State regulators have extended the deadline to decide on Carilion Clinic’s proposal to launch a kidney transplant program at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Unless a decision is made sooner, the state health commissioner will issue a final determination by May 8.
The original deadline, set by Virginia law at 45 calendar days after the close of the public record, fell on April 14. The Virginia Certificate of Public Need division’s adjudication officer notified Carilion’s attorney of the extension on April 9.
[Disclosure: Carilion is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
According to state code, if no decision is issued by the extended deadline, the application will be automatically approved and a certificate will be granted.
Carilion Clinic first announced its plans for a kidney transplant program in January 2024, with hopes of opening the service by October of that year. The proposal hit a setback when staff with the state division recommended denying the application, a move that came as a surprise to the health system.
The University of Virginia publicly opposed Carilion’s proposal, and its opposition letter appeared to play a significant role in the recommendation from the state division to deny the project.
In response, Carilion requested an informal fact-finding hearing to argue against the staff recommendation. During the January 2025 hearing, Carilion presented testimony from representatives of supporting health systems as well as from a young Roanoke couple who talked about their experiences with organ transplant care.
UVa has not submitted any other documentation to the state division to argue against Carilion’s proposal.
Under Virginia law, any hospital or health system seeking to expand services must demonstrate that a public need exists. State staff assess the community’s medical needs and offer a recommendation, which the state health commissioner considers when making a final decision.
Six health systems in Virginia are currently authorized for kidney transplants, most in the eastern part of the state. The UVa Medical Center, based in Charlottesville, operates one of the approved transplant programs and maintains several satellite clinics throughout Southwest Virginia.
One of these clinics opened in Wytheville this month. Patients can receive preliminary transplant care at these clinics but will have to travel to the main campus in Charlottesville for the surgery and post-operative care.
