Breaking Barriers: Advancing the Mission of The Equity in Heart Transplant Project

Jose Lopez; Zara Latif; Tracy Makuvire; Ersilia M DeFilippis

doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2024.102354

Breaking Barriers: Advancing the Mission of The Equity in Heart Transplant Project

JACC Case Rep. 2024 May 3;29(11):102354. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2024.102354. eCollection 2024 Jun 5.

Authors

Jose Lopez¹, Zara Latif², Tracy Makuvire³, Ersilia M DeFilippis⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, JFK Hospital, Atlantis, Florida, USA.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
⁴ Center for Advanced Cardiac Care, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.

Abstract

The Equity in Heart Transplant Project, Inc (TEHTP), a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2022, addresses financial and social barriers impeding access to heart transplantation for patients with end-stage heart failure in the United States. Rooted in the World Health Organization's declaration on health as a fundamental right, TEHTP champions equitable care. Financial impediments disproportionately affect minority populations, perpetuating disparities in heart transplant outcomes. Since its inception in 2022, TEHTP has successfully supported 31 patients. Looking ahead, TEHTP aims to influence health policies surrounding insurance coverage through advocacy efforts and expand assistance to posttransplant care. Past accomplishments and future goals exemplify the organization's commitment to eradicating systemic barriers and ensuring that poverty does not become a death sentence for transplant patients.

Keywords: TEHTP; disparities; equity; nonprofit.

Publication types

Editorial