Through the partnership between Riverside Health and UVA Health, liver transplant patients in Eastern Virginia will receive pre- and post-transplant care at Riverside Gastroenterology Specialists.
To improve access to lifesaving care in Eastern Virginia, Riverside Health and UVA Health are expanding their strategic alliance to include liver transplant services. This continued collaboration represents a shared commitment to keeping essential, advanced medical care close to home for the Hampton Roads community.
Riverside and UVA Health first joined forces in 2023 to expand access to advanced transplant care in Newport News through UVA Health’s outreach clinic located in Newport News. With the addition of liver transplant coordination, the collaboration now offers even greater support for patients with complex liver conditions – while continuing to deliver trusted hepatology care locally through Riverside Gastroenterology Specialists.
“For decades, our hepatology team at Riverside has been a trusted resource for specialized liver care in the community – from managing hepatitis and fatty‐liver disease to cirrhosis and complex diagnostics,” said Michael Ney, MD, fellowship-trained gastroenterologist and hepatology specialist with Riverside Gastroenterology Specialists. “Our new partnership with UVA Health strengthens that continuum: most patients will continue receiving comprehensive hepatology services right here at Riverside, while those who ultimately need a liver transplant will gain streamlined access to UVA’s nationally recognized transplant program. Together, we’re ensuring every patient gets the right level of care, when and where they need it.”
Through this collaboration, patients will continue receiving comprehensive hepatology care at Riverside Gastroenterology Specialists, while those in need of a liver transplant will benefit from coordinated care led by UVA Health’s transplant team—beginning with local evaluation and support services right here in our community. A dedicated UVA Health transplant navigator will help guide patients through each step of the process, ensuring continuity from initial consult through surgery and post-transplant care at UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville. This partnership brings together trusted local care and nationally recognized transplant expertise to support patients through every stage of their liver health journey.
“For patients and their families facing an advanced liver disease diagnosis, having well-coordinated, specialized care close to home is critical,” said Mitchell Rosner, MD, interim executive vice president of health affairs at the University of Virginia. “At UVA Health, we set a 10-year strategic plan goal to cultivate healthy communities and expand access to clinical programs across Virginia so no patient has to leave the state to get care. This growing affiliation with Riverside Health is enabling much more of this specialized care to meet patients where they are in eastern Virginia, with tightly coordinated programs tailored for them.”
Patients with advanced liver disease often face long travel distances, complex care plans, and the emotional toll of navigating a transplant journey. This expanded collaboration between Riverside and UVA Health is designed to ease that burden for individuals and families in Hampton Roads and Eastern Virginia. By offering expert pre- and post-transplant liver care locally we’re making it easier for patients to access the evaluations, treatments, and support they need, close to home. This model allows patients to stay connected to their loved ones and their communities while preparing for and recovering from liver transplant surgery.
"Building on the success we’ve achieved with Riverside Health will further strengthen the quality of specialized, local care in Hampton Roads," said Curtis Argo, MD, a UVA Health liver transplant specialist and program director. "Our continued collaboration is a reflection of our joint commitment to not only enhancing care but also supporting the mental, physical, and financial well-being of the community. At the heart of this expansion is ensuring community members have continued access to high-quality and lifesaving care close to home."
In addition to lung, kidney and liver transplant programs, Riverside and UVA Health provide highly specialized cardiothoracic surgery care for those in eastern Virginia living with heart, lung and other related conditions. The two health systems are working to expand clinical trials access and medical education programs at Riverside locations, with additional programs and services expected in the future.
“Riverside has a long-standing commitment to delivering exceptional care and our strategic alliance with UVA Health has taken that commitment even further,” said Michael Dacey, Chief Executive Officer of Riverside Health. “By expanding the access to advanced services like transplant and cardiothoracic surgery, we’re combining the strengths of academic medicine with the reach and trust of community based care – bringing even more lifesaving medical care closer to home.”
For liver transplant evaluation or services, visit the UVA Health Transplant Center or call 800.543.8814. For expert hepatology care – including evaluation and treatment for chronic liver conditions – visit Riverside Gastroenterology Specialists in Newport News or call 757.534.7701 to schedule an appointment.
About Riverside Health
Riverside Health is an integrated health network providing over 2 million services annually. Serving Eastern Virginia since 1915, Riverside is guided by a mission to “care for others as we would care for those we love.” The health system offers a variety of services and programs in the areas of prevention, primary care, diagnostics, neurosciences, oncology, orthopedics, aging-related services, rehabilitation, medical education, home care and hospice. Riverside operates four acute-care hospitals, a mental health and recovery hospital with a dedicated psychiatric emergency department, in addition to a physical rehabilitation hospital and a critical illness recovery hospital in partnership with Select Medical. Riverside Health is also under construction on the new Riverside Smithfield Hospital, scheduled to open early 2026. Riverside Medical Group has more than 750 physicians and advanced practice providers across a broad spectrum of specialties in over 110 locations throughout the region. Riverside Lifelong Health operates six nursing home facilities and three vibrant continuing care retirement communities alongside Riverside At Home and Hospice services. In addition to these health care services, Riverside operates the Riverside College of Health Sciences and seven medical residency programs. The company employs more than 9,500 team members throughout Eastern Virginia. For more information on Riverside, visit riversideonline.com.
About UVA Health
UVA Health is an academic health system that recently expanded to include four hospitals across Charlottesville, Culpeper and Northern Virginia, along with the UVA School of Medicine, UVA School of Nursing, UVA Physicians Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. With more than 1,000 inpatient beds, approximately 40,000 inpatient stays annually and more than 1 million outpatient encounters annually at UVA Health, more than 1,000 employed and independent physicians provide high-quality, comprehensive and specialized care to patients across the Commonwealth and beyond. Founded in 1819 as just the 10th medical school in America, the UVA School of Medicine – with 20 clinical departments, nine research departments and seven research centers – consistently attracts some of the nation’s most prominent researchers to develop breakthrough treatments to benefit patients around the world. Those research efforts are backed by more than $200 million in grant funding. UVA Health Children's is recognized as the No. 1 hospital in Virginia for children by U.S. News & World Report, with eight specialties rated among the top in America. For more information, resources, and to follow us on social media, please visit uvahealth.com.
