TN organ transplant waits will be longer under new federal rule

The Tennessean | Tom Wilemon
Photo:(from left) Dr. James Eason, chief of transplantation at the University of Tennessee-Methodist Transplant Institute in Memphis, Kim Van Frank, Executive Director of Mid-South Transplant Foundation, and Jill Grandas, Executive Director for Tennessee Donor Services, field questions from the Shelby County Commission as the Commission discuss a dispute between University of Tennessee-Methodist Transplant Institute and the Mid-South Transplant Foundation over the distribution of human organs to ailing patients.(Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal) / The Commercial Appeal

A long-standing share arrangement that has given transplant centers in Tennessee first priority for in-state liver donations has come to an end despite a waiver request from a Memphis hospital.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services denied that request this month. Wait times for people in need of liver transplants are likely to become longer unless more people agree to become donors. New rules by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services split the state into two organ procurement regions. That created a supply and demand issue for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, which has the nation’s fourth largest liver transplant center.

Instead of receiving first-priority organs from the state’s two donor organizations, the Memphis hospital is now paired with the smaller one, Mid-South Transplant Foundation.

Methodist Le Bonheur sought a waiver to end its partnership with the Memphis-based organ procurement organization and affiliate instead with the larger Nashville-based Tennessee Donor Services. It also pushed for Mid-South Transplant Foundation to merge with Tennessee Donor Services.

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