When it comes to transplant specialty care at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Froedtert Hospital, adult patients can feel doubly confident about their choice. Not only are they choosing programs with high-caliber surgical expertise and excellent outcomes, but they also are choosing a team of partners they can count on for the rest of their lives to provide the very best, personalized transplant care. 

The Transplant Center is a joint program of Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital with vital support by Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin for tissue typing and research initiatives.

Care Team Supports Patients for Life

Patients quickly find that their care team of surgeons, physicians, transplant coordinators (pre- and post-transplant) and patient support resources become like family to them. Focused on each patient’s needs and lifestyle, team members follow patients from the first evaluation appointment through their procedure and long into a lifetime of post-transplant care. Transplant coordinators serve as the patient’s main contact for transplant-related care, helping coordinate care, answer questions and get them in touch with right people.

Easing the Transplant Process

We understand that life is complicated enough for patients and families considering transplant. In a variety of ways, we strive to provide an overall transplant experience that matches the high-caliber clinical care and outcomes we provide. At Froedtert Hospital, Transplant Center patients can expect advantages including:

Timely First Appointments – Patients who contact us by phone at 414-777-7700 or online can expect answers immediately or within a few hours of the inquiry. Initial evaluation appointments can be made within days of the first contact. 

Respectful Appointment Scheduling – Appointments are made based on what is convenient for patients and their families. When multiple appointments or tests are required, they are bundled consecutively on one day, if the patient desires, to make the best use of their time. Appointments run on time, too, so waiting is not a common issue. 

Centralized Evaluations – All pre-transplant evaluation and testing is centralized conveniently at Froedtert Hospital for one-stop access to all services needed. Closer-to-home options for testing can be explored, however, if patients live a distance away.

Questions Answered 24/7/365 – Transplant team members, including physicians, are reachable around the clock when transplant patients have questions or concerns. Patients are given contact information at their very first appointments. For non-urgent needs, patients can view appointments, see a health history, get test results, renew prescriptions and communicate with their health care team online through MyChart®.

Education and Support Groups –Vital information about transplant is provided in formal information sessions and during the course of care to help patients and families understand why caregivers make certain recommendations, what care processes are involved and why some post-care requirements are so strictly enforced. Through education, patients learn to advocate for themselves, so they can achieve optimal health. We offer a support group for any patients currently on a transplant waiting list, along with their caregivers.

Mentor Program Our peer-to-peer Mentor Program pairs patients considering or waiting for a transplant or ventricular assist device (VAD) with a patient who has had a similar procedure. This connection allows patients to discuss topics first hand with another patient, such as how they came to consider transplant/VAD, how they managed their wait, details about their recovery and what their life is like now. Each mentor in our program completes training with our Transplant Center team. This unique experience gives patients another resource as they proceed through their journey.

Excellent Nursing Care with Smooth Transitions – In the hospital, patient care is centralized on specialized care units. Our unique staffing model allows nurses to get to know patients and families well, which encourages personalized care and attention. Familiar transplant team members follow patients from pre-transplant care to the operating room and into post-transplant care. Our nursing staff is nationally recognized for excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program®.

Amenities and Patient and Family Services – Anticipating the needs and situations of our patients and their families, Froedtert Hospital provides a wealth of in-hospital amenities, as well as patient and family services, including our child life experts.

Easy-Access Location and Housing Resources – Froedtert Hospital is easy to reach, located about 90 miles from Chicago and close to major highways and airports. We can help arrange area housing and transportation, including discounted hotel and motel rates.

Financial Liaisons – Liaisons help patients and families navigate the insurance maze and other financial issues surrounding transplant. They work with patients to make sure they have the insurance coverage they need at each stage of transplant.