The University of Virginia announced the opening of a new outpatient organ transplant clinic in Wytheville this week, just days before the state health commissioner is set to issue a final decision on Carilion Clinic’s proposal to launch a kidney transplant program in Roanoke.
UVa has publicly opposed Carilion’s plan.
The Wytheville location joins three other UVa transplant clinics across Southwest Virginia in Roanoke, Martinsville and Lynchburg. At these sites, kidney, lung and liver transplant patients can access noninvasive pre-transplant and post-transplant services that don’t require hospitalization.
The new clinic was established through a partnership with Wythe County Community Hospital, which is adjacent to the new UVa facility. Patients who may be eligible for organ transplant can complete blood work and some diagnostic testing at the community hospital or at another location of their choice, according to Eric Swensen, a spokesperson for UVa.
It is staffed by a rotating team of specialists from UVa, including experts in transplant hepatology, nephrology and pulmonology. Transplant nurse coordinators and financial coordinators will also provide support to transplant patients.
Patients will still need to travel to UVa’s main campus in Charlottesville, 186 miles from Wytheville, for the transplant procedure and some follow-up care.
UVa serves hundreds of patients who are eligible for organ transplant from Southwest Virginia every year, Swensen said. Establishing a clinic in Wytheville firms up the health system’s presence in the region, and UVa anticipates serving even more patients from Southwest Virginia.
“Located at the crossroads of Interstates 81 and 77, this expansion underscores our ongoing commitment to providing transplant care close to home for patients throughout the Commonwealth, with a specific focus on Southwest Virginia,” Swensen said by email Tuesday.
When Carilion proposed starting its own kidney transplant program in Roanoke in early 2024, the health system argued that geographic distance between centers is a primary barrier to care for those living in Southwest Virginia. It cited a State Facility Plan that requires all residents to be within a two-hour drive time of an in-state transplant center.
[Disclosure: Carilion is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
UVa opposed Carilion’s proposal, stating that geographic distance has little to do with access to care. Instead, UVa said that access has more to do with the number of available kidneys.
UVa added that patients already have access to transplant care at its satellite clinics.
Hannah Curtis, a spokesperson for Carilion Clinic, said in a statement that a transplant center in Roanoke would reduce travel time for patients in Southwest Virginia who currently face long drive times.
“We support efforts to bring transplant care closer to home for patients in our region, which is why we have applied to establish what would be the region’s only transplant center and program,” Curtis said. “We want to make it easier for the 79% of transplant patients in Southwest Virginia who must drive 2 to 4 hours to get to the nearest transplant center to get the care they need.”
The state Certificate of Public Need division recommended denying the application based largely on UVa’s opposition letter. In order to add or expand health services, state law requires health systems to submit a proposal proving a need for the service. The division then makes a recommendation to the state health commissioner, who makes the final decision.
Carilion launched an online campaign to garner local support for the project, and more than 1,500 letters rolled in. Other transplant centers, such as Virginia Commonwealth University, have also pledged their support for Carilion’s program, signing on to provide necessary testing for transplant patients.
The support letters, statements from VCU leadership and other documentation were presented to state division staff during an informal fact-finding hearing in January, where Carilion argued there is a significant public need for these services in Southwest Virginia.
The record closed Feb. 28. Because no additional opposition was submitted following the hearing, Carilion’s legal team declined to offer a rebuttal.
Following the close of the record, the state health commissioner has 45 calendar days to decide whether there is a public need for the proposed project, putting the deadline at April 14. The commissioner can extend this period by 25 days.
As of April 8, the division’s adjudication officer had not issued additional comments based on the hearing. The state commissioner has also not indicated whether an extension will be necessary.
