Kansas City, Kan- Dr. Sean Kumer, Chief Medical Officer of The Kansas City Division of The University of Kansas Health System, discussed a large living kidney transplant chain in the U.S., which involved 24 surgeries across eight states and saved 12 lives.

James Cochran, an altruistic donor, initiated the chain.

Dr. Diane Cibrik, Medical Director of Kidney and Nephrology Medicine, The University of Kansas Health System

• Dr. Cibrik explains that living donor kidneys start working immediately, unlike deceased donor kidneys.
• He shares a case where a living donor kidney lasted 38 years.

Jaime Bartley, Director of Nursing, Center for Transplantation, The University of Kansas Health System  

• Jamie Bartley discusses the leading causes of kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension, and the staggering numbers of people waiting for kidney transplants.

Krista Sweeney, Director of Transplant Services, Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation

• Krista Sweeney explains how the algorithm helps find quality matches and the process of creating a kidney chain.
• She discusses the challenges of dealing with barriers to donation and the importance of the donor protection program.

Dr. Michael Reese, Transplant Surgeon, Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation

• Dr. Reese explains the concept of paired kidney donation and the Nobel Prize-winning algorithm used to find matches.

Dr. Sean Kumer, Transplant Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer, The University of Kansas Health System  

• Dr. Kumer urges people to consider organ donation and the impact it can have on others.

Samantha Brenner, Living Donor Nurse Coordinator, The University of Kansas Health System  

• Samantha Brenner discusses the coordination involved in living donor transplants and the number of patients she handles.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System

• Dana Hawkinson provides an update on the measles outbreak, noting no cases in Kansas but cases in southwest Kansas and higher numbers in Texas and New Mexico.
• Dana Hawkinson emphasizes that measles is a disease of the unvaccinated and the efficacy of the vaccine.

Thursday on All Things Heart –

Cardiac Nurse Delivers Five Decades of Patient Care- A cardiac nurse has helped patients and their families for half a century. She’s inspired her patients to even become coworkers. Meet Diane Kovich and her heartwarming colleagues.