The Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program at Northside Hospital (NH) is one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of its kind in the Southeast and has among the best survival rates in the nation for bone marrow transplants. Northside Hospital’s BMT Program is committed to providing clinical excellence and compassionate care for patients undergoing blood marrow and stem cell transplantation.
In 2023, Northside Hospital had among the best allogeneic transplant survival outcomes in the United States for the 15th consecutive year (2009-23), per data released by Be The Match® and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research 1. Northside Hospital was also the only center in the country (out of 175) in 2023 to maintain outcomes in the “above expected” range for 15 consecutive reporting years.
For more information, or to refer a patient to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, please call 404-255-1930.
A bone marrow transplant is a procedure to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells.
Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside the bones. The bone marrow produces blood cells. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that give rise to all of a person’s different blood cells.
A bone marrow transplant replaces bone marrow that is either not working properly or has been destroyed (ablated) by chemotherapy or radiation. Doctors believe that for many cancers, the donor's white blood cells may attack any remaining cancer cells, similar to when white blood cells attack bacteria or viruses when fighting an infection.
A stem cell transplant is usually done after chemotherapy and radiation is complete. The stem cells are delivered into the bloodstream usually through a tube called a central venous catheter. The process is similar to getting a blood transfusion. The stem cells travel through the blood into the bone marrow. Most times, no surgery is needed.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute has among the best survival rates in the nation for bone marrow transplants.
NHCI performs the following types of blood and bone marrow transplants:
A bone marrow or an umbilical cord blood transplant may be recommended by a doctor if a person has:
For more information, or to refer a patient to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, please call 404-255-1930.
The BMT Program is a collaboration between the Blood & Marrow Transplant Group of Georgia (BMTGA) and Northside Hospital and is one of the largest clinical transplant programs in the United States, serving patients who are undergoing bone marrow/stem cell transplant therapy and providing primary leukemia treatment.
Our Program is nationally accredited by the following organizations:
The BMT Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute treats the following types of hematologic disorders:
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s partnership with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Group of Georgia (BMTGA) allows for a collaboration of an expert team of doctors to offer comprehensive medical services, the latest technology, leading-edge clinical research and compassionate support.
Northside’s BMT physicians have completed hematopoietic stem cell transplant fellowship training at prestigious universities such as Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; University of California at San Diego; National Institutes of Health; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and the University of Minnesota. In addition to providing leadership to the BMT Program at Northside Hospital, these physicians manage the clinical care of patients in the hospital and outpatient settings.
Northside Hospital’s BMT physicians are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information or to refer a patient to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, please call 404-255-1930.
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute offers state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient BMT facilities at the Northside Hospital campus in Atlanta. Our nursing and mid-level practitioners undergo extensive annual training to ensure the highest level of care is achieved for all BMT patients being treated at Northside.
Expand the content below to learn more about our program facilities.
Research is a major component of the BMT Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. The high quality of our BMT research program has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health, as demonstrated by our designation as a primary core clinical center for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN). Northside Hospital serves as the lead site of a consortium of core clinical BMT centers that includes the University of Miami and Levine Cancer Institute.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have also established a network of sites for clinical trial testing of innovative blood cancer therapies in community oncology settings across the country. This groundbreaking Blood Cancer Research Partnership (BCRP) brings clinical trials closer to where patients live and helps to address one of the primary bottlenecks in the development of new cancer therapies – the need for more patients to take part in trials. The BMT Program at Northside Hospital is one of ten sites that have been selected to participate in this prestigious partnership.
Our clinical research team includes research nurses, pharmacists experienced in the handling of investigational agents, and laboratory personnel. Physicians and the research team will discuss the best treatment options available to patients, including standard of care treatment and/or participation in a clinical trial.
For any patient facing a blood and marrow transplant recovery, having ongoing comprehensive and compassionate cancer support is crucial. Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s BMT Program provides a full range of support and survivorship programs and services to address the unique needs of each transplant, leukemia and immunotherapy patient.
Blood and marrow transplant treatment and recovery can be long and overwhelming, which is why the Northside’s BMT program offers patients and their families services especially designed to support them throughout their entire journey.
Our BMT Program patients have access to a health psychologist who monitors patients’ cognitive and emotional status prior to and during the transplant process. The health psychologist provides patients and their families with in-depth emotional support, and teaches coping skills and relaxation and stress management techniques. Additionally, a BMT social worker supports patients by working closely with the health psychologist, BMT coordinators, physicians and other multidisciplinary team members.
The Blood & Marrow Transplant Information Network (BMT InfoNet) is an organization dedicated to providing stem cell transplant patients, survivors and their loved ones with emotional support and access to evidence-based information about stem cell, bone marrow and cord blood transplants.
To assist with financial and insurance-related planning, BMT patients will meet with a financial coordinator at the beginning of the transplant process. We accept most major health insurance plans including Medicare and Georgia Medicaid. Health insurance coverage will depend on a patient’s individual policy. Researching the details of insurance policies beforehand will help patients plan effectively for the cost of a transplant. Financial coordinators are available throughout the entire transplant process to help patients understand policy deductibles, coinsurance, policy maximum(s), COBRA, prescription coverage and other potential out-of-pocket expenses.
Financial coordinators are available through the BMTGA office and Northside Hospital.
When patients are facing cancer, they benefit from support that can only come from someone who knows what they are going through – someone who has been through it themselves. Network of Hope connects transplant patients with specially trained survivor volunteers who have been through a similar experience and embraced life afterward. The program helps foster an open environment so patients and their families feel supported and not alone. For more information, please call 404-303-3676 or email networkofhope@northside.com.
It is important to be near the hospital during the transplant process. If a patient lives more than 50 miles from the hospital, their BMT team will work with them to identify appropriate lodging. Patients and caregivers have several lodging options:
A Northside Hospital transplant coordinator will assist in finding the best lodging option for each patient.
The Northside Hospital Foundation works in conjunction with community partners to meet transportation and lodging needs for patients undergoing blood marrow and stem cell transplantation. Make a donation to help support BMT patients.
For more information, or to refer a patient to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, please call 404-255-1930.
DISCLAIMER
1 2023 Transplant Center Specific Survival Report, December 2023. This survival information includes only patients who received their first allogeneic transplant between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021, using unrelated or related donors and who had reported follow-up. Specific transplant center information can be found at bethematch.org.
