Tag: organ donation

Hennepin Healthcare’s Kidney Transplant Program Celebrates 60th Anniversary

 

In February of 1963, Hennepin Healthcare’s Kidney Transplant Program performed the first kidney transplant in the upper Midwest. Since then, thousands of patients with kidney disease have found new life with thanks to receiving a kidney transplant.

On Saturday, February 11, patients, their families, donors, Transplant Program team members and friends will come together to celebrate this history of innovative, lifesaving and life-changing care.

“We have the privilege of witnessing remarkable transformations almost every day,” explains Dr. John Silkenson, Medical Director of Hennepin Healthcare’s Kidney Transplant Program. “We care for patients who are pre-transplant and post-transplant. Receiving a healthy kidney after months – maybe years – of dialysis is a game-changer. We celebrate these successes with our patients and their families, and now we’re marking 60 years of innovative leadership this program has made for transplant care and research. Until kidney disease can be eradicated, we will continue to provide the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art care for our patients.”

Who:               Hennepin Healthcare’s Kidney Transplant Program
What:             60th Anniversary of First Kidney Transplant in the Upper Midwest
When:             Saturday, February 11 from 10 a.m. to Noon
Where:           Stillman Education and Community Room, Hennepin Healthcare’s Clinic & Specialty Center, 715 S. 8th St. Mpls., MN 55404 (program at 10:30 a.m.)

Free parking will be available in the ramp beneath the Clinic & Specialty Center for those attending the event.

Hennepin Healthcare is a nationally recognized system of care that includes HCMC, a Level I Trauma Center and public teaching hospital. The centerpiece of Hennepin County’s clinical health services, Hennepin Healthcare offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services, including its Transplant Program, which is celebrating 60 years of providing kidney transplant services to patients and their families.

Flag-raising ceremony marks National Donate Life Month

donate life 2017
Organ, tissue and eye donations provide renewed hope to thousands of people waiting for transplants each year.  Through the remarkable process of donation, it is possible for a single donor to save or enhance the lives of up to 60 people. Such hope is truly a gift – one made possible by the generosity of individuals who said “yes” to donation and made the decision to give life or sight to those in need.

On Wednesday, April 5, Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) continues its annual tradition of celebrating those who have given and received the gift of life and sight through organ donation. The annual flag-raising ceremony will take place in front of its 717 S. Sixth St. entrance at 9:40am.
DONATE LIFESince completing the upper Midwest’s first kidney transplant in 1963, HCMC’s transplant program has performed over 2,700 kidney transplants, with an increasing percentage involving living donors. In 2010 the first paired exchange transplant in the upper Midwest was completed at HCMC, adding to its 54-year history of “firsts” in transplant care.

HCMC is a Level I Adult and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and public teaching hospital. The centerpiece of Hennepin County’s clinical health services, HCMC offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services, including its Transplant Program, which recently marked its 54th year of providing state-of-the-art transplant services.

For more information about organ donation or to register to be a donor, go to http://www.donatelifemidwest.org/mn/.