(SACRAMENTO) <\/p>\n
The Sacramento VA Medical Center<\/a> and UC Davis Health<\/a> are transforming access to liver transplants<\/a> for veterans in Northern California \u2014 dramatically increasing the number of patients able to receive this life-saving care.<\/p>\n By launching its liver transplant program in July 2023, the UC Davis Transplant Center<\/a> greatly expanded access in a region long challenged by limited availability. Since then, a growing number of patients have received care, including 11 from the Sacramento VA who successfully underwent liver transplant at UC Davis Health. That\u2019s nearly triple the number of area veterans who had to travel outside of the Sacramento region for transplants in the previous four years combined. During that time frame before UC Davis starts its program, 2020 to 2023, just four patients from the Sacramento VA received transplants.<\/p>\n This rapid progress underscores the power of collaboration between VA providers and academic medical centers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe collaboration is successful because the lines of communication are open,\u201d said Vikrant Rachakonda<\/a>, chief of hepatology at the VA and associate professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology<\/a> at UC Davis Health. \u201cOur teams are in constant dialogue \u2014 from initial referral through post-transplant care \u2014 which allows us to move quickly, coordinate seamlessly, and ensure veterans aren\u2019t falling through the cracks. By working together, we\u2019re able to remove barriers that once delayed or prevented access to life-saving transplants, and that\u2019s making a real, measurable difference in patients\u2019 lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy working together, we\u2019re able to remove barriers that once delayed or prevented access to life-saving transplants, and that\u2019s making a real, measurable difference in patients\u2019 lives.\u201d\u2014Vikrant RachakondaMeeting a critical need for veterans with liver disease<\/p>\n The impact of this partnership is especially important given the scale of liver disease within the veteran population.\u00a0<\/p>\n Veterans experience disproportionately high rates of serious liver conditions, including advanced liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer. VA enrollees are estimated to be five times more likely than civilians to develop this disease, driven in part by higher rates of hepatitis C<\/a>, metabolic syndrome and obesity.<\/p>\n Despite the high burden of disease, access to liver transplantation within the VA system has historically been limited. The Veterans Health Administration<\/a> performs liver transplants at just six specialized VA Transplant Centers nationwide. Only one of these centers is located west of the Rocky Mountains, in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a> operates the largest integrated healthcare system in the nation and serves as the largest provider of care for patients with liver disease.<\/p>\n The Sacramento VA Medical Center, at the former Mather Air Force Base, is one of the largest in the country. But it, too, faces the constraints of the VA system nationwide, which makes the expanded access through UC Davis Health especially meaningful for local patients.<\/p>\n A relationship that thrives on clear communication<\/p>\n A key strength of the partnership lies in its integrated, team-based approach to care. VA clinicians are directly involved in the transplant process at UC Davis Health, ensuring continuity and coordination at every stage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe nice part of my role is that I\u2019m able to be an advocate for our VA patients in the UC Davis transplant program,\u201d Rachakonda explained. \u201cI participate in the selection committee and help communicate directly with patients and providers within the VA system. That allows us to identify and address any barriers to transplant candidacy early on.\u201d<\/p>\n This close collaboration extends across teams \u2014 from VA nurse managers and liver clinic staff to UC Davis transplant coordinators \u2014 helping streamline care and keep patients on track.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re able to convey the concerns of the selection committee back to our VA providers and patients so we can address any issues,\u201d Rachakonda added. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of open communication, and that makes a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Innovation expands access to transplants<\/p>\n In addition to improved coordination, UC Davis Health\u2019s advanced clinical approach is helping increase transplant availability and improve outcomes. Compared with national averages, UC Davis performs liver transplants at a markedly faster pace, leading to shorter wait times.<\/p>\n Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients<\/a> shows UC Davis Health is performing nearly four transplants per patient per year, compared with approximately 1.2 nationally.<\/p>\n \u201cThis higher transplant rate translates into substantially shorter wait times, allowing patients to receive life\u2011saving transplants sooner,\u201d said Lea K. Matsuoka<\/a>, section chief for liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery at the UC Davis Transplant Center. \u201cReducing time on the waiting list is critical, and faster access to transplantation directly supports better patient outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n