Emergency Preparedness

Attention Transplant Patients
Be Prepared For Emergencies

Helpful Hints

Gather and carry important medical information (Consider a medical emblem)
Plan Ahead. Discuss emergency plans with friends and family and designate a contact person
Know your medications and keep a 2 week extra supply on hand in their original containers
Prepare an emergency stock of supplies, food and medicines
Familiarize yourself with the available resources and contact information listed below
Review the provided NJ Hurricane Survival Guide for 2012 (pdf)

Transplant Program Responsibilities and Plan

Educate transplant candidates and patients about emergency preparedness ahead of time
Attempt to contact patients directly with a scheduled appointment if the Transplant Program is closed on a short term basis (i.e. snow emergency)
Instruct the patient to contact the Transplant Program directly at 973-322-5065 (Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center) or 973-926-7555 (Newark Beth Israel Medical Center) if possible, as information related to the emergency event will be recorded on the voicemail message if the phone system is operational.
Contact the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) if the Transplant Program is not able to operate for an extended period of time in order to make arrangements for patient care and services at available back-up transplant facilities. Patients can access this information by calling the UNOS toll free Patient Services line at 888-894-6361 or go to their website at www.unos.org for information and instructions

Important Resources

UNOS – www.unos.org or www.transplantliving.org
Patient Services line 888-894-6361

Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition – www.KCERCoalition.com
Emergency Hotline for patients 888-33-KIDNEY

National Kidney Foundation’s “Planning for Emergencies: A Guide for People with Chronic Kidney Disease” www.kidney.org/help

NJ Special Needs Registry – designed to help emergency responders locate people with special needs during an emergency www.registerready.nj.gov
Quality Insights Renal Network 3 located in Cranbury, NJ. Website is www.qirn3.org and phone is 609-490-0310