Transplant programs patient referral
The Penn Transplant Institute is dedicated to serving as a resource for physicians and their patients. Our multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country.
For more information on referring a patient to the Penn Transplant Institute, refer to the Transplant Referral Process link below.
Referral process
Physician Services with Penn PhysicianLink®
Penn PhysicianLink® is an exclusive program that helps all referring physicians connect with Penn Medicine. This comprehensive package of support services expedites and facilitates direct physician communication for patient consults, referrals, transfers and appointments.
Penn PhysicianLink offers:
- An exclusive, physician-only phone line, which provides rapid access to Penn Medicine physicians for patient consults, referrals and medical transfers, 24/7.
- Access to emergency services, including Penn Medicine's nationally and internationally recognized level 1 trauma center, Penn Neuro–Emergency Transfer, Penn Heart Rescue® and PennSTAR® Flight Program.
- Online access to patients' medical records and clinical information including patient encounters, lab reports, radiology reports, medications and physician correspondence.
- Physician video channel, highlighting innovations in research and clinical practice.
The Penn Transplant Institute is dedicated to serving as a resource for physicians and their patients. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country.
Initiating the heart evaluation process
Patients with one or more of the following risk factors and who are NYHA (New York Heart Association) Class III or IV should be considered for referral for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and/or cardiac transplantation evaluation.
- Inability to walk one block without shortness of breath
- One or more heart failure-related hospital admission in the past 6 months
- Diuretic dose >1.5 mg/kg/dSerum sodium < 136 mmol/L
- BUN > 40 mg/dL or creatinine > 1.8 mg/dL
- Intolerant or refractory to ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or beta-blockers
- Hematocrit < 35 percent
- QRS >140 msec without, or refractory to, CRT
For a heart failure consultation, and/or evaluation for a VAD or heart transplant, please call 1-215-615-0800 and press 7.
Communication with referring physicians
Communication with referring physicians is a top priority for the Penn heart transplant team. Referring physicians are called at the time of transplant and are updated on the patient’s course. Continuing communication regarding patient status is sent via letters at the time of follow up office visits. Team members are available via cell phone or email to answer any questions.
The Penn Transplant Institute is dedicated to serving as a resource for physicians and their patients. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country.
Initiating the kidney evaluation process
Patients should be considered for transplant evaluation at the time of referral to dialysis or when the patient’s GFR is less than or equal to 20 ml/min. The Penn kidney transplant program is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a Medicare-approved transplant center and a center of excellence for a number of insurance companies.
Records can be faxed or mailed to the Penn Transplant Institute:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Penn Transplant Institute
Kidney Transplant Program
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
West Pavilion, Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 1-215-662-6200
Fax: 1-215-349-5096
Patients who do not meet the criteria for kidney transplant consultation can be seen by any of the specialists at the Penn Transplant Institute for a second opinion or disease management. Transplant staff will help coordinate the referral. The Penn transplant team is always available to discuss the candidacy of any prospective kidney transplant patient
Communication with referring physicians
Communication with referring physicians is a top priority for the Penn kidney transplant team. Referring physicians are called at the time of transplant and are updated on the patient's hospital course. Continuing communication regarding patient status is sent via letters at the time of follow up office visits. Team members are also available via cell phone or email to answer any questions or discuss a patient.
Patient education
The Penn Transplant Institute is pleased to provide free kidney transplant group patient education sessions for nephrology practices and dialysis units. To schedule a session at your practice or dialysis unit, please contact Margaret Leid, transplant community liaison at 215-615-4462 or margaret.leid@uphs.upenn.edu
Staff In-services
The kidney transplant team is committed to educating dialysis units and nephrology office staff about all aspects of the kidney transplant process. The following topics are available for breakfast or lunch in-service training:
- Living Kidney Donation
- The Kidney Transplant Evaluation: How to Prepare Your Patients
- Post-Transplant Care: Partnering to Serve Patient Well
In addition, evening dinner sessions that can be tailored to specific practice interests allow nephrologists and their clinical team to meet with Penn’s transplant nephrologists and surgeons. For more information, please contact Margaret Leid, transplant community liaison at 215-615-4462 or margaret.leid@uphs.upenn.edu.
The Penn Transplant Institute is dedicated to serving as a resource for physicians and their patients. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country.
Initiating the liver evaluation process
Liver transplant should be considered for patients meeting any of the following clinical parameters:
- Fulminant hepatic failure.
- Progressive rise in serum bilirubin.
- Portal hypertension manifesting in intractable ascites, hypersplenism, thrombocytopenia, and/or bleeding varices.
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
- Uncontrollable or recurrent encephalopathy.
- Poor synthetic function expressed by decreased albumin and elevated prothrombin time.
- Inability to function or maintain normal activity.
- Metabolic diseases associated with chronic liver disease hepatocellular malignancy confined to the liver without evidence of major vascular invasion or metastatic spread.
- Intractable pruritus.
- Development of hepatorenal syndrome.
- Progressive malnutrition and/or muscle wasting.
Records can be faxed or mailed to:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Penn Transplant Institute
Liver Transplant Program
3400 Spruce Street
Dulles Building, Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Fax: 1-215-662-2244
Communication with referring physicians
Communication with referring physicians is a top priority for the Penn liver transplant team. Referring physicians are called at the time of transplant and are updated on the patient’s course. Continuing communication regarding patient status is sent via letters at the time of follow up office visits. Team members are available via cell phone or email to answer any questions.
Once a patient is stable, the individual is transferred back to the primary care provider, usually between six and 12 months following transplant. In order to track patient outcomes and fulfill United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) regulations, Penn evaluates transplant patients every year following transplant. The Penn liver transplant team is available to assist providers with the management of transplant patients.
The Penn Transplant Institute is dedicated to serving as a resource for physicians and their patients. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country.
Initiating the lung evaluation process
Once pertinent medical records are received and reviewed, patients are called to schedule a consultation appointment. The following information should be sent including:
- Cardiology study reports
- CT scans
- Demographics
- Hospital discharge summaries
- Pulmonary function studies
- Reports of chest X-rays
- Summary of active medical problems
All tests required for evaluation can be scheduled at Penn Medicine if necessary. The Penn Lung Transplant Program is a member of United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a Medicare-approved transplant center and a center of excellence for a number of insurance companies. Penn's program has contacts with most major insurance companies and the ability to negotiate individual contracts when needed.
Records can be faxed or mailed to the Lung Transplant Office:
Penn Lung Center Lung Transplant Office
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
West Pavilion, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 1-215-662-6200
Fax: 1-215-349-8235
All patient records are promptly reviewed and, if appropriate, a consultation visit is scheduled. The waiting time for consultation appointments is two to three weeks, but the lung transplant evaluation team can accommodate urgent visits. At the time of the first visit, patients should bring actual copies of recent chest X-rays and other relevant radiographic studies (such as CT scans) and, if applicable, lung biopsy slides. If deemed an appropriate candidate for lung transplant at the time of the initial visit, patients are scheduled to complete a three-day series of outpatient testing to determine suitability for transplantation. Referring physicians are provided with a comprehensive written report summarizing the first visit and all subsequent testing. Patients who do not meet the criteria for lung transplant consultation can be seen by any of the specialists at the Penn Lung Center for a second opinion or disease management. The transplant staff helps coordinate the referral. Penn's transplant team is always available to discuss the candidacy of any prospective lung transplant patient.
Communication with referring physicians
Communication with referring physicians is a top priority for the Penn Lung Transplant Team. Referring physicians are called at the time of transplant and are updated on the patient's hospital course. Continuing communication regarding patient status is sent via letters at the time of follow-up office visits. Team members are also available via cell phone or e-mail to answer any questions or discuss a patient.
The Penn Transplant Institute is dedicated to serving as a resource for physicians and their patients. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country.
Initiating the pancreas evaluation process
Records can be faxed or mailed to the Penn Transplant Institute:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Penn Transplant Institute
Pancreas Transplant Program
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
West Pavilion, Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 1-215-662-6200
Fax: 1-215-349-5096
Patients who do not meet the criteria for pancreas transplant consultation can be seen by any of the specialists at the Penn Transplant Institute for a second opinion or disease management. Transplant staff will help coordinate the referral. The Penn transplant team is always available to discuss the candidacy of any prospective transplant patient.
Communication with referring physicians
Communication with referring physicians is a top priority for the Penn transplant team. Referring physicians are called at the time of transplant and are updated on the patient's hospital course. Continuing communication regarding patient status is sent via letters at the time of follow up office visits. Team members are also available via cell phone or email to answer any questions or discuss a patient.
Patient transfer
The Penn Transfer Center provides a single call solution for referring physicians and their staff to transfer patients to Penn Medicine from another health care facility. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it establishes and maintains communications with referring facilities and staff throughout the patient transfer process.
Single point of contact for care
The center serves as a single point of contact for:
- Clinical triage
- Pre-certification
- Bed identification
- Transfer preparations
- Inter-facility transport, including PennSTAR
- Regular patient updates
Goals for Penn transferring patients
Penn Transfer Center goals:
- Provide a single call solution for physicians wishing to access Penn Medicine services.
- Expedite patient transfers and ensure appropriate utilization of resources
- Use a multidisciplinary approach to patient transfer – coordinating with physicians, transfer center staff, case managers and financial counselors
How to transfer a patient
Call 1-877-937-7366 to use the Penn Transfer Center and transfer a patient to Penn Medicine. Please provide the following additional information:
- Your name and phone number
- Your facility name and phone number
- Patient name, age, diagnosis and services required
A patient transfer coordinator will coordinate:
- Communication with a Penn Medicine attending physician
- Reporting among Penn Medicine physicians, nurses, case managers, financial counselors and other team members
- Paperwork associated with patient admission
- Bed assignment and clinical documentation requirements
- Patient arrival status
Transplant liaisons
Questions, concerns or feedback about referrals or the referral process can be addressed to the physician liaisons team at Penn Medicine. Dedicated to specific service lines, the physician liaisons offer a complete resource and connection to all clinical programs at Penn Medicine for referring physicians and their office staff by providing:
- Visits to physicians' offices to update physicians and their office staff about clinical trials, programs and new physician appointments at the Penn Transplant Institute.
- Coordination of Continuing Medical Education (CME) events.
- Facilitation of community outreach and educational events for transplant-eligible patient populations.
- Facilitation of referrals to the Penn Transplant Institute.
For more information, please contact:
- Kidney and Pancreas Transplant:
Margaret Leid
Transplant Community Liaison
Phone: 215-298-3929
Email: Margaret.Leid@pennmedicine.upenn.edu - Lung Transplant:
Chrissy Poppel
Senior Physician Liaison, Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant
Phone: 267-581-2991
Email: Christine.Poppel@pennmedicine.upenn.edu - Heart Transplant:
Michele Slater
Senior Physician Liaison, Heart and Vascular
Phone: 215-298-2048
Email: Michele.Slater@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Or
Linda Lafferty
Senior Physician Liaison, Heart and Vascular
Phone: 267-234-1136
Email: Linda.Lafferty@pennmedicine.upenn.edu - Liver Transplant and other inquiries:
Denise DuPont
Transplant Outreach and Communication Manager
Phone: 215-873-7983
Email: Denise.Dupont@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Patients worldwide
Penn Medicine's vision is to provide excellent patient care today and to perform the breakthrough research necessary to discover the treatments of tomorrow. Our clinical team is committed to treating every patient, no matter how "high-risk" their condition. The best physicians, nurses, researchers and clinical support staff have been recruited in the relentless pursuit of medical, scientific and educational innovations needed to provide comprehensive, high-quality care for every patient.