Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital’s Kidney Transplant Center celebrates four-year anniversary
Since opening its doors in October 2020, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital’s Kidney Transplant Center has led the Department of Veterans Affairs in kidney transplants.
“Year after year we have surpassed other VA transplant centers in volume and the number of transplants performed,” said renal transplant administrator Geraldine Zingraf.
The program’s surgeon Dr. Reynold Lopez-Soler credits many reasons for the center’s over 270 transplants, including expanding the boundaries of a reasonable kidney transplant candidates, national VA standards, and the application of underutilized kidneys with Hepatitis B and C infections.
“In addition to developing a living donor program and working on a number of research projects, we are also collaborating with various organizations to identify alternative ways of organ preservation that may increase our capacity to do more transplants,” added Lopez-Soler.
Lopez-Soler and Zingraf further explained how the center’s 14-person multi-disciplinary team make the process seamless, from evaluations and referrals to pre and post-kidney transplant care.
“Transplantation is entirely a team sport,” said Lopez-Soler. “Every person in this program is as important as everyone else and that is the reason why we have done so well.”
The team said it’s guided by doing for Veterans, always.
“Every single Veteran that we have transplanted has been such a wonderful experience for us,” said Lopez-Soler.
Army Veteran Harold Armour received his kidney in December of 2022 and said the Hines staff was always positive and answered all his questions.
“I really connected with nurse practitioner Diane Mattes and transplant team pharmacist Anne Przybylski,” the 78-year-old Chicago native said. “They were very informative and gave me all the tools to work with.”
Armour is not only grateful for the staff, but also for receiving a kidney from a deceased donor patient. Armour said he feels blessed to have a new kidney.
“I believe in miracles,” said Armour. “For the Veterans who don’t, I tell them my story.”
Not only are kidney transplants rewarding for patients like Armour but also Hines’ kidney transplant team.
“The job is its own reward,” said Lopez-Soler. “Being able to improve Veterans’ lives changes them in an amazing way and we are just honored to be able to provide that for them.”