Louisville, Ky.-based Jewish Hospital may end its adult organ transplant programs if the University of Louisville pulls its providers from the hospital, according to the Courier Journal.
U of L leaders are in discussions to move its physicians and transition several medical services to the University of Louisville Hospital and elsewhere, as Jewish Hospital is currently in talks to be sold by parent company Louisville-KentuckyOne Health. Many U of L physicians at Jewish Hospital perform a variety of the hospital's adult organ transplant services.
Officials have reportedly spent months developing contingency plans to move the six U of L clinical programs at Jewish Hospital to other institutions in the event Jewish Hospital is sold, a U of L spokesperson said, according to the report. If U of L pulls its physicians from the hospital, Jewish Hospital will likely stop performing organ transplants and certain complex cardiac surgeries, as the surgeons who perform them are university faculty members.
A KentuckyOne spokesperson told the Courier Journal officials are encouraging university faculty to continue practicing at Jewish Hospital, as no formal agreements are in place.
"An agreement is not required for U of L physicians to practice at Jewish Hospital, and we welcome and encourage their continued service," the spokesperson said. "Our desire and intent is to continue to provide comprehensive services for the community. If the university chooses to relocate their physicians to other area hospitals, it will impact the services available at Jewish Hospital."
The spokesperson noted KentuckyOne is still in "productive discussions" with university officials about the transplant programs.
Negotiations to sell Jewish Hospital to a New York City-based hedge fund have continued since December 2017, but no deal has been announced yet. Some experts speculate the hospital is likely to close. However, KentuckyOne executives have said officials are not planning to close the facility.
There are three transplant centers in Kentucky. Jewish Hospital performed 159 transplants in 2017, and maintains a 400-person waiting list for organs, the report states.
To access the full report, click here.