The Virginia Department of Health’s Division of COPN has extended the deadline to make a decision on if it will allow Carilion Clinic to start a kidney transplant center in Roanoke. Erik Bodin, Director, Division of COPN, MCHIP, and CA in the office of Licensure and Certification, said the state health commissioner will issue a final determination by May 9. If a decision is not made by May 9 the proposal will be automatically approved.
Currently, the closest transplant center is located at UVA Hospital in Charlottesville, a significant distance for many patients in the region. Carilion Clinic filed a certificate of public need with the state early last year, emphasizing the growing demand for services in Roanoke and surrounding areas.
Sidney Vaught, a patient in Roanoke advocating for the new center, spoke to 10 News in a previous interview about his frustration with not having access to services closer to home. “I think that is ridiculous actually,” Vaught said. “So many people, not just here in Roanoke, but in outlying areas, have to drive even further to Charlottesville.”
Read more here. WSLS shared other patient stories about the need for the center in Roanoke.
Dr. David Salzberg, a transplant surgeon at Carilion Clinic, talked about the importance of bringing kidney transplant services to Southwest Virginia in a prior interview.
“We need to bring this treatment back home to these patients,” Salzberg said. “Accessible care means less risk to the patient and more thorough care, leading to a better outcome.”
Carilion Clinic said the region’s need for kidney transplants is expected to increase by nearly 35% over the next five years. State approval is required for the facility to open, and Carilion must demonstrate the necessity of the center in the area.