The Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants are recognized for demonstrating their commitment to quality care and capabilities in providing a range of services for nine transplant types resulting in better overall outcomes for transplant patients.

• Heart
• Lung (deceased and living donor)
• Combination heart bilateral lung
• Liver (deceased and living donor)
• Simultaneous pancreas kidney (SPK)
• Pancreas (PAK/PTA)
• Combination liver kidney
• Kidney-only in conjunction with SPK/PAK
• Bone marrow/stem cell (autologous and allogeneic)

Medical centers designated Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants

• Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock
• University Of Arkansas For Medical Sciences in Little Rock
• Arkansas Childrens Hospital in Little Rock

The process and criteria for selection
The designation is based on criteria established by expert physician panels and national medical organizations and include:

• Program must have been actively performing transplant of specific type for the most recent 24-month period.
• Volume requirement vary by transplant type.
• Patient and graft survival requirements vary by transplant type.
• A variety of measures are evaluated which vary by transplant type, including surgical morbidities, re-transplant rates, death on the waitlist, etc.
• A stable team which must include a primary physician and primary surgeon (if applicable) and at minimum, one additional physician and surgeon. A broad range of subspecialties must be immediately available to the program.
• The institution must be a full-service, accredited inpatient hospital facility or affiliate.
• Personnel and/or systems to collect, analyze, and maintain program data.
• A variety of criteria that address pre-transplant evaluation, transplant procedure, and recovery phase.
• Includes written discharge and follow-up plans, including coordination with primary care providers.
• Written plans for patient education including pathways and response to teaching.
• Regularly scheduled multi-disciplinary meetings are held.
• Detailing all aspects of care, and incorporated into formal development and review process.
• A comprehensive quality management program exists that specifically incorporates transplant services.
• Transplant program should have a written process and data management systems for routinely measuring patient satisfaction for both inpatient and outpatient services.
• Agreement on negotiated reimbursement contract.