Mayo Clinic/St. Luke's Hospital Open Heart Transplant Program

Monday, January 22, 2001

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 22, 2001 – Mayo Clinic and St. Luke's Hospital officially open a heart transplant program today after receiving final approval from the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS). Physicians can now begin listing patients in need of heart transplants.

Currently, several potential cardiac patients are being evaluated for listing consideration.

"We're pleased to add hearts to the list of transplantation services we now provide to this growing metropolitan area," says surgical director Dr. Lawrence McBride. "Our success with our other transplant programs, combined with the gathering of an experienced heart transplant team, provides a solid foundation for this new program."

Before coming to Mayo Clinic, McBride was director of the heart and lung transplantation program at St. Louis University School of Medicine where he participated in more than 250 heart transplants and the placement of more than 200 ventricular assist devices (VADs). VADs are mechanical circulatory support pumps, otherwise known as artificial hearts.

The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration granted approval for heart and lung transplantation programs at Mayo Clinic/St. Luke's Hospital in December 1999. The addition of this program is a continuing expansion of the successful Mayo transplant programs in Jacksonville which now include bone marrow, liver, pancreas and kidney transplants. Lung transplants will be added in late spring once the pulmonary team is in place.

To accommodate expanding transplantation services, a new Transplant Center will open in March on the first floor of the Joe Adams Building on the St. Luke's campus. The center will house pre- and post-transplantation services for all transplant programs. When finalized, it will include 24 exam rooms and 25 offices.

A total of 75 staff members ultimately will be hired, and a wing of the hospital will be remodeled to support the heart program.

In order to bring transplant programs including liver, heart and lung to the community, the support of local residents is vital. The Florida Georgia Blood Alliance reports that local blood usage has increased 17 percent in the past two years. Donations of organs and blood are extremely important in enabling doctors to provide these life-saving transplants.

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Media contact:

Erik Kaldor 904-953-2299 kaldor.erik@mayo.edu

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