The UPMC Kidney Transplant Program at UPMC Harrisburg Awarded ELITE Status from INTERLINK

April 3, 2026

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Kidney Transplant Program at UPMC Harrisburg recently achieved ELITE status from INTERLINK COE Networks & Programs as part of its Programs of Excellence transplant network. ELITE is the highest designation within the network and is awarded to only a small number of transplant programs nationwide after peer comparisons across key performance measures.

INTERLINK COE Networks & Programs (Interlink Health) is a managed care organization that develops Centers of Excellence (COE) networks for high-cost, low-frequency medical procedures. It specializes in identifying top-performing providers for transplants, cancer care, and complex surgeries to improve patient outcomes while lowering costs for payors.

“Achieving ELITE program status is truly a testament to our team’s exceptional skill and dedication to providing patients with the best possible care,” says Manish Gupta, M.D., chief and surgical director, Kidney Transplant Program at UPMC Harrisburg. “We are proud to provide central Pennsylvania with access to the highest level of kidney transplant care.”

Achieving ELITE program status requires demonstrating strong performance across a broad range of validated, risk-adjusted metrics. Programs designated as ELITE earn an INTERLINK Performance Model score that is statistically above the national average.

“Success at this level is never coincidental,” says Dr. Richard Freeman, Medical Director at INTERLINK COE Networks and Programs. In my expertise as a transplant surgeon, it reflects the dedication and coordination of a highly skilled team working together in one of the most demanding areas of medicine. Transplant patients are the true beneficiaries of these efforts, particularly when programs such as UPMC Harrisburg offer integrated care before, during, and after transplantation. Your program’s results serve as an inspiring model for others across the transplant community.”

Since 2024, UPMC has partnered with INTERLINK as an addition to its solid organ transplant network. This partnership includes the adult transplant programs at UPMC Presbyterian, pediatric transplant programs at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and kidney transplantation at UPMC Harrisburg. For more than two decades, INTERLINK has built Centers of Excellence (COE) networks for high-cost, low frequency medical procedures which are used by health plans across the United States.

Eighty-four people received the gift of kidney transplantation at UPMC Harrisburg in 2025. To register as an organ donor or just to learn more about organ donation visit UPMC.com/DonateLife.