CINCINNATI (May 5, 2026) – The Christ Hospital Health Network performed the first-ever heart and kidney transplant procedure in the history of the network. The surgery comes during Donate Life Month and just over three years since The Christ Hospital Health Network’s heart transplant program began.
Not all transplant centers offer both kidney and heart transplants within the same network. Being able to perform this type of transplant procedure means patients do not have to travel far away for exceptional care when it comes to organ donation.
“We are excited to have performed the first-ever heart and kidney transplant procedure in the history of The Christ Hospital Health Network,” said Geetha Bhat, MD, Medical Director of The Christ Hospital Heart Transplant Program. “Everything lined up for our talented team could perform both surgeries to give the gift of life back to our patient. When we first began the heart transplant program in October 2022, this was one of our goals to be able to perform both transplants at once. Now, patients like these know they can have both surgeries in Cincinnati without having to travel to other transplant centers. We are so proud of our team members that performed the first-ever surgery in our network’s history.”
The Christ Hospital Health Network is home to one of the most successful kidney transplant and tissue transplant programs in the country. The Christ Hospital began doing kidney transplants in 1972 and has completed more than 2,500 successful transplants. The network has a very successful living donor program and participates in the National Kidney Registry with other centers across the country.
The Christ Hospital Health Network’s heart transplant program, that began in October 2022, has performed more than 58 successful heart transplants.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, eight ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For 137 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up of more than 1,300 physicians and 7,800 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2026.