At Boston-based Tufts Medical Center, scaling a successful heart transplant program starts with building trust with cardiologists.
“They know our team, they know how to reach us, and they remain really involved in the care of their patients,” Sharon Klarman, RN, system associate vice president of solid organ transplantation and ventricular assist devices at Burlington, Mass.-based Tufts Medicine, told Becker’s in an upcoming episode of “Cardiology + Heart Surgery Podcast.”
Scaling the program has also meant growing clinical teams to increase capacity and care for complex patients while they prepare for a heart transplant, she said.
Tufts Medical Center has also been expanding its preservation and transportation capabilities to broaden its access to donor hearts.
“Careful donor assessment and advanced preservation techniques allow us to travel upward of 3,000 nautical miles to recover an appropriate heart,” she said. “Our guiding question is: What does it take to make this opportunity possible for our patients?”
For transplant leaders looking to scale their program, Ms. Klarman said the first step is to evaluate the process from both the team’s perspective and the patients’.
“Look at the process from the patient’s first encounter with your team all the way through post-transplant care,” she said. “Design a system that your team can support, but also a system that is very patient-centric.”
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
