Nicklaus Children's Hospital
Locations
Transplant Summary
Overview
Nicklaus Children’s Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Program, part of the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, is South Florida’s first and most comprehensive pediatric BMT Program in the state and one of only two pediatric BMT facilities in South Florida. It performs more than 30 blood and marrow transplants per year and sees, on average, more than 200 pediatric patients each year in its outpatient clinic.
The BMT program treats children and adolescents with malignant and nonmalignant disorders and uses both Autologous and Allogeneic donors. This includes peripheral blood, bone marrow and cord blood (single or double), from HLA-matched family members, haplo-identical family members as well as unrelated donors.
Nicklaus Children’s has been performing allogeneic transplants since 1991 and has been an NMDP transplant center since May 2000. Our BMT program was originally accredited in 2003 by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapies (FACT) for all aspects of blood or marrow transplantation (cellular therapy) and continues to meet the rigorous FACT standards, having achieved its most recent reaccreditation in 2024.
The BMT program is recognized for its excellent survival rates, often surpassing expected outcomes for patients receiving allogeneic (donor tissue) transplants. This distinction is outlined in the Transplant Center-Specific Survival Report published by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).?
Nicklaus Children’s Shaham Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute is also accredited by the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) for transplants, a member of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC), as well as the International Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR). Nicklaus Children’s is actively involved in some of the latest research trials and, through these accreditations, has access to national and international protocols, offering much needed hope to children in the region ensuring no child needs to leave Florida for leading-edge cancer and blood disorders care.This center has been performing allogeneic transplants since 1991 and has been an NMDP transplant center since May 2000.
Attending physicians
Adult - Jorge Galvez Silva, Ossama Maher
Pediatric - Jorge Galvez Silva, Ossama Maher
Transplants performed
Marrow/PBSC, single cord, and double cordCord blood transplants
Pediatric onlyOther programs and services
We treat patients with malignant and non-malignant disorders and use both Autologous and Allogeneic donors. It includes peripheral blood, bone marrow and cord blood (single or double), from HLA-matched family members, haplo-identical family members and unrelated donors.
The Nicklaus Children's Hospital Blood and Marrow Transplant Program offers the following services to its patients and families:
- Expanded, private, BMT Unit includes 7 private HEPA filtered, positive pressure patient rooms.
- A family room for our Bone Marrow Transplant families with a dining area, refrigerator, microwave, and a full bathroom with a shower.
- Complimentary laundry services are offered through the hospital’s Michael Fux Family Center
- For families living more than one hour away, we provide on coordination of lodging near our hospital.
- South Florida’s only freestanding children's hospital dedicated exclusively to kids, Nicklaus Children’s provides a multidisciplinary care approach starting from the pre-transplant stage through discharge and post-transplant follow-up care.
- To enhance the overall patient experience, our program is supported by services that include Child Life Specialists, Music Therapists, Pet Therapists, and Art Therapists.
- The unit’s education coordinator offers individualized education plans for each child throughout their treatment.Patient survival information for this center
This center's actual 1-year survival results are above the expected rate for this center*.The survival information we have for this center includes ONLY:- Patients who had their FIRST ALLOGENEIC transplant (cells from a related or unrelated donor/cord blood) during 2020, 2021, 2022 and
- Who had their transplant at a U.S. transplant center, and
- Who had follow-up information provided by the transplant center for analysis
For this center, we have survival information for 45 patients.The actual 1-year survival of these patients is 97.8%.Compared to similar patients transplanted at all centers in the U.S., we expect that the 1-year survival for patients at this center to be in a range between 79.5% and 97.2%.For help with understanding these statistics, please see Understanding Transplant Outcomes.For overall survival for all patients transplanted with a specific disease, please see U.S. Patient Survival report (Opens in a new tab) at bloodcell.transplant.hrsa.gov.* The expected survival rate for a transplant center can be below, similar to, or above the range listed. This is based on comparing patient survival at all centers that treated patients with similar diseases.
The survival rate cannot tell how you will do with your transplant. Talk to your doctor to understand your prognosis or the likely course of your disease.
Total pediatric transplants
64
Transplants reported by the centers (from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023)
Marrow PBSC Cord blood Total AllogeneicRelated donorMarrow25PBSC0Cord blood3Total28Unrelated donorMarrow3PBSC2Cord blood4Total9Total allogeneicMarrow28PBSC2Cord blood7Total37AutologousMarrowBoth marrow & PBSC 27PBSC—Cord blood—Total27Total combinedMarrowBoth marrow & PBSC 57PBSC—Cord blood7Total64All Diseases
Number of transplants by age reported from January 1, 2022 to December 31st, 2023(includes marrow, PBSC and cord blood)
0-18 19-44 45-64 65+ Total Related 0-182619-44245-64065+0Total28Unrelated 0-18819-44145-64065+0Total9Autologous 0-182719-44045-64065+0Total27Total 0-186119-44345-64065+0Total64Treatments may be similar for diseases within a group. It might be helpful to look at centers that have done transplants for a specific disease and centers that have done transplants for any corresponding broad disease categories.
Centers are not required to report autologous transplants so the numbers might be incomplete.
More information about transplants can be found:
- U.S. Transplant Data by Center (Opens in a new tab) report at blood cell.transplant.hrsa.gov
- List of diseases
Transplant center resources
Transplant center coordinatorYelaine GarciaPhone: 786-624-3941If you have questions about costs and financial services at this center, please call the transplant center’s direct phone number.NMDP patient navigators
Patient navigators can answer your questions about choosing a transplant center and provide support and education to help you throughout your transplant journey.
- Inside the United States: 1 (888) 999-6743
- Outside the United States: 1 (763) 406-3410. (Long distance or international charges may apply.)
Email: patientinfo@nmdp.org
More resources
- Choosing a transplant center
- Preparing for transplant
- Learn about transplant outcomes and treatment decisions (Opens in a new tab)
- Support and resources (including non-English materials)
- U.S. Transplant Data by Center (Opens in a new tab) at blood cell.transplant.hrsa.gov
Survive & Thrive Clinic
3100 SW 62 AVE Miami, FL 33155 Phone:786-624-4639 Physician Referrals:786-624-4639 Email:E Jennifer.Ruano@nicklaushealth.org For more information about this program: https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/medical-services/cancer-center/programs/survivorship-program (Opens in a new tab)Overview
Survive & Thrive is designed to help pediatric cancer survivors optimize their health and quality of life. Our childhood cancer survivors are seen annually in a comprehensive clinic lead by a pediatric oncology healthcare provider (MD/NP). Our school coordinator, social worker, and registered dietician are also available on-site at each clinic. Medical specialists are available on an as-needed basis by referral.
Staff
Program Director:Jorge Galvez Silva, MDProgram Coordinator:Jennifer A. Ruano, BSN, RN, CPHON, BMT-CNMedical Specialties in Program
Allergy/immunology, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general surgery, gynecology, hematology, infectious disease, nephrology, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology/optometry, orthopedics, otolaryngology, palliative care, psychiatry/psychology, pulmonology, rheumatology, urology.Medical Services Offered
Chronic GVHD management, fertility counseling, reproductive health, financial counseling, genetic counseling, nutrition/dietetics, occupational therapy, pain management, physical therapy and rehabilitation, sexual health, social services, vaccinations.Telemedicine services are available.Patient Eligibility
Children- Allogeneic and Autologous transplant recipients
- 2 years after transplant.
- Patients who were transplanted as a child at this center with no upper age limit
- Does accept patients who were transplanted at another hospital
- Will admit pediatric patients who transferred into the program if they are under age 22