Long Island’s first adult pancreas transplant program will soon be up and running at the Northwell Transplant Institute at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) as the hospital recently completed a site visit with state department of health officials, the last step before the program opens to new patients.
The hospital’s transplant institute is one of 59 adult transplant centers in the country to offer heart, kidney, liver, lung and pancreas programs.
The United Network for Organ Sharing lists more than 120,000 Americans who are in need of an organ transplant, including more than 800 awaiting a pancreas and another roughly 2,500 seeking a combination kidney/pancreas transplant.
Northwell’s pancreas program will give access to patients across greater New York and southern Connecticut with multiple locations.
“Northwell now consistently performs more than 200 kidney transplants a year with excellent outcomes,” said Nabil Dagher, MD, senior vice president and director, Northwell Transplant Institute.
“The goal has always been to bring pancreas transplantation to Long Island and marry these similar disciplines,” he continued. “We’ve attracted some of the best nephrologists and surgeons in the world, true experts in kidney disease and diabetes. Adding pancreas transplantation to the Northwell Transplant Institute’s already robust programs will further strengthen the care we deliver to all patients.”
The pancreas transplant program will enable life-changing care to New Yorkers facing advanced diabetes.
According to the hospital, a pancreas transplant can eventually be required in patients with severe, hard-to-manage Type 1 diabetes (and sometimes Type 2). It’s often performed alongside a kidney transplant and can restore natural blood sugar control and significantly reduce or eliminate the need for insulin, leading to a better quality of life.
Vinay Nair, DO, medical director at Northwell’s Center for Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation said, “Kidney transplantation has risen in recent years, driven by greater awareness of its benefits and an increased availability of donated organs.”
“Unlike kidney transplantation, pancreas transplantation has remained stagnant, largely due to a lack of public knowledge and an insufficient number of centers offering the procedure,” he added.
He further noted that the new program can address these challenges through a combination of enhanced awareness and establishing local availability for pancreas transplantation.
The Northwell Transplant Institute offers world-class organ transplant care for adults with organ failure in need of a new heart, lung, liver, kidney, or pancreas, and children in need of a new heart or kidney. The institute has an extensive ambulatory network to provide access for patients close to home.
According to the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network, nearly 45,000 solid organ transplants have taken place across 250 transplant hospitals across the United States as of December 2025, including more than 400 at Northwell hospitals.
Top: courtesy of Northwell Health
