Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness for Patients

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

  • 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
  • Federal Emergency Management Assoc (FEMA) 800-621 FEMA
  • 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

Patient Stories

  • Her donation was the start of a chain of kidney donations the led to three patients receiving life-saving kidney donations.

    Jane
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  • “It’s a wonderful thing. I have so much more energy now, and I have so much more time to myself."

    Timothy
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  • “I have so much more energy now, and I have so much more time to myself since I don’t have to plan my days around getting to a machine at a certain time.”

    Tim
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Patient Stories

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