March 25, 2026

News and Updates

Our kidney transplant program continues to demonstrate exceptional performance and national leadership in patient outcomes. The figure above shows that the Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital (WISE) Kidney Transplant Program had the lowest hazard ratio in the nation for graft failure in the first year after transplant (for grafts surviving the first 90 days). The estimated hazard ratio shows whether the program has higher than expected (greater than 1.0) or lower than expected (less than 1.0) failure rates (graft failures or patient deaths). Our kidney transplant program also had one of the lowest hazard ratios for death in the first year after transplant (within the top 10 programs in the country). 

Source: Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Accessed [Feb 9, 2026]. 

Congratulations to our kidney transplant team on these accomplishments!

Lobby Days Available

The Froedtert & MCW Transplant Center has developed a new community outreach program centered on enhancing transplant education and customer service for both our referring providers and the patients we collectively serve. 

In support of this effort, we have begun offering Lobby Days at our partner dialysis centers. These on-site visits allow us to share transplant education, answer questions, and strengthen communication with your teams and patients.

If we haven’t yet had the opportunity to connect with you directly about scheduling a Lobby Day at your dialysis center, we warmly invite you to reach out to Courtney Clyde, Community Outreach Program Manager. 

Upcoming Events

2026 Solid Organ Transplant Surgery Symposium

The Medical College of Wisconsin invites you to attend the 2026 Solid Organ Transplant Surgery Symposium on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Brookfield Conference Center in Brookfield, Wisconsin. This day-long Symposium will feature two concurrent educational tracks: Kidney/Pancreas Transplantation and Liver Transplantation.

We are especially honored to feature Jon J. Snyder, PhD, Director of Transplant Epidemiology at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, as our Keynote Speaker. Dr. Snyder will present Defining Success in Transplantation, offering critical insights into measuring outcomes and advancing the field.

We encourage you to share this invitation with your colleagues and trainees, and we look forward to your attendance at our CME-accredited educational event. 

Register Here

Lifeline Exhibit

As of March 14, Lifeline: The Ultimate Bond is currently on exhibition in the Center for Advanced Care Transplant/Nephrology Clinic lobby area. Through a compelling fusion of storytelling, multimedia artwork, and historical data, this innovative exhibit fosters authentic dialogue and builds trust, especially within Milwaukee’s African American community, where donor registration rates have historically been lower.

By seeing stories of survival and connection, visitors may be moved to take action and become part of the solution. Froedtert & MCW is looking forward to hosting this exhibit, as we know it is a transformative step toward community engagement, increased donor registration, and saving more lives. Please stop by through the end of April (Donate Life Month).

Together, we will recognize the profound impact of donors and their families while hearing powerful stories from patients and loved ones whose lives have been forever changed.

Please reach out to Courtney Clyde, Community Outreach Program Manager, with questions. 

Q&A with Sharyn Kreitzer, Executive Director - DOVE

As our kidney transplant program continues to grow, so does our living donor program. In 2025, living donors connected through DOVE Transplant accounted for approximately 10% of the living donor volume at the Froedtert & MCW Transplant Center. DOVE Transplant is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding, educating, and supporting individuals who wish to donate a kidney to a veteran in need. We are proud to partner with this unique program and to share more about its impact in the interview below with DOVE Transplant’s executive director, Sharyn Kreitzer. 

Q: What makes DOVE’s living donor program so unique?

A: DOVE is the donor champion for a community in need of finding living donors, versus an individual. Instead of competing, we collaborate. This makes the ask less daunting for many. When I was a social worker in transplant programs, I always felt uncomfortable telling a person—who was already overwhelmed with chronic illness—that it was their responsibility to find their living donor. That burden shouldn’t be on the person needing the transplant. It can be a burden that the community shares. When communities mobilize, great things can happen. 

Q: How important is it for hospitals like Froedtert Hospital to collaborate with DOVE?

A: The Transplant Center at Froedtert Hospital has been flexible and resourceful in its work with DOVE. While donors are often anonymous, they are frequently directed (paired with a specific veteran)—an approach many programs struggle to support. The Froedtert & MCW team enables donors from across the country to be evaluated efficiently and thoroughly, without requiring the recipient to receive care at Froedtert Hospital. The Froedtert & MCW Transplant Center is also donor-centric, in contrast to most transplant centers, which are primarily recipient-centric. 

This successful collaboration, often utilizing paired exchange, allows donors to give in meaningful ways at a center that provides excellent care, regardless of where the recipient is treated. The model of living donation should shift toward Froedtert & MCW Transplant Center's approach—centers of excellence that prioritize donors and support giving to an individual or through exchange. 

Q: What are your goals for the program in the next 3 years?

A: As DOVE continues to grow—now at Team 81—our vision for the future includes:

• Expanding fundraising efforts to fully staff the program and support a growing list of Veterans in need.
• Establishing additional donor centers of excellence across the country.
• Supporting more VA transplant centers in overcoming barriers to participation in national paired exchange programs (currently, only one of eight VA centers participates).
• Exploring expansion into living liver donation.
• Helping other communities replicate DOVE’s outreach and engagement model.

If you know others who would be interested in receiving this newsletter, they can Subscribe Here or scan the QR code below.

Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programs | Center for Advanced Care | 8900 W. Doyne Ave | Milwaukee, WI 53226 | (414) 805-6400   
You are receiving this e-mail because you are subscribed to Froedtert & MCW Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programs Updates.
 © 2026 Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. All rights reserved.