Refer a Patient: Heart Transplant Program

Contact Us

1. Gather required documents

If you're a cardiologist or primary care doctor wishing to refer a patient, please complete our referral form and contact our program by phone at (415) 353-4145, option 1, or fax.

Download referral form

We'll ask you to provide your patient's medical history as well as physical examination and test results for review by the program's medical director. The information for review includes:

• Clinical summary, including all current medications and treatment plans
• Demographic and insurance information
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) and chest X-rays
• Lab test results

For women, we request a gynecological exam with Pap smear within the past year as part of an overall health assessment. For those age 40 or older, we ask for a mammogram within the past year.

For men age 40 or older, we ask for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test as part of the overall health assessment.

2. Meet for evaluation

After the patient's information is reviewed, an appointment may be scheduled for an evaluation with the heart transplant team. The team includes a cardiologist, dietitian, pharmacist, physical therapist, social worker, transplant nurse coordinator and transplant surgeon.

If your patient is a potential heart transplant candidate, we will schedule appointments for additional evaluations.

3. Receive the treatment plan

When the evaluation is completed, you and your patient will receive a written summary of the results and the process to select heart transplant candidates. Shared management guidelines are developed and a care plan will be discussed.

As part of our treatment options, the UCSF Mechanical Circulatory Support Program offers ventricular assist devices for every patient.

Other treatment options include experimental medicines and device trials not available at other medical centers.

Because we offer the simultaneous transplant of heart and kidney, more patients become eligible to receive heart transplants.

4. What happens next

Our team will work closely with you to assist in managing the treatment of a patient with risk factors for heart failure as well as one with mild, moderate or advanced disease.

Here are some other useful phone numbers:

Cell phone of cardiologist on service

(415) 514-8866

Advanced Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension Program

(415) 353-9088