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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Nevada's Only Kidney Transplant Centers Consolidate Resources

Larger program will benefit Nevada

The transplant program at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center will merge into the existing program at University Medical Center on July 1. This consolidation will create one larger program that will better serve the needs of the community and better position the transplant program for future growth and success.

“Until this point, the community has supported two smaller transplant programs,” said Sylvia Young, president and CEO of Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center. “By merging the programs we are also merging the resources such as personnel, equipment and physicians, to allow for one larger and more comprehensive program.”

Patients currently enrolled with Sunrise have received notification about the consolidation and their options. This consolidation will not affect a patient’s position on the transplant waiting list.

The physicians currently practicing at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, Dr. Marvin Bernstein and Dr. Scott Slavis, both have privileges to practice at UMC, and will be able to continue to be involved in their patients’ care. During this transition, both hospitals are dedicated to working with patients to ensure they receive uninterrupted care.

“We are pleased that competing hospitals are able to work together for the benefit of the community,” said Kathy Silver, CEO of UMC. “A larger, consolidated program will allow us to grow this community service and attract more specialized transplant physicians to Las Vegas.”

Currently, UMC and Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center offer the only kidney transplant services in Nevada.

“This collaboration is a great example of the public and private sectors working together,” Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid said. “Also, by growing UMC’s transplant program, we are able to continue to care for the more acutely ill and better positioned for future growth of critical programs.”

About Sunrise Hospital
Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center provides the most sophisticated, quality healthcare in Southern Nevada. A Consumer Choice award-winning hospital for 12 consecutive years, the 701-bed acute care facility includes comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services such as The Nevada Neurosciences Institute– the region’s first Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Center– an ACoS-recognized Comprehensive Cancer Center, an innovative, full-service Breast Center and specialty services in cardiac, women’s health, pulmonology, critical care, complex surgery, and rehabilitation, as well as Level-II Trauma and Emergency care. The hospital has invested millions of dollars in obtaining new technologies such as the DaVinci Robotic surgery system, Intraoperative MRI machines, Gamma Knife incision-less brain surgery, and an exclusive Picture Archiving and Communication System designed assist physicians in retrieving important patient data. Sharing the same campus, Sunrise Children’s Hospital provides a parallel suite of highly specialized services to maternal moms, newborns and the youth of the Southwest United States.

About UMC
UMC is the only public, non-profit hospital in Clark County and operates the state’s only Level I Trauma Center, Level II Pediatric Trauma, and Lions Burn Care Center, and is the highest level of care in a 10,000-mile radius. UMC is affiliated with the University of Nevada School of Medicine and serves as the state’s major clinical campus. Through its affiliation with the School of Medicine, residency programs in emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, family practice, general surgery and pediatrics are offered at UMC. UMC operates several Quick Care and Primary Care clinics around Clark County. UMC is home to a state-of-the-art Picture Archiving and Communication System, and several specialty service lines including orthopedics, pediatrics, neonatology, cardiology, neurology, and oncology, among others. Since 1931, UMC has been providing comprehensive medical care to the community.

Contact Information:
Rick Plummer , Marketing Director
(702) 671-1075
rick.plummer@umcsn.com
University Medical Center
1800 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102