation, transplant programs must meet rigorous quality of care requirements set forth by CMS. These include clinical experience, excellent patient care, excellent outcomes, professional staff, and adherence to the highest safety standards.
As part of the CMS certification process, the agency conducts surveys and obtains outcome data to evaluate program performance and effectiveness. Unified network for organ sharing (UNOS) and conduct an on-site inspection. In addition, the transplant program requires at least 10 liver transplants to be performed during the first 12 months after surgery.
UC Davis Health has completed 26 liver transplants since the program began in July 2023. Each patient is successful and the survival rate is 100%.
Although the liver transplant program is less than a year old, the UC Davis Transplant Center has been a leader in organ transplants since its inception in 1985. The center was recently named a Model Hospital by UNOS and selected by CMS to lead the nation's best transplant program. Practical training for transplantation.
A big advantage for patients undergoing liver transplants at UC Davis Health is that the center is part of an academic medical center. The center includes many specialists and other specialized health care providers who work as a team for patients.
“A critical aspect of any transplant program, and a must for anyone pursuing CMS certification, is to have a multidisciplinary approach to the care of liver transplant patients.”—Lee K. Matsuoka
“An important aspect of any transplant program, and a must-have for CMS certification holders, is the ability of surgeons, nurses, hepatologists, nutritionists, transplant pharmacists, physical therapists, financial counselors, and others to care for liver transplant patients. “It's about having a multidisciplinary approach,” said Lee K. Matsuoka, division chief of liver transplant and hepatobiliary surgery, a social worker who provides full-service care to the patient's needs throughout the transplant process. “This recognition is an incredible testament to the high-quality teams we provide care to our patients every day,” she added.
The transplant program serves patients in the 33 counties covered by UC Davis Health. The county includes an area of 65,000 square miles north to the Oregon border and east to Nevada.
A liver transplant is a complex surgery that replaces a patient's diseased liver with all or part of another person's healthy liver. Liver transplants are performed for a variety of medical conditions, including:
- Alcohol-related liver disease
- autoimmune disease
- fatty liver disease
- liver cancer
Transplantation remains the only treatment for liver insufficiency or liver failure, as no device or machine can reliably perform all the functions of the liver.
by U.S. Health Resources and Services AdministrationLiver is the second most coveted organ transplant, with more than 10,500 people on the waiting list for 2023.
“For patients with liver disease, access to advanced treatments, including transplants, can be difficult,” Alexopoulos explained. “At UC Davis Health, we are committed to ensuring that all patients have equitable access to transplantation.”
