New Clinic Brings Kidney Transplant Expertise to the Lakeshore
December 23, 2024
A new clinic is extending Trinity Health Grand Rapids’ five decades of kidney transplant expertise to the lakeshore, and it has already helped one Muskegon man quickly get through the evaluation process and onto the national waitlist.
The Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Clinic – Medical Pavilion opened in Muskegon in June 2024 with the goal of bringing to the lakeshore the same expertise and care that has made the Grand Rapids Kidney Transplant Center an industry leader in West Michigan for more than 50 years.
The clinic has already helped several patients, including Undra Brown. Several years ago, Undra's doctor diagnosed him with Stage 4 chronic kidney disease. Undra's kidney function has deteriorated slowly over the years, and he was referred to the Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center to be evaluated for a spot on the national kidney transplant waitlist. Since Undra lives in Muskegon, the new clinic was a convenient location for him to go through the evaluation process.
“They took me through a lot of information on how I would be getting evaluated to receive a kidney,” Undra said. “I met with my nurses, the transplant surgeon, and my social worker. I got a chance to talk to a lot of people who helped me understand what a kidney transplant is and how the process works.”
On average, the evaluation process can take up to about eight months before a patient is approved for the waitlist. But with the help of the team at the Muskegon clinic, and Brown’s own proactiveness, he was approved for the waitlist in just over three months, less than half the average time!
“They would tell me I need to get this done, and I would get it done,” Undra said. “They would say you need to get this vaccine or get this test, and I would just get it done. That’s the type of person I am. Why wait? Just get it done and that way you don’t have to worry about it.”
Undra says he’s feeling good, and with the help of medication, his kidney function is stable. He’s optimistic for the future, and grateful to his entire team at Trinity Health.
“My nurses, my doctors - I just really appreciate the work they are doing for me,” Undra said. “I appreciate all the information they have given me, and I think I have a good team around me.”
Undra is now on the waitlist for a kidney from a deceased donor. The national average wait time for a deceased donor kidney is three to five years. Kidneys from deceased donors typically last 10 to 15 years. Recipients can also receive a kidney from a living donor, which typically last 15 to 20 years. If you are interested in becoming a living kidney donor, you can learn more here.
The Trinity Health Kidney Transplant team sees patients at the Muskegon clinic once a month. The clinic is located at 1150 E. Sherman Boulevard in Muskegon.
Patients interested in a referral to the Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center can talk to their primary nephrologist or dialysis center.
Read about Trinity Health Grand Rapids Kidney Transplant Center and the experiences of other transplant patients:
- News Anchor Gives Kidney to Stranger, Hope to Grand Rapids Mom
- Never Taken for Granted | Trinity Health Michigan
- 50 Years and Counting! | Trinity Health Michigan
- Zoom Reunion Kidney Recipient Celebrates the Good Deed from Kenya | Trinity Health Michigan
- I've Got Two | Trinity Health Michigan
- Judson Lynch's Hairdresser Saves His Life | Trinity Health Michigan