Despite a high rate of mortality, Nevada's three congressional representatives want to keep Nevada's only kidney transplant program open.

Democrat Shelley Berkley and Republicans Jon Porter and Dean Heller sent a letter calling for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services not to revoke certification for the University Medical Center transplant program.

The program is important to the region, where about 200 people are currently awaiting kidney transplants, they said.

In March and August, the center conducted surveys of the program. Findings said that the death rate for kidney transplant recipients was 50 percent higher than the federal standard.