Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston has become an NKR Member Center. NKR Member Centers are a network of transplant centers that agree to an extensive list of guidelines and commitments to provide the highest level of care, protection and support to living donors. The NKR …
PR Tags: Kidney Transplant News
National Kidney Registry Reports Superior Transplant Outcomes
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) released its 2025 Outcomes Report, revealing improved outcomes for NKR-facilitated transplants. The improved outcomes were driven by precision eplet matching and better matches for sensitized patients. Matching strategies employed by the NKR reduce de novo DSA formation, reduce graft failure, provide an opportunity for lower immunosuppression, and increase the longevity …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 10,000th Living Donor Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced its 10,000th transplant, with 1,744 transplants facilitated in 2024 alone. The NKR facilitated its first transplant in 2008 and reached the 5,000-transplant milestone in June 2021. The NKR is expected to facilitate approximately 30% of all U.S. living donor kidney transplants in 2025. “This is a remarkable milestone and …
National Kidney Registry Increases Donor Shield Lost Wage Reimbursement for Living Donors to 12 Weeks Maximum
On November 26, the National Kidney Registry (NKR) expanded its Donor Shield program, doubling the maximum allowable time for lost wage reimbursement available to donors from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. Donors covered by Donor Shield will be eligible for lost wage reimbursement of up to $2,000 per week for up to 12 weeks, for …
National Kidney Registry Breaks Monthly Record for Living Kidney Donation in October, Facilitating 179 Living Donor Kidney Transplants
In collaboration with NKR’s 104 member centers, the National Kidney Registry (NKR) achieved a record-breaking milestone in October, facilitating 179 living donor kidney transplants. This achievement breaks the previous record of 157 transplants, set in July 2024, and underscores the NKR’s ongoing progress in expanding access to well-matched living donor kidney transplants for patients in …
National Kidney Registry Endorses the Kidney Donation Anti-Discrimination Act
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) applauds Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), and Don Davis (D-NC) for introducing bipartisan legislation that will protect living kidney donors from unfair life insurance discrimination practices. In recent years, living kidney donors have faced life insurance discrimination that disregards clear risk-based analysis[1] and decades of data on …
The National Kidney Registry Activates Its 4,000th Microsite: Free Service for Patients Seeking a Living Donor
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the activation of its 4,000th patient microsite. The Microsite Program provides free personalized websites, patient coaching, educational materials, and business cards to people who are seeking a living donor (kidney or liver). To date, over 580 microsite patients have achieved a living donor transplant. “For patients in need of …
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Becomes National Kidney Registry Member Center
Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced that Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago has become an NKR Member Center. The NKR now has 104 Member Centers spanning 35 states and the District of Columbia. The NKR is the world’s largest paired exchange program, facilitating over 1,500 transplants annually for patients who are seeking a better-matched …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 9,000th Living Donor Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced the successful completion of its 9,000th living kidney donor transplant, which took place at Hartford Hospital. This milestone represents the most transplants in the world facilitated by a single kidney paired donation registry. The NKR now facilitates 25% of all living donor transplants in the United States, up from …
National Kidney Registry Presents Four Awards to Leaders in the Transplant Community at 2024 Awards Gala
At its 2024 Awards Gala, held June 20 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City to honor kidney donors and the achievements of the American transplant industry, the National Kidney Registry presented four awards to exceptional members of the transplant community: the Terasaki Innovation Award was awarded to Drs. Joe Leventhal and Sandip Kapur, …
Dr. Montgomery Honored with the Prestigious ACS Jacobson Award
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) congratulates Dr. Robert Montgomery on winning the prestigious Jacobson Innovation Award from the American College of Surgeons. The award was presented to Dr. Montgomery on June 14, 2024, at the Chicago History Museum at a dinner in his honor. Dr. Montgomery is the Chair of the NYU Department of Surgery …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 8,000th Living Donor Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the successful completion of its 8,000th living kidney donor transplant, a zero-eplet mismatch that took place with a donor from Mayo Clinic Rochester and a recipient at Hartford Hospital. This milestone represents the most transplants in the world facilitated by a single kidney paired donation registry. The National Kidney Registry …
Dr. Ephraim Fuchs Joins ImmunoFree, Inc. as its Chief Medical Officer
Today, ImmunoFree, Inc. announced that Dr. Ephraim Fuchs has been appointed the Chief Medical Officer of ImmunoFree. In his role as CMO, Dr. Fuchs will oversee all medical and scientific affairs of the company and be responsible for the development of the ImmunoFree tolerance protocol for the 1,000,000+ transplant recipients worldwide who can benefit from …
The National Kidney Registry Announces its 30th Donor Care Network Center of Excellence
Today the National Kidney Registry announced that the Donor Care Network has reached a significant milestone with the addition of its 30th Donor Care Network (DCN) Center of Excellence. DCN Centers of Excellence are an elite group of transplant centers that meet a stringent set of best practices to ensure they offer the highest level …
National Kidney Registry Launches New Website for Donor Care Network Centers
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the launch of a new website for the Donor Care Network at www.donorcarenet.org. The Donor Care Network (DCN) Centers of Excellence are an elite group of transplant centers that meet a stringent set of best practices to ensure they offer the highest level of care and support to living …
National Kidney Registry Expands Paid Leave Policy for Employees Who Become Living Donors
The National Kidney Registry is proud to announce that it has joined the growing list of organizations that have committed to having a paid leave policy for living organ donation. More than 100,000 people are waiting for a life-saving kidney or liver transplant, but just four in every 25,000 people donate an organ while living.
National Kidney Registry Launches FindAKidney.org Website to Help Kidney Patients Find a Living Kidney Donor
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the launch of the Find A Kidney website at www.findakidney.com. Approximately 100,000 people are waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant. Of the 18,000 people who receive a kidney transplant every year, just one-third receive a kidney from a living donor, which can last up to twice as long as …
National Kidney Registry Expands Donor Shield Travel and Lodging Reimbursement to $3,000 Max
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced today the expansion of its Donor Shield program, increasing the maximum allowable travel and lodging reimbursement from $2,000 to $3,000 per donor. The reimbursement covers travel and lodging expenses related to kidney donation for the donor and a caregiver. Any donor who donates on or after July 6, 2021, …
The National Kidney Registry Facilitates 5,000th Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the completion of its 5,000th paired exchange transplant, which took place yesterday at UCLA Medical Center. The UCLA recipient was a standard voucher holder whose donor facilitated an earlier chain of three transplants. The kidney came from a family voucher donor at Mayo Clinic Rochester. Dr. Jeff Veale, Professor and …
Guinness World Record Organization Distinguishes the National Kidney Registry for World’s Longest Kidney Transplant Chain
Guinness World Records officially recognized the National Kidney Registry (NKR) for the longest kidney transplant chain in the world. This massive chain was supported by the combined efforts of 25 transplant centers, it included 70 surgeries, facilitated 35 transplants and was featured on ABC News’s Nightline. Kathy Hart, a Good Samaritan donor, started Chain 357, …
NKR Introduces Failsafe
A kidney transplant is a life-saving operation, but to be successful it is crucial that the donated kidney is delivered to its destination safely and on schedule. The National Kidney Registry’s Failsafe software uses advanced GPS technology to monitor every shipped kidney from pickup until it is safely delivered at the recipient center.
Donor Shield Adds Important New 7th Donor Protection: Lost Wages, Travel & Lodging Costs Related to Complications are Now Reimbursed
Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced the addition of an important new 7th Donor Shield protection. Donors can now be reimbursed for lost wages and travel/lodging costs for any donation-related complications as part of the Donor Shield program. The other six Donor Shield protections include lost wage reimbursement for donation, travel & lodging reimbursement …
COVID19 Antibody Launched: National Kidney Registry and Viracor Eurofins Announce Coronavirus Antibody Testing for Transplant Community
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) and Viracor Eurofins announced a partnership today to deliver newly released COVID-19 antibody testing for NKR’s vast network of Member Centers. NKR is the largest paired exchange program in the world and serves approximately 100 transplant programs throughout the United States. NKR has relied on Eurofins’ specialty transplantation laboratories, VRL …
PCR Swab Testing Launched: National Kidney Registry and Viracor Eurofins Announce Coronavirus Rapid Turnaround PCR Swab Testing for Transplant Community
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) and Viracor Eurofins announced a partnership today to deliver testing for Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease) to NKR’s vast network of Member Centers. NKR is the largest paired exchange program in the world and serves approximately 100 transplant programs throughout the United States. The NKR has relied …
UCSF Medical Center is First Transplant Center in the Western U.S. to Provide Donor Shield: Donor Shield Now Protects 20% of U.S. Living Kidney Donors
Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) and University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF) announced that all living kidney donors who donate at UCSF will be provided Donor Shield protections through the NKR. These living donor protections include reimbursement for lost wages, travel and lodging, in addition to donation life insurance, donation disability insurance, …
National Kidney Registry Launches Family Voucher Program, Providing Security for Donor Families
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) has successfully launched the Family Voucher Program, which allows donors to donate a kidney now and receive vouchers for immediate family members in case a family member ever needs a kidney transplant in the future. Since this program launched in February, 52 donors have donated their kidneys as family voucher …
National Kidney Registry to Reimburse Lost Wages for Donors
Today the National Kidney Registry announced that all donors involved in NKR swaps will be provided Donor Shield protections including lost wage reimbursement. This fulfills the promise from President Trump’s recent announcement to support “the selfless individuals who donate kidneys by granting them reimbursement for extra expenses associated with organ donation such as lost wages.” …
National Kidney Registry Upgrades GPS Tracking, Ensuring Shipped Kidney Safety with Next Generation Technology
The National Kidney Registry and Newgate Security have announced the deployment of next generation GPS technology used to ensure the safety of human organ shipments. New smartphone-based GPS tracking devices combined with real-time monitoring systems deliver the most advanced technology in the world for monitoring human organ shipments. This upgraded GPS technology allows transplant centers, …
National Kidney Registry Launches Remote Donation Network
The National Kidney Registry announced the successful launch of the Remote Donation Network (RDN). The RDN currently has 24 participating transplant centers strategically located across the United States providing remote donation services. Remote donation allows a living kidney donor to avoid traveling to a distant transplant center for donor testing and surgery. This approach makes …
National Kidney Registry Passes Kidney Backup Policy
The National Kidney Registry Medical Board has approved a new policy that provides added assurance to kidney transplant recipients in NKR swaps. The new policy protects eligible recipients whose transplanted kidney fails within 90 days of transplant surgery. Patients who are eligible for this policy would be prioritized to receive another living donor kidney in …