Northside Hospital’s Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program has exceeded expected one-year survival outcomes for the 17th consecutive year (2009-2025), according to the latest Transplant Center Survival Report from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).
CIBMTR’s annual, risk-adjusted analysis evaluates outcomes at U.S. transplant centers performing allogeneic transplants and identifies programs performing as expected, above expected or below expected compared with similar patients nationwide.
Northside is one of a small number of U.S. transplant centers to perform better than expected during the most recent evaluation period and has sustained that performance for 17 consecutive years.
The program is the largest allogeneic BMT center in Georgia and among the largest in the Southeast.
“As the only program to reach this milestone, it reflects the excellence of care, high-quality standards, and the dedication of the entire team,” said Dr. Melhem Solh, a physician at The Blood & Marrow Transplant Group of Georgia and the medical director of Northside’s Cellular Therapy Program. “Patients are offered access to a top-level, patient-centered program that includes innovative research and clinical trials designed to support them throughout their journey.”
“Northside Hospital has built outstanding support teams, including critical care, cardiology, surgical specialties and infectious diseases, all working collaboratively to help patients achieve some of the best survival outcomes following transplantation,” Dr. Solh added.
Why this matters: Every three to four minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukemia, according to NMDP (formerly Be The Match). For many patients, a blood or marrow transplant is their best chance for long-term survival.
April Byrd of Douglasville was one such patient. In March 2014, after nearly three months of worsening symptoms and extensive testing, she was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“To my doctor, Dr. Scott Solomon, thank you for your strength, knowledge and persistence throughout my healing journey,” Byrd said. “Because of you and the BMT staff, I was able to face each day of this new normal with faith and grace. You brought me into a world I knew nothing about and helped me feel comfortable and safe. You never gave up, so neither did I. You are my hero.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BMT PROGRAM AT NORTHSIDE.
