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Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Receives Approval for State's Only Lung Transplantation Service

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 December 2006, 12:01 CST

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, has received approval from the Department of Health and Senior Services to establish the State's only lung transplantation service. The service is expected to begin operation mid-2007.

The letter of approval, signed by Fred M. Jacobs, M.D., J.D., Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, states that patients who undergo lung transplantation are managed similarly in the post-operative period to patients having had cardiothoracic transplantation; therefore, only licensed heart transplant programs in New Jersey were eligible to be New Jersey's initial lung transplantation service.

The Heart Transplantation Program at Newark Beth Israel, the state's most experienced program, is ranked 7th by volume in the United States with excellent survival rates. The Saint Barnabas Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel was recently recognized nationally as one of the 100 top Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success Winners for 2006 by Solucient, which also named the Medical Center one of the nation's top 100 hospitals in performance quality improvement. In 2005, Newark Beth Israel received the HealthGrades Cardiac Care Excellence Award.

"The Saint Barnabas Health Care System is extremely pleased to have been given the opportunity to provide this important service to the residents of New Jersey," stated Ronald J. Del Mauro, President and Chief Executive Officer. "With its long-standing history of providing high quality cardiac services, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is well positioned to implement an exceptional program. In addition, Newark Beth Israel has the support of all Saint Barnabas System affiliates for service access, referrals, and continuum of care needs."

The new service will focus on adult lung transplantation for patients above age 17. With 60-day notification to the Department of Health and Senior Services, a pediatric lung transplant program or a heart/lung transplant program can be initiated.

According to United Network for Organs Sharing (UNOS) data, nationally, there are more people awaiting lung transplants than heart transplants. Since 1988, the number of lung transplants has grown 4,384 percent, with 66 transplants in 1988 and nearing 3,000 projected for 2006.

"The need for this service is expected to continue to increase, greatly influenced by the aging population," according to Paul Mertz, Executive Director of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. "We are particularly pleased to be able to offer lung transplantation and believe our program will significantly impact access to lung transplant services, especially for the underinsured and minority population, and increase organ donation and available organs for lung transplant candidates."

About Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is a 673-bed regional referral teaching hospital with clinical programs including robotic surgery, cardiac transplantation, renal and pancreas transplantation, adult and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, hematology/oncology and maternal/child care. Newark Beth Israel is the site of Children's Hospital of New Jersey and the Saint Barnabas Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel.

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

CONTACT: Ellen Greene, +1-973-322-4018

Web site: http://www.saintbarnabas.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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