Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s adult and pediatric heart transplant programs recently collaborated to create a pediatric transplant transition day, a new event where pediatric transplant patients meet with their new adult transplant team providers to begin the transition to those providers.
The event, held on March 7, began with a meet-and-greet with a multidisciplinary team, including doctors, nurses, transplant coordinators, transplant pharmacy technicians and social workers. The providers outlined their roles, and afterward, individual patients had one-on-one meetings with individual providers.
While pediatric transplant recipients have been transitioning to the adult transplant program for years, this clinic is the first time that the transition has been coordinated in a multidisciplinary way so that patients can meet their multiple new providers in one setting and learn more about care in the adult program.
“We’ve been working really hard on this, so I’m very appreciative of you being here,” said Whitney Kaslow, APRN, DNP, a nurse practitioner on the pediatric heart transplant team who helped organize the event. She introduced the adult team, which included physicians Kelly Schlendorf, MD, medical director of Vanderbilt’s Adult Heart Transplant Program, and Aniket Rali, MD, assistant professor of Medicine.
Rali welcomed the patients entering the adult transplant program and assured them of being in good hands. He presented examples of how Vanderbilt, which has one of the highest heart transplant volumes in the world approaching 150 per year, uses data and new technologies to push the envelope in heart transplantation to help more patients have positive post-transplant outcomes. For example, VUMC transplant patients have a 62% lower risk of mortality in their first year compared to other centers.
He emphasized that the transplant team is always striving to improve patient care.
“We want your feedback,” he said. “We want to learn from you as to what worked today and what didn’t work. This is how we can ensure that we deliver a better experience for the patients that come through this transition clinic in the future.”
Sara Osman, CPhT, pharmacy technician coordinator for the Vanderbilt Transplant Pharmacy, introduced the patients and families to the dedicated adult pharmacy, which works closely with patients to personalize their pharmacy care.
Patients also met post-transplant coordinators Olivia Palmer, RN, and Christian Haefele, RN, part of a team that works with patients throughout their lives after transplant to make sure they remain healthy and prevent any complications that would endanger their heart. For example, patients are encouraged to maintain a healthy diet, take additional steps to prevent infections and strictly follow what can often be a complex medication regimen. Vanderbilt also offers specific care for their emotional health.
“We know that the transition can be scary,” Palmer said, “but we’re with you every single step, and we look forward to taking care of you and really thank you for trusting us with your heart.”
Lexi Browning of Woodbury, Tennessee, who received a heart transplant 11 years ago, came to the event with her mother, Michelle. “I do feel like this is a great idea,” Michelle said of the transition day.
The move to new providers “makes us a little nervous,” Michelle admitted, “because it’s been so good with pediatric transplant … it’s excellent service from that area.”
But attendees became more comfortable after meeting their new providers.
“I think it’s a great program, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” said Ashton Bertel of Hendersonville, Tennessee, who received a heart transplant as a baby and has been in pediatric transplant care since. “I think they provided a lot of useful information …. It’s a great honor to be selected as the first group of patients as well. And I’m excited to see how it continues on and what else I can learn, and hopefully it’ll help me transition even easier into the next stage of this.”
