St. Vincent Medical Center fully reinstated

Published on: Tuesday, November 18, 2008

St. Louis -- The OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors has reinstated the full membership status of St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, removing its status of probation. "St. Vincent has established and followed a detailed plan of correction for past deficiencies in administrative oversight that led to past violations of OPTN policy," said Robert S.D. Higgins, M.D., president of the OPTN and UNOS and Chair of the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors. "We believe the hospital has acted in good faith to make the needed improvements."

St. Vincent was initially declared a Member Not in Good Standing in March 2006, following OPTN findings of policy violations within the hospital's liver transplant program. In August 2007, the Member Not in Good Standing designation was removed and the center continued under probation while implementing a plan of corrective action. The hospital voluntarily inactivated its liver transplant program in September 2005, and in 2006 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revoked its designated program status for liver transplantation. St. Vincent continues to operate kidney and pancreas transplant programs.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is operated under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of Transplantation by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The OPTN brings together medical professionals, transplant recipients and donor families to develop organ transplantation policy.