Primary Listings
Donate Life America - How to become an organ donor
This is the website of the Coalition on Donation - a not-for-profit alliance of National organizations and local coalitions across the United States that educate the public about organ and tissue donation, correct misconceptions about donation and create a greater willingness to donate. Quick link for each state to information about how to become an eye, organ or tissue donor (Click Commit to Donation)
Glossary: Organ Donation and Transplantation
Glossary by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), explains terms such as Acute or Chronic Rejection, Allocation Policies, Delayed Graft Function, kidney mismatch, histocompatibility and more
How Many Organ Transplants in US in 2008 and 2009
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) shows 27,963 organ transplants during 2008. Kidney transplants were 16,518. As of Sept. 20, 2009, there were nearly 104,000 waiting list candidates. Recent 2009 volumes are shown
Organ and Tissue Donation/Transplantation
Official US government website for organ donation (organdonor.gov), including recent news about organ transplantation. Also links to the National Marrow Donor Program and shows a daily status report on donors and waiting list counts. Updated 2009
Organ Donation (MedlinePlus)
General information about organ transplants and organ procurement, including cornea transplants and living donation; how to become a donor
Organ Transplants - Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (all states)
Transplant survival rates on a regional basis (1-year, 3-year, 5-year) compared to national; transplant center volumes; kidney, pancreas, liver, heart, lung, intestine. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Updated 2009
Patient Education Guides (American College of Chest Physicians)
Patient Education Guides (with pictures) on topics such as shortness of breath (including asthma), bronchoscopy, COPD, lung cancer, lung transplants, using inhalers and nebulizers; more
Trends in Organ Transplants 1990 to 2008 (pdf)
One-page summary of number of organ transplants and grafts, and 1-year patient survival rates, shows over 50,000 cornea grafts (2007)and 16,517 kidney transplants were done in 2008. Survival rates (2007) for kidney patients were over 95%. Waiting list for kidneys neared 80,000. Table 175 from Census.gov
See Also Consumer Health Ratings - Average Costs & Prices - Compare Hospital Charges
See our main category on Costs to see how specific hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers or clinics COMPARE on average prices or charges for many surgeries, hospitalizations, procedures and outpatient tests. The LEARN MORE listings show general average costs in your region
See also Consumer Health Ratings - Ratings, Report Cards and Credentials - Compare Quality
See our main page for public reporting of quality ratings and comparisons for individual hospitals, nursing homes, health insurance plans, and other health care services. Check your physician's credentials and doctor's license in this category
Other Helpful Listings
20% of U.S. Transplant Centers Are Found to Be Substandard - Los Angeles Times
Specific transplant centers and survival rate statistics (using 2002-2004 data) are shown on page 4 of the investigative news article by Tracy Weber and Charles Ornstein. Published June 29, 2006
Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac, Cancer Care, Bariatric Surgery & Organ Transplants
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have designated national Blue Distinction Centers meeting their standards and extensive selection criteria for bariatric surgery, cardiac (heart) care, organ transplants (e.g. bone marrow/stem cell, heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas transplants) and hospitals for 13 Complex and Rare Cancers (e.g. pancreatic, liver, bladder, brain, esophageal, leukemia, rectal, thyroid cancer). Detailed criteria include outcome, volume and mortality/ survival requirements and measures. Lists organized by state; updated 2009
Diabetic Kidney Problems (MedlinePlus)
Kidney damage from diabetes, called diabetic nephropathy, begins before you show symptoms. Diabetes is listed as the most common cause of kidney failure in the US - for which people require kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. Learn about the connection between diabetes and ending up on renal dialysis
Florida Inpatient Hospital Ratings, Average Charges, Survival Rates, Readmissions
Search feature, mortality (survival rates), complication rates, volume, and average charges (price range), 2007-2008 data. (We couldn't find the readmission rates.) All age groups (not just Medicare), extensive set of health conditions/diseases, and the ability to rank order by top hospitals at the head of the list. Click on the hospital name to see actual risk-adjusted mortality rates for heart attack, stroke, heart failure (CHF), GI hemorrhage, hip fracture, hip replacement, pneumonia, AAA repair, heart bypass, craniotomy, surgery to remove the pancreas, or esophageal resection. Compare hospitals on infections, iatrogenic pneumothorax, and post-op sepsis. Hysterectomy listed under Women's Health instead of Surgery. FloridaHealthFinder.gov
HealthGrades Organ Transplant Excellence Awards (TM)
HealthGrades gave 2010 excellence awards to hospitals in 13 states (CA, FL, GA, IN, KY, MI, MN, NC, NY, OH, PA, TX, WI) for Kidney Transplants (10 hospitals in US), Liver (6), Heart (2) and Lung Transplants (4 hospitals). Programs in 266 hospitals were evaluated for survival outcomes (transplants in 2003 to 2005) and waitlist mortality in 2008. Published November 2009
Hospital Comparison Tool - Hospital Ratings & Cost Rankings (all states)
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Mexico makes this Hospital Comparison Tool from HealthShare (WebMD) available to compare hospital care ANYWHERE in the country, mostly using Medicare data. No registration required. Gives results according to the importance you give to survival, complication rates, costs, volume and length of stay. Provides rankings, and crosses state lines when doing the search. Considerable detail on different types of complications if you keep delving deeper. Disease categories include Cancer, GI (e.g., appendectomy, colon or bowel surgery, gall bladder, hernia repair, gastric bypass), gynecology (e.g. hysterectomy), stroke (under head & neck), heart (e.g. attack, failure, angioplasty, cardiac bypass, catheterization, defibrillator, pacemaker, valve), lungs (e.g. pneumonia, COPD), medical, mother & baby (maternity, delivery for selected states only), orthopedic (e.g. hip or knee replacement), pediatric, prostatectomy, plastic/cosmetic surgery and heart, kidney, lung or liver transplants. Caution: it always assumes higher volume is preferred, which may not be valid. Patient satisfaction scores from the federal HospitalCompare tool shown, without disclosing dates.
Iowa Hospital PricePoint System - Inpatient Charges
Iowa Hospital PricePoint provides information about volumes and average 2008 charges (amount billed) at IA hospitals. Select one hospital to begin. Site allows 4 hospitals to be compared at one time (although we couldn't make this work) for charges, length of stay, number of cases and more. Provided by the Iowa Hospital Association, this is a starting point for comparing average cost of care between Iowa hospitals. Compare typical prices for surgery such as gall bladder removal, bowel surgery, knee joint replacement; childbirth and newborns, pneumonia, stroke, heart care, transplants, COPD, psych, rehab, and most medical conditions. Severity of illness can be specified. Consumers will need to inflate old prices to estimate current charges
Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care - Certified Hospitals
List of Primary Stroke Centers, Stroke Rehab, and other disease-specific care certified organizations in the US. Most are hospitals. Other certified programs include orthopedic joint replacement (hip, knee), COPD (most listed under A for Advanced COPD), sickle cell services, burn center, bariatric surgery, high-risk OB; bone marrow, heart, liver transplants; cancer (including breast, lung, pancreatic, prostate); diabetes; AAA, Alzheimer's, sleep program, wound care, spine treatment program, migraines, Parkinsons disease, ESRD, palliative care, epilepsy, congestive heart failure, heart failure, AMI, pneumonia and more. July 2010 list is 75 pages, and hard to use because health condition certifications are listed under multiple titles such as "Advanced"
Montana Hospital Inpatient Charges - Compare Prices
Montana PricePoint shows average charges at MT hospitals for inpatient stays (2007-2008 prices), including newborns, deliveries, Cesarean section, knee or hip replacement, rehab, psychiatric hospitalization, back problems, heart failure, stent, chest pain, bowel surgery, more. Many hospitalizations (such as diabetes, kidney or urinary tract infections, appendectomy, inpatient gall bladder removal) can only be found by using the comprehensive search. Site by MHA-An Association of Montana Health Care Providers
Nebraska Hospital PricePoint System (Inpatient Charges)
Find average price and typical charges for many types of inpatient hospital stays in NE. Examples: maternity prices, angioplasty, heart surgery, some cancer services, hip & knee surgery, bowel surgery, pneumonia, stroke, UTI, gall bladder surgery (inpatient only). Includes volume, average length of stay in the hospital, and median age of patient. Does not include physician costs. Shows one hospital/ one disease or condition at a time; 2007-2008 data. All cities including Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Creighton, Norfolk, Kearney. NHA Care Compare is sponsored by the Nebraska Hospital Association
Ohio Hospital Charges and Utilization, 2007 (ohio.gov)
Ohio.gov Web site shows DRG (diagnosis related groups) inpatient charges (the closest available for average cost) and volumes by hospital. Public Warehouse data. Must know DRGs in order to find the procedure prices you want. Common hospitalizations: childbirth/ maternity & newborn delivery, heart problems, gall bladder, hysterectomy, pneumonia, stroke, rehab, joint surgery. Top 60 types of hospital stays
Transplant WaitList and Survival Rates (SRTR)
Waiting list times, numbers of people waiting for a transplant: Kidney, pancreas, liver, intestine, heart, lung transplants for 2007-2008. Survival statistics by type of transplant, and transplant rates by state and Transplant Center are provided by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, which is affiliated with The University of Michigan and funded by HRSA. ustransplant.org Updated Jan. 2009
usnews.com Best Hospitals 2009: Respiratory disorders
Top 50 hospitals for respiratory problems, including Lung transplant, used Medicare data (including mortality index), reputation and other factors. National Jewish Health Center (Denver) and Mayo Clinic lead the list. For reference: small hospitals routinely treat pneumonia and COPD patients, and a tertiary medical center may not be necessary for effective treatment. This list by US News & World Report gives strong weight to reputation (according to sample of board-certified pulmonologists) and large volume
Wisconsin Hospitals PricePoint (Average Inpatient Prices)
Average charge and length of stay for common hospitalizations including maternity and newborn births, hip or knee replacement surgery, gallbladder removal, heart surgery, angioplasty, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), valves, cardiac cath, pacemaker, pneumonia, bipolar and other mental health, stroke, asthma, back care, asthma, COPD, rehab; kidney, heart, lung or other transplant; hysterectomy, prostate surgery, bowel surgery & more; Top 25 shown in a short report for each hospital. From WHA Information Center, part of the Wisconsin Hospital Association, using 2008-2009 data. Last year's charges are currently the closest information consumers are able to find about average costs; surgeon fees NOT included. It takes a few screens, but you can compare four hospitals (anywhere in the state) at one time. Wisc. Hospital Assn. created the PricePoint System now used in other states. Also shows charity care and inpatient volumes