HOUSTON, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Texas Children's Hospital in Houston announced that it has recently earned a national certification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for heart, liver and lung transplants. Additionally, the hospital has been recertified by the agency for kidney transplants. For more information about Texas Children's transplant program visit texaschildrens.org/transplant.

"This new certification will allow the sickest children to come from anywhere in the U.S. to seek treatment at Texas Children's where we have among the best outcomes in the nation for children needing organ transplantation as a means to save their life without having to worry if their state-funded health care programs will cover the cost," said Dr. John Goss, medical director of transplant services at Texas Children's Hospital.

The success of transplant programs are built upon the strength and working relationship between the medical subspecialists and the surgical teams. The nephrology, pulmonary, gastroenterology and cardiology teams at Texas Children's have been nationally recognized by U.S.News & World Report as among the best in the nation, all ranking among the top four programs for these pediatric subspecialties.

CMS is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and is responsible for overseeing and administering several health care programs including Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). As part of the CMS certification process hospitals must meet stringent standards of care and the agency obtains outcome data from the United Network for Organ Sharing and conducts a site visit as well.

In the current economic climate, more American families are turning to federal and state safety net programs like Medicaid and CHIP to help provide much needed medical care to their children. Texas Children's is committed to providing the highest quality of care to all patients regardless of a family's ability to pay. When families face the devastating news that they have a critically ill child, even more, one who is in need of an organ transplant, state borders and costs should not prohibit a family from receiving the best available care.

Jennifer Hiser, director of transplant at the hospital adds, "An important facet for any transplant program, and a must for those who earn CMS certification, is having a multidisciplinary team including physicians, surgeons, nurses, dieticians, transplant pharmacists, financial counselors, social workers and child life specialists who provide full service care for the needs of our patients throughout the entire transplant process."

For families and insurance providers looking for pediatric transplant programs, CMS certification serves as an easily recognizable designation that denotes the level of care that can be expected. Texas Children's CMS certification is currently in effect.

About Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's has completed a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston.  For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Contact: Elizabeth Shackouls
832-824-2108
ehshacko@texaschildrens.org

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital