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In 2025, the Lung Transplant Program reached a significant milestone, successfully completing 43 lung transplants — a 30% increase from 2024 and the most we’ve ever completed in a single year. This program’s steady increase in volume over the past six years didn’t happen by chance. It was a carefully planned, collaborative effort championed by an entire team dedicated to expanding access to advanced care, while staying true to what makes UVA Health rise above the rest: quality, safety, and a high-touch patient experience.

“We’re so pleased to be able to bring the gift of life to more lung transplant candidates,” says Philip Carrott, MD, Surgical Director of the Lung Transplant Program. 

(Photo above — l-r, first row: Shawn Floyd, DNP; Makayla Walker, Hannah Mannem, MD; Phillip Carrott, MD; Walker Julliard, MD; and Hannah Lee, MSN, CPNP. Second row: Kathleen Henahan, PT; Hallie Proco, RN; Heidi Flanagan, RN; Laura Knotts, RD; and Candace Marshal. Third row: April Ryan, TCA; Eric Nolley, MD; and Max Weder, MD.)

A Framework for Smart Growth

Growing a program as complex and multifaceted as the Lung Transplant Program is deliberate, demanding work. Our lung transplant team included expansion as a key part of their FY25 five-year strategic plan, and was fortunate to be selected for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Lung Transplant Growth Collaborative. This collaborative was established to help accredited lung transplant programs build a foundation for successful, sustained growth. 

“One of the fears in transplant growth is that if you grow too fast, your quality falls because you don't have the foundation under you. Through this program, we learned how to get organized and take on change in a very systematic fashion, setting small goals that would allow us to achieve our larger vision,” says Hannah Mannem, MD, Medical Director for the UVA Health Lung Transplant Program. “The collaborative also allowed us all to buy into the fact that we want to do this as a team. That commitment from everyone involved is really what’s helped us do this effectively.”

Priorities That Fueled Expansion

Identifying barriers to growth was an essential first step for facilitating change. From there, the lung transplant team was able to home in on these key initiatives to increase patient volumes safely:

• Increased Outreach | Many patients and even some providers aren’t fully aware of the eligibility requirements for lung transplant. Through outreach and education efforts, the lung transplant team is hoping to change that. “By doing more outreach clinics — educating pulmonologist in the community on the indications for transplant — we’re opening the door for people to know that transplant could be an option for them,” says Mannem.
• Streamlined Referral Process | The process to get patients in the door for a lung transplant is multifaceted and takes time. “We have come together as a team to revise our referral workflow process and coordinate the many people that are involved behind the scenes,” says Mannem. One measurable improvement has been the expedited pretransplant workup, which has been reduced from a three-month process to a three-day process when necessary. “We can see patients for their initial visit within a few days to two weeks of referral and base their workup timeline on the severity of their disease,” adds Mannem. “This flexibility ensures we are able to catch patients before it is too late and move at the pace of the lung disease.”
• Optimized Organ Procurement | UVA Health uses the latest technology and practices to help ensure we’re providing patients the best available lungs as quickly as possible. “We have recently started using higher preservation temperatures, which can allow the organ to be less injured by the procurement process,” says Carrott. “We are also working to try and expand the types of donors we can use, and making sure this is done safely.”
• Expanded Patient Selection | Lung transplant eligibility requirements have evolved as advances in care have led to better outcomes. “We've expanded our ability to take patients that are older and also those with more comorbidities, which we didn't always accept in the past,” says Mannem. “It's so rewarding to help patients who would otherwise not be a candidate for transplant at another center.”

Making Progress Possible

As the Lung Transplant Program has grown, so has the team behind it. Adding new roles and expertise has been a deliberate step to ensure every patient continues to experience seamless, coordinated care — without compromising safety, quality, or the personal attention that defines the program.

“With support from hospital leadership, we’ve been able to add to the team in a way that allows us to ensure quality care and the patient experience,” says Mannem. “We recruited a second surgeon, and we’re expanding our inpatient and outpatient APP and coordinator positions.”

These new hires join a team that has set the bar high for their dedication to patient care and commitment to making this program a success. “Every single person on the team put their heels in and did the work. I really think without that, we would not be where we are,” says Mannem. “As we grow in volume, we aim to continue to have that UVA touch, the cohesive and hands-on care that sets us apart from some of the other larger programs.”