OPT for a new start

The Alliance for Paired Donation, Inc. and Owens Community College have partnered together to provide a new and life changing opportunity for kidney transplant recipients. This program entitled, "OPT (Options Post-Transplantation) for a New Start" provides an opportunity for patients to acquire a college degree, maintain the health of their kidney, increase their return-to-work rate and begin to enjoy life again after transplantation.

Noncompliance with immunosuppressive medications among renal transplant patients is estimated to be the third leading cause of graft loss and a contributing factor in up to 25% of deaths in transplant patients after the initial recovery period. Studies suggest a correlation between increasing education and compliance with post-transplant therapy and return to normal age and socially appropriate functioning. The improvement in quality of life and the cost-benefit ratio obtained with renal transplant versus dialysis is widely known. Based on preliminary data obtained from a 2005 pilot program, a collaboration between transplant centers in a tri-state area and a local college was initiated to provide a postsecondary education opportunity to disadvantaged renal transplant recipients.

In a 2005 pilot program eight patients were identified by the transplant administrator and offered a one year certificate post-secondary education opportunity. Six students agreed to participate. Following registration and orientation, students took courses including Life Skills, Comutper-training(word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel) Basic Accounting and money management and resume and job interview technologies. Mentoring and tutoring assistance was available as well as internships at local businesses and job placement assistance upon program completion. The current 2008 program involves a collaboration between a transplant-related non-profit agency, 4 transplant centers across 3 states and a community college offered associates' degrees. Patients aged 18 - 65 who received transplants at the participating centers and who did not have a 2 - 4 year college degree were identified by transplant staff at each institution and made aware of the opportunity. The community college uses a combination of successful support models taught by experienced faculty and based on the first year experience model [FYE] for Community Colleges. FYE Programming has demonstrated a strong correlation with student retention and achievement.