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(FOX 2) - It was 2007 and Elizabeth Rubinstein had just received a liver transplant at Henry Ford Hospital.
To make sure her new organ will stay protected, she started asking her doctor questions.
“How easy is it to catch a cold? How do I prevent infection?” Rubinstein said.
It was this quest for information on how to live as a transplant recipient that led her to a person quest to not only find answers for herself, but for all transplant recipients as well.
Rubinstein then created the Transplant Living Community at Henry Ford Hospital, which highlights a program she called ACES (Attitude, Compliance, Exercise and Support Team).
Rubinstein believes these are the keys to achieving success post-surgery.
Patients can learn more about these keys through training programs, a guide book, and a patient education station located at Henry Ford.
“They are able to walk away with tools to manage their healthcare,” Rubinstein said.
One of the patients in the community is Melissa Roberts. Her liver and kidney transplant were done at Henry Ford this summer and she said the support she received from ACES was phenomenal.
“I can’t thank them more than enough,” Roberts said. “I thank them every day.”
Doctors said the program and the interaction among recipients is a great asset to their medical team.
“They have actually gone through the transplant so they can think to do many things we can’t,” said Henry Ford doctor, Dilip Moonka. “They can answer questions for us too. Their benefit to us is enormous.”
Organizers say the ACES Program will not cost patients a dime. They rely on funding from grants and people like you who want to support their cause.
“We are a community that is passing on our knowledge through the ACES Program to fellow transplant recipients and their families,” said Rubinstein.
If you want to find out more information about ACES, click here.