Dr. Andy Howard, leading transplant physician and KTC co-chair, underscores living donation as the most effective path forward

New York, NY — February 10, 2026 — The Kidney Transplant Collaborative (KTC) highlighted remarks delivered by Dr. Andy Howard, MD, FACP, chair of the Kidney Transplant Collaborative, at the recent Donald Molony, MD Dialysis Leadership Medical Director Series sponsored by the National Forum of ESRD Networks, where national dialysis and transplant leaders convened to discuss the future of kidney care in the United States. Dr. Howard emphasized that expanding living kidney donation is the most immediate and effective solution to the country’s growing transplant waitlist crisis.

More than 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and thousands die each year before an organ becomes available. Transplantation is widely recognized as the gold standard treatment for kidney failure, improving survival, quality of life, and reducing long term Medicare costs, yet the supply of available organs continues to fall far short of need.

“Every day patients are waiting for a transplant that could save their life, and too many never get that chance,” said Dr. Andy Howard, MD, FACP, chair of the Kidney Transplant Collaborative. “Living kidney donors are the most immediate way to change that reality. We know transplantation works. Our responsibility now is to remove the barriers that make donation harder than it should be.”

KTC recently released a national report showing that living kidney donation has stagnated even as the waitlist continues to grow, underscoring structural, financial, and logistical obstacles that discourage potential donors. The report calls for targeted policy reforms to protect donors, modernize support systems, and align incentives toward transplantation rather than long term dialysis dependence.

As a national coalition of transplant leaders, clinicians, and policy experts, KTC has been driving a sustained dialogue around solutions that prioritize transplantation, strengthen accountability, and center patients in the kidney care system.

KTC continues to advocate for federal and state reforms that expand donor protections, reduce financial disincentives, and invest in infrastructure that supports living kidney donation as a core public health priority.

View the webinar recording HERE.

About the Kidney Transplant Collaborative

The Kidney Transplant Collaborative (KTC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing kidney transplants and removing financial and logistical barriers for kidney patients, donors, and their families. Unlike other initiatives, KTC is specifically focused on increasing the number of living donor transplants in the United States through policy advocacy, education, and community organizing. For more details, visit www.kidneytransplantcollaborative.com.