TransplantCheck

Where are you right now? · Step 4 of 9

Choosing a center

“Finding a transplant center is overwhelming.”

Illustrative patient words
Drawn from above: a consult room at the transplant center. The patient from the unit sits in an armchair across from a member of the transplant team, who holds the referral papers the clinic sent. She has her phone open to her own questions, and her bag is beside her chair.

What should I know before I choose a kidney transplant center?

A transplant hospital must accept you. You must finish its evaluation and agree to its conditions, such as getting to the hospital within a set time when a kidney is offered.1

Insurance may not cover travel and lodging if the hospital is far from home.1

See kidney transplant centers in NY, NJ and CT and questions to help you choose.

Transplant centersKidney transplant centers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

How do I choose a kidney transplant center?

Ask each center about its tests and travel needs before you choose.1

What do a kidney transplant center’s SRTR numbers tell me, and what don’t they tell me?

SRTR reports past results for groups; those results do not tell you how long you will wait.2

Can I be evaluated or listed at more than one transplant center?

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) allows more than one listing. Each hospital decides whether to accept you.1

Can I be on the kidney transplant waiting list at more than one center? (Waiting list)

Can I go to a transplant center in another state?

You can ask another center to assess you; check travel, lodging and insurance with the center and your plan.1

Where do children get kidney transplants in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut?

The programs below describe kidney transplant care for children on their own websites.

Ask each program which ages it serves now.

How do I get referred to a kidney transplant center?

Your doctor may refer you to a transplant hospital for an evaluation.1

Read about referral and evaluation.

Who can refer me for a kidney transplant? (Transplant conversations)

Can I contact a transplant center myself?

At Westchester Medical Center, patients can refer themselves for a kidney transplant evaluation.14

Ask the center you choose how to start. Use its own referral form.

Questions to bring to your team

  • Which transplant centers can I choose from?
  • Which ages does your program serve?
  • How do I start an evaluation?
  • Which tests can I do near home?
  • Who can help me check my health plan?
  • How would I get here for an organ offer?
  • Where would I have follow-up visits?
Sources
  1. HRSA / OPTN. Multiple Listing. What is involved in multiple listing? Are there any restrictions? How am I listed for a transplant? Checked October 31, 2026.
  2. SRTR. FAQs. Why doesn’t median time to transplant provide an estimate? Checked October 30, 2026.
  3. Long Island Jewish Medical Center-Cohen Children's Medical Center. Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program. H1. Checked October 30, 2026.
  4. Montefiore Medical Center. Kidney Transplantation. Your Kidney Transplantation Team. Checked October 30, 2026.
  5. Mount Sinai Medical Center. Pediatric Kidney Transplantation. H1. Checked October 30, 2026.
  6. NYU Langone Health. Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program. H1. Checked October 30, 2026.
  7. Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center. Kidney Transplant. Video description. Checked October 30, 2026.
  8. University Hospital of State University of New York at Stony Brook. Kidney Transplantation Services at Stony Brook Medicine. Choosing Stony Brook. Checked October 30, 2026.
  9. Hackensack University Medical Center. Kidney Transplant. Comprehensive Kidney Transplant Services. Checked October 30, 2026.
  10. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. RWJUH Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center. Introduction. Checked October 30, 2026.
  11. Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center). Livingston Pancreas & Kidney Transplant | Hospital in Livingston. Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division. Checked October 30, 2026.
  12. Hartford Hospital. Kidney Transplantation. Pediatric Kidney Transplantation. Checked October 30, 2026.
  13. Yale New Haven Hospital. Kidney Transplants. Pediatric Kidney Transplants. Checked October 30, 2026.
  14. WMCHealth. Kidney Transplant. Refer a Patient or Self-Refer for Transplant Evaluation. Checked October 30, 2026.
Page facts

Written by the TransplantCheck team.

Facts checked against official sources between October 30 and October 31, 2026.

Changes

  • November 2, 2026: first version, with answers from The kidney care journey, Transplant centers and Referral and evaluation.