October 05, 2007
Improving Access to Kidney Transplants
The Center for Reducing Health Disparities was recently awarded $6 million to study access to kidney transplants as well as hypertension in Cleveland's minority community.
From today's Plain Dealer:
Dr. Ashwini Sehgal, a MetroHealth Medical Center physician and a co-medical director for the Cleveland Department of Public Health, will lead the project. A cornerstone of the research will be locating and training kidney transplant recipients to act as ambassadors for kidney failure patients.
"Right now, to get a transplant you have to be interested, medically suitable, go to a transplant center, get on a waiting list and then move up the list," said Sehgal.
"Barriers to poor people and minorities exist at several of those steps."