Intermountain Health has opened a new clinic designed to help Spanish-speaking kidney transplant patients.

The first of its kind in the Intermountain West, Clinicia Hispana de Riñon, located at Intermountain Medical in Murray, will offer comprehensive care where patients will be treated by providers speaking their native language and who understand their cultural needs and educational styles.

“Programs like this are quite rare in the United States,” Dr. Ivan Zendejas, Intermountain Health transplant surgeon, said in a statement. “We are happy to offer this much needed service to our patients.”

Pre-transplant patients will be provided information and an evaluation by Spanish-speaking providers, including those specializing in surgery, social work, nephrology, finance, nutrition and social work. According to Intermountain, patients who receive medical information in their native tongue are more likely to understand and participate fully in the decisions regarding their care.

“Our vision for the clinic is to help bridge the gap between the medical community and the Latino community and help our patients feel more comfortable when trying to maneuver the complicated transplant world,” said Dr. Alan Contreras, transplant surgeon for Intermountain Health’s abdominal transplant program.

Already up and running, Clinica Hispana de Riñon has received positive feedback.

“Receiving information about my surgery in my native language gave me so much confidence,” said Luis Campos, who received a liver and kidney transplant. “All my questions were answered, I was reassured and my mind was put at ease.”

More than 100,000 people across the nation are on the waiting list to receive a new kidney. Intermountain Medical performs around 200 kidney transplants per year.

The clinic also offers post-transplant help during their follow-up appointments.

For more information, call 801-507-3380.

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