With Gratitude To Our Employees

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Thank you for your steadfast support in helping to bring kidney transplant services to our patients. Your voices were heard as you spoke up and wrote letters for loved ones and neighbors who deserve kidney transplant care close to home.

Our topic experts and local patients presented our case to the Division of Certificate of Public Need for state consideration in January. That included filing more than 1,500 letters of public support submitted by our employees and community members. 

Last week, the state approved our plans, and we will begin work immediately with the goal of performing our first transplant in the spring of next year. 

“This is a significant milestone for our region,” said David Salzberg, M.D., the lead surgeon for the program. “In Virginia, there are currently over 2,300 residents on the state’s waitlist for kidneys. In our region alone, the need for kidney transplants is expected to increase by nearly 35% over the next five years. Our program will offer the life-saving services close to home that our community deserves.”

The program will be under the Department of Surgery with a robust, multidisciplinary team offering comprehensive care and support, including transplant coordination, social work, partner nephrology, endocrinology, dietary services, financial counseling, pharmacy, mental health, and more.

Beginning in 2026, the Roanoke clinic will be located on the 4th floor of 3 Riverside, with plans underway for an additional clinic in the New River Valley. Transplant surgeries will be performed at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Program Benefits

Offering kidney transplants represents a significant advancement in our ability to care for patients with advanced kidney disease. The program enhances our reputation as a center of excellence, attracting more patients and medical specialists while expanding access to research, grants, and new revenue streams. Most importantly, it provides our community with:

  • Comprehensive kidney care in one central location, reducing the need for travel
  • An experienced, compassionate care team closer to home
  • Less time away from work, family, and daily life activities
  • Enhanced quality of life and long-term health outcomes

We are also committed to increasing awareness about organ donation across our region to support this life-saving effort.

Learn more about the program—and consider registering as a kidney donor—by visiting CarilionClinic.org/kidney.

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Nationally and regionally, kidney disease is increasing:

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 7 U.S. adults have chronic kidney disease. 
  • It is the 9th leading cause of death in the country. 

Communities in Southwest Virginia lack adequate kidney transplant resources: 

  • For 79% of kidney transplant patients in Southwest Virginia, accessing services they need requires a 2- to 4-hour drive. Living far from a transplant center, makes it difficult to reach critical services, resulting in long waitlist times and complicated care. 
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We began the journey to launch a Kidney Transplant Program in Jan. 2024.

Largely thanks to the support of Carilion employees and the public, the state approved our application this month.

We anticipate beginning kidney transplant surgeries in 2026.