WMC Heart Transplant Team Celebrates Life-Giving Milestone

As seen in the December 2020 Issue of Advancing Care.

The Westchester Medical Center heart transplant team recently reached an impressive milestone when they performed their 300th heart transplant. Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), offers the only heart transplantation program in the Hudson Valley.

Westchester Medical Center’s patient survival rates at both one year and three years after the transplant is completed are above the national average, according to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation data from 2019.

“Our care and capability rival any heart transplant program in the nation; in fact, we rank among the top 15 percent in the world, in terms of volume,” notes David Spielvogel, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director of Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support. 

Alan Gass, MD, the Medical Director of Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support, agrees. “The impact and outcomes of our transplant program are a collaborative achievement by so many in our organization,” says Dr. Gass. “We have enduring relationships with our patients and their families because of the bond that is formed as part of the transplant journey.”

Westchester Medical Center’s comprehensive heart transplantation program utilizes a team approach to patient care, combining the clinical expertise and compassionate care of surgeons, cardiologists, transplant coordinators, nurses, social workers, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, nutritionists and other staff members who attend to all aspects of a patient’s well-being. For community members who may need a consultation or second opinion regarding heart transplant, call 914.493.7632, 24/7, or email [email protected].