A $40 million gift from an anonymous donor will help transform the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute into a world-class research program and progressive healing environment.
The institute is a partnership between Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The donation is the largest single gift in the health care system’s nearly 100-year history.
Half of the $40 million is committed to building and enhancing a new facility for the institute, said Dr. James D. Eason, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Professor of Surgery and Director of the Methodist Transplant Institute.
The comprehensive transplant facility at Methodist University Hospital will provide state-of-the-art accommodations for all stages of the transplant process, from pre-transplant testing to the transplant operation and post-transplant care. It will include a critical care area consisting of outpatient services, an inpatient area and an intensive care unit.
A proposal for a new hospital tower that still needs to pass the hospital’s board would provide a dedicated floor for the institute. If approved, Eason said it would make this one of the most advanced transplant centers in the U.S.
The other half of the $40 million gift will be used for transplant research and endowing chairs for the institute that are specifically aimed at that research.
“We’re hoping this is just the beginning and we’ll be able to generate more funds through further philanthropy and grants to make this a self-sustaining endeavor,” Eason said. “Honestly, the sky is the limit. … We’re just thrilled and feel like this is a testament to the great work we’ve been doing in transplant and elevates us to the next level.”
The Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute has been recognized for its kidney, liver, kidney-pancreas and pancreas transplants. It ranks among the top 10 liver transplant programs and top 15 overall transplant programs by volume in the U.S.
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Lance is a veteran journalist with more than 16 years of experience in newsrooms in the Memphis area as a reporter and editor, including most recently as managing editor of The Daily News. He regularly contributes to The Daily News, including a biweekly travel column, The Daily Traveler.