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MILWAUKEE (3/24/2011) - The United Network for Organ Sharing announced Children's Hospital of Wisconsin ranked No. 6 in the nation for pediatric heart transplant volume in 2010. UNOS is a nonprofit organization contracted with the United States government to manage the nation's organ transplant system.
"Not only are we transplanting more patients than ever before, but data shows survival rates of our patients are among the highest in the nation," said Steve Zangwill, MD, program director of Pediatric Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation and a pediatric cardiologist at Children's Hospital's Herma Heart Center. "Centers that have high survival rates for the most complex cases, including transplants, generally have high survival rates for all types of heart procedures."
Children's Hospital transplanted 15 pediatric heart patients in 2010, breaking previous hospital records. Since the heart program's inception in 1991, 103 heart transplants have been performed. More than half of the center's total transplant volume has occurred in the past five years. The youngest transplant recipient was just 7 days old.
Children's Hospital's Herma Heart Center is one of the nation's top 10 pediatric heart programs according to U.S.News & World Report. It is one of the first centers in the nation with successful application of a virtual cross-match system that can lead to better outcomes and shorter wait list times. The center continues to participate as one of 10 centers selected in the FDA-approved trial for the Berlin Heart in children. This ventricular assist device simulates a basic function of the heart while a patient waits for a transplant.
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, founded in 1894, is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. It is rated No. 3 in the nation by Parents magazine and named one of America's Best Children's Hospitals by U.S.News & World Report. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons. The hospital has been redesignated a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a national honor that recognizes nursing excellence. Private, independent and not-for-profit, the hospital serves children and families from Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Illinois and beyond. Children's Hospital is the flagship member of Children's Hospital and Health System. In 2009, the health system invested more than $76 million into the community to improve the health status of children. For more information, visit the website at chw.org.
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