Long Island patients with advanced diabetes will soon gain access to life-saving pancreas transplants as Northwell Health launches the region’s first adult pancreas transplant program.
The initiative, based at the Northwell Transplant Institute at North Shore University Hospital, received final approval from the State Department of Health following a recent on-site review. The decision clears the way for Northwell to begin accepting pancreas transplant patients from across Long Island, the greater New York region, and southern Connecticut.
While more than 120 pancreas transplant programs operate nationwide, North Shore University Hospital is among only 59 adult centers in the country that offer heart, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas transplants within a single coordinated program. Hospital officials say that integrated structure improves outcomes by allowing multidisciplinary teams to manage complex cases under one roof.
“Adding pancreas transplantation has long been a goal,” said Nabil Dagher, MD, senior vice president and director of the Northwell Transplant Institute. “It allows us to better serve patients with kidney disease and diabetes using a highly coordinated, expert approach.”
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 120,000 Americans are currently awaiting an organ transplant, including over 800 in need of a pancreas and roughly 2,500 seeking combined kidney-pancreas transplants. Demand continues to outpace supply despite tens of thousands of procedures performed nationwide each year.
The new program will be led by Niraj Desai, MD, director of Northwell’s Center for Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, who joined the system in 2024 after leading similar programs at Johns Hopkins. He said the goal is to expand access and reach patients who previously had to travel far from home for care.
A pancreas transplant can restore natural blood-sugar control for patients with severe Type 1 diabetes and select Type 2 cases, often eliminating the need for insulin and significantly improving quality of life.
Hospital leaders say the program represents a major step forward for transplant care on Long Island.