MUSC Transplant Center Tops National Rankings

MUSC offers short waiting lists, low mortality, short length of stay

CHARLESTON -- South Carolina is often recognized for its high rates of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Now, South Carolina can celebrate making the top of a good list. The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has been ranked by the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) as having one of the leading transplant programs in the country in terms of mortality, clinical outcomes and length of stay. This program is the only transplant center in South Carolina.

Of 77 national institutions, MUSC's kidney and pancreas transplant program has a number one ranking in terms of mortality scores and shortest length of stay for the year dating Oct. 2006 through Sept. 2007. MUSC also was identified as one of the nation's leading kidney and liver transplant programs, and is ranked first out of 54 institutions as having the shortest length of stay for the July - Sept. 2007 quarter. UHC data is a commonly used benchmark to compare university-based hospitals, including neighboring Duke and Emory Universities.

"These results are an example of the transplant program's aggressive clinical style, aggressive management of performance outcomes, dedicated teams, patient- centered care, and financial intelligence," said Kim Phillips, R.N., transplant program administrator. "We are also proud to have one of the shortest lengths of stay in the country through the use of a discharge hotel, highly skilled clinical providers and an extremely efficient post-transplant care coordination process."

Reflecting the skill, hard work and dedication of the MUSC Transplant Program, the UHC ranking means that South Carolinians can count on the best in transplant care in their home state.

"Our group of world class transplant physicians and support staff share a vision to provide compassionate patient care of the highest quality. The ranking authenticates the close collaboration among surgery, medicine, anesthesiology and pathology, all working together in the true spirit of MUSC excellence," said Prabhakar Baliga, M.D., transplant program medical director. "Furthermore, as reported by the Scientific Transplant Registry, MUSC has one of the shortest waiting times for organs in the country. Why would any patient with organ failure travel elsewhere for a transplant?"

Formed in 1984, UHC is an alliance of 97 academic medical centers and 153 of their affiliated hospitals. It represents approximately 90 percent of the nation's non-profit academic medical centers. The rankings are annually published in the third quarter of the calendar year.

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.

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