Project Summary:
The 2026 MCW Transplant Surgery Symposium aims to improve access, care coordination, and clinical decision-making across the transplant continuum in Wisconsin by equipping health care professionals with evidence-based, practice-ready strategies in kidney, pancreas, and liver transplantation. The symposium supports earlier referral, improved patient readiness, and more coordinated care for patients with advanced organ failure, particularly those managed in community and regional settings. This event addresses ongoing learning needs related to rapid advancements in transplant medicine, evolving eligibility criteria, and persistent gaps in referral timing, access, and interdisciplinary coordination. The symposium will engage a multidisciplinary, Wisconsin-based health care workforce involved in the care of patients with advanced kidney and liver disease. The primary audience includes transplant and community-based physicians, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, nephrologists, surgeons, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, dietitians, dialysis clinicians, and behavioral health professionals. MCW faculty and regional experts will serve as course directors and speakers. The planning committee anticipates a minimum of 100 participants representing academic medical centers, community hospitals, and outpatient settings across Wisconsin. Medical students, residents, fellows, and graduate trainees are also expected to attend, supporting workforce development in transplant-related care.