Penn State Health has made the decision to discontinue its liver and kidney transplant programs due to ongoing scrutiny from federal regulators. This comes less than six months after the hospital’s status as a member in good standing was restored by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
The health system stopped performing liver and kidney transplants at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center due to concerns raised by federal regulators regarding clinical processes and institutional culture. The abdominal transplant program has experienced issues for several years, with a national oversight group declaring the hospital a “member not in good standing” in September 2022 for problems with kidney and liver transplants.
After facing serious disciplinary action, Penn State Health leaders committed to rebuilding the programs by hiring new surgeons, updating equipment, and overhauling internal operations. However, discussions with regulators and an internal review led to the decision to close the programs as ongoing challenges made it difficult to keep them running.
Patients who are waitlisted for kidney and liver transplants are being assisted by staff to transfer to other transplant centers, while those who have already received a transplant or are managing kidney or liver diseases without needing a transplant can continue to receive care at the Hershey medical center.
