CAMC is home to the only kidney transplant center in West Virginia. Located on the campus of General Hospital, nearly 900 kidney transplants have been performed at CAMC since the program was established in 1987. In affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, our team includes Transplant Surgeon Jeff Chueh, MD, four certified clinical transplant coordinators, a dietitian, social worker and attending nephrologists. Consulting services also are available from a certified diabetes educator and a clinical pharmacist.  Kidney transplantation is one treatment option available to patients with end-stage renal disease. For both pediatric and adult patients, it holds the promise of a far more normal lifestyle with fewer restrictions than dialysis. For more information, call (304) 388-7823 or 1-800-346-6233. DID YOU KNOW? >    Nearly 900 kidney transplants have been performed at CAMC over the past 20 years, including 45 transplants in 2008. >    Who is currently waiting for an organ transplant?* • 100,774 people in the United States • 198 people are on CAMC’s kidney transplant waiting list • Each day, about 74 people receive transplants >    In the fall of 2008, for the first time in its history, the national organ transplant wait list topped 100,000 people. The list is now up to 101,820, of which three out of every four people are waiting for a kidney.* >    5,632 people died in 2008 waiting for organs because the need is far greater than the supply. >    Currently there are 198 local adult and pediatric patients on the waiting list to receive a kidney transplant, with more than 500 being evaluated.* >    Someone is added to the organ transplant list every 12 minutes. >    One organ, tissue and eye donor can help between 50 and 75 people. >    There is no age limit for organ donation. The general age limit for tissue donation is 80; and 70 for corneal donation. *April 2009 statistics CAMC AWARDED NATIONAL ORGAN DONATION MEDAL OF HONOR More lives saved as a result of hospital’s efforts Charleston Area Medical Center has been awarded the Organ Donation Medal of Honor by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration for its sustained efforts in achieving high organ donation rates. In winning the award – part of a national initiative to increase organ donation rates in the nation's largest hospitals – CAMC meets the HHS’ criteria of achieving and sustaining a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors from 2005 to 2008. "Helping to save lives through our support of organ donation is reward in itself," said Mike Williams, vice president/administrator of CAMC General Hospital. "But to be recognized nationally for our commitment to organ donation is an honor that makes us extremely proud." This is the third year that CAMC achieved the 75 percent organ donation consent rate.  “CAMC has made concerted efforts to integrate organ donation into its end-of-life continuum of care,” said Phyllis Campbell, RN, manager of the neuroscience intensive care unit at CAMC General Hospital. "Increasing awareness at the staff-nurse level has been key to our success because our bedside nurses are the people who make this happen. They are the ones who identify potential donors, ensure referrals are made in a timely manner, support families and assist in organ donor management when appropriate. If they don't make the first call, then the opportunity is lost for families to consider making this life-saving gift." CAMC was honored along with its organ procurement organization, the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE). CORE, located in Pittsburgh, PA, provides services to hospitals in western Pennsylvania and most counties in West Virginia that include educating hospital staff, supporting families during the grieving process and talking with families about the opportunity to donate. After designation is determined, CORE notifies the organ transplant team and facilitates the surgical recovery of organs. “CORE is very proud of CAMC for earning this high honor,” said Susan Stuart, President and CEO of CORE. “As we work collaboratively to save the lives of hundreds of West Virginians awaiting transplant, it is of utmost importance that we continually strive for excellence in donation.”  "The real heroes are the donors and donor families," Williams said. "Without their courage and selflessness, CAMC could not help give our transplant patients a second chance at a healthy life." Learn more about organ donation at www.core.org