The new and first-ever surgical director of kidney transplants at UPMC Hamot, Dr. Stalin Dharmayan, explains that not only will this benefit patients, but also the doctors and staff involved.

"For the surgical team, it is always helpful to be around, operating on the patient and you can be around to see the patient the next day.

Previously, doctors would come down from Pittsburgh to do the surgery and I think there will be more patients willing to come to Hamot to get their transplants," Dr. Dharamgyan said.

He plans to double the volume of kidney transplants in Erie, growing the transplant lists in the next two years with a goal of helping more than 20 patients a year.

"Transplants save lives, so anybody that is sick because their kidney is not functioning or the liver is not functioning, they can get a new life once they get a transplant," he said.