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University Hospital at Downstate Appoints Dr. Caroline Rochon as New Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation

By Office of Communications & Marketing | Jul 22, 2021

MEDIA CONTACT: Dawn S.Walker | dawn.walker@downstate.edu | (917) 439-9666

Dr. Rochon will lead the only Kidney Transplantation Program in Brooklyn

Dr. Caroline Rochon, MDCM, FRCSC, NABrooklyn, NY (July 22, 2021) – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University announced Dr. Caroline Rochon, MDCM, FRCSC, as the new Chief of Transplantation Surgery at the University Hospital Brooklyn (UHB), the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn.

Dr. Rochon returns to SUNY Downstate after most recently serving as the Kidney Transplantation Surgical Director at Connecticut's Hartford Hospital. In her new role, Dr. Rochon will lead a re-invigorated Kidney Transplantation Department to improve access to kidney transplantation, increase awa​reness for living and deceased kidney donation, and enhance successful transplantation rates for patients with chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease.

"Dr. Rochon has returned to UHB at a crucial time for the leadership of the Kidney Transplantation Department," said UHB chief executive officer David H. Berger, M.D., MHCM "We are excited by her passion, vision, and commitment to improving the care for patients with kidney disease and look forward to more successes under her leadership."

"Dr. Rochon's familiarity with SUNY Downstate and our unique patient population is an added benefit to this critical role," said SUNY Downstate president Wayne J. Riley, M.D. "She has an understanding of the challenges kidney care patients, kidney donations, and the need for education about the importance of this life-saving act."

More than a decade ago at UHB, Dr. Rochon was a Kidney Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery. She continues to be a champion of clinical initiatives that include establishing program-specific guidelines and processes for safely utilizing, accepting, and transplanting organs from all possible available donors, laying the groundwork for the creation of a Transplant Center of Excellence for the elderly, establishing a Living Donor Champion Program to empower our patients to share their story and find a living donor while also facilitating Waitlist Growth and Breaking Barriers to Transplantation for our Referred Population.

"It is fulfilling to return to University Hospital Brooklyn in this role and to be trusted with such an important mission for our patients," said Dr. Rochon. "I look forward to expanding our expertise, management, training, and team-building skills to lead successfully and motivate our phenomenal team to drive lasting, national change, increasing kidney donation and transplantation rates while delivering the best quality of kidney healthcare for our patients."

Before starting her career, Dr. Rochon attended McGill University in Montreal, where she earned her undergraduate and medical degrees and completed her surgical residency. She then completed the Solid Organ Transplantation Fellowship at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, and has maintained practice for the last two decades in Canada, Connecticut, and New York.  

Dr. Rochon has twice received the National Kidney Registry Teamwork Award and the National Kidney Foundation, Hartford Hospital Kidney Transplant, Excellence in Care Award, and the Hartford Hospital Medical Executive Committee Education Award. She was also recognized with the Connecticut Women of Influence 2020 Award by the Boy Scouts of America. 

Dr. Rochon currently serves on several boards and committees, including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the American Association of Physician Leadership, the International Pediatric Transplant Association, and the American College of Surgeons 

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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough’s only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care, and is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City, and Brooklyn’s 2.6 million residents. University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is Downstate’s teaching hospital, backed by the expertise of an outstanding medical school and the research facilities of a world-class academic center. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.

A regional center for cardiac care, neonatal and high-risk infant services, pediatric dialysis, and transplantation, Downstate also houses a major learning center for children with physical ailments or neurological disorders. In addition to UHB, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.