WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.   –   Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) is at the forefront of organ transplant services in the Department of Defense (DOD) and is the only DOD military treatment facility (MTF) to perform kidney transplants.

The WRNMMC Organ Transplant Service has consistently been ranked as one of the top kidney transplant programs in the nation. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), which supports the transplant community with analyses to better patient experiences and outcomes, WRNMMC’s Organ Transplant Service has a 97 percent one-year patient and graft survival rate and a 96 percent three-year survival rate, which rates WRNMMC as a 5-STAR program by SRTR.

Despite these numbers, the Organ Transplant Service team at WRNMMC feels that they can do more and wants to raise awareness of the care it provides. There’s no better time to do that than during April when National Donate Life Month (NDLM) is observed.

“Our program has so much to offer, and we have the capacity to double our yearly transplants if other military treatment facilities (MTFs) were aware of our program,” said Sharriff McGee, a registered nurse and program director for Organ Transplant Service at WRNMMC. She explained other MTFs can refer their patients who may need a kidney transplant to WRNMMC.

McGee added WRNMMC’s Transplant Service has “a robust living donor kidney program that participates in the National Kidney Registry (NKR) kidney exchange program which creates more transplant opportunities for our patients.”

Kidney transplantation is the sole organ transplant performed at WRNMMC, which averages approximately 50 procedures annually, McGee added. WRNMMC’s transplant program includes a multi-disciplinary approach and follows post-transplant patients progressively over their lifetime, and very closely for the first year. The multi-disciplinary team includes physicians, nurses, transplant coordinators, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers and dietitians, who work together to address not only medical issues, but also psychosocial and emotional needs of patients and their families faced with kidney transplantation.

This year’s national theme for NDLM is "Make a Splash for Donate Life Month!" Inspiration for the theme is derived from how a pond comes to life during the Spring with the birth of new animals and growth of new plants, representing healing, renewal and hope, according to organizers NDLM. The observance celebrates all donors, registered donors, donor families, recipients, caregivers, and those awaiting organ transplants. NDLM is observed to raise awareness for organ, eye, and tissue donation and encourage people to consider registering to become donors.

For more information about WRNMMC Organ Transplant Service, visit walterreed.tricare.mil/transplant or call 301-295-4331 to speak with a transplant coordinator.

Additional information regarding national donate life month is available on social media, at, #NationalDonateLifeMonth, #Organdonation, and #Organdonor.