Tampa General’s Dialysis Access Program is dedicated to delivering comprehensive, high-quality care to patients with chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis access. Our multidisciplinary team of world-class physicians includes vascular surgeons, transplant surgeons and interventional radiologists from Tampa General Hospital and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Together, we provide streamlined services for the creation and maintenance of both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis access.
Key program highlights include:
- Only Tampa Bay area program with a collaborative approach
- Seamless patient journey with a single referral pathway to entry
- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
- 30-year history of consistent, high-quality complex dialysis access
- A dedicated nurse navigator
- Access to clinic trials
- State-of-the-art technology and treatments
- Robust experience with percutaneous fistula creations
- Direct access to the TGH Transplant Institute
What Sets Us Apart
The TGH and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine affiliation combines clinical care, teaching and cutting-edge research and technologies. Our comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach allows our team of experts to provide streamlined care coordination and ensure that patients have access to care exactly when they need it. Tampa General is one of very few hospitals to offer this level of physician collaboration and care coordination.
Because of our commitment to excellent care, U.S. News & World Report has recognized TGH as One of the Nation's Best for Heart & Vascular care in 2024-25. Our Transplant Institute consistently demonstrates its commitment to providing access to care to those in our community with advanced organ disease and now ranks as the #2 Kidney Transplant Center in the nation.
Multidisciplinary Team Approach
Using a multidisciplinary approach to care, eliminates the need for multiple separate referrals and ensures that patients have access to care exactly when they need it. Not only does this alleviate frustration for patients and their families, but it also streamlines critical communication between program specialists.
Dedicated Support
TGH has a long history of caring for chronic kidney disease patients, from diagnosis to dialysis to transplant. The Dialysis Access Program leverages that experience to establish a formal and more efficient process that further improves the patient experience.
Central to that process is the Registered Nurse (RN) Navigator who guides patients along their care journey. The RN Navigator screens and triages patients, gathers records and imaging, manages all necessary pretesting, and helps schedule patients into the correct clinic.
Single Referral Pathway
The TGH Dialysis Access Program is the only program in the Tampa Bay area to feature comprehensive dialysis access through just one referral. The benefits of this approach to care include:
- Decreased time between referral and dialysis access
- Decreased emergency department visits and inpatient admissions for dialysis access complications
- Direct pathway to transplant referral with fewer roadblocks
- Continuous communication between TGH and dialysis center, as well as among care providers
- Significantly improved patient satisfaction
- Seamless patient journey
Comprehensive Treatments
Our program specializes in:
- Creation of arteriovenous fistula and grafts
- Placement of peritoneal dialysis catheters
- Revision of existing dialysis access
- Emergent catheter access
- Emergent complications
- Medically complex patients
- Complex central venous reconstructions
Medical Leadership
Our nationally recognized multidisciplinary system of care ensures comprehensive patient evaluations and the best possible care.
This is achieved under the collaborative leadership and teamwork of:
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Aurelia Thibonnier Calero, MD, RPVI, FSVS Vascular Surgery, Tampa General Hospital Associate Professor, USF Morsani College of Medicine |
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Transplant Surgery, Tampa General Hospital General Surgery, Tampa General Hospital |
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Sabine Babmatee, RN, BSN Dialysis Access Program RN Navigator |
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Interventional Radiology, TGH Vascular Radiology |
