“The Christ Hospital Heart Transplant Program will provide additional opportunities for local and regional heart failure patients who are in need of this life-saving procedure,” said Debbie Hayes, President and CEO of The Christ Hospital Health Network. “This expansion of our nationally renowned heart failure services is a key part of our strategy to improve the health of our community by providing everything it takes for patients and their families to receive exceptional care right here in Cincinnati.”

In preparation for the launch of the program, The Christ Hospital Health Network welcomed nationally recognized heart transplant specialists: Geetha Bhat, MD, Medical Director of The Christ Hospital Heart Transplant Program & Robert Dowling, MD, Surgical Director of The Christ Hospital Heart Transplant Program and Chris and Trey Heekin Family Endowed Chair for Cardiac Transplantation to the team of cardiovascular disease experts.

“We are thrilled to welcome both doctors to The Christ Hospital Health Network,” said Dean Kereiakes, MD, FACC, MSCAI President of The Heart & Vascular Institute and Medical Director of The Christ Hospital Research Institute. “Dr. Bhat has successfully established several nationally recognized heart transplant programs and is a well-respected transplant cardiologist. Dr. Dowling has more than 25 years of experience performing open-heart surgical procedures and has extensive expertise in heart transplantation.”

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Of that, an estimated 6.5 million Americans live with heart failure and an additional 1 million are diagnosed with heart failure every year. Annually, about 8,000 Americans need a new heart to survive, but with the limited supply of donor hearts, only an estimated 3,500 transplants are performed. At least half of all patients remaining on a transplant list die within several years of diagnosis.

“This announcement means that we are able to provide even more treatment options for our patients while continuing to expand our leading-edge heart failure therapies,” said Dr. Kereiakes. “The Christ Hospital Heart Transplant Center and the Harold C. Schott Foundation Mechanical Cardiac Support Program will provide additional resources to ensure The Christ Hospital Health Network remains a destination center for exceptional heart care, at every stage of heart disease.”

“There is no question, the pieces are in place here to build a successful heart transplant program,” said Dr. Bhat. “Heart transplantation is the obvious and logical next step to complete the picture and ensure that regional heart failure patients have the best care with a full spectrum of services.”

Travel can be difficult for heart failure patients but by expanding its program in Cincinnati, The Christ Hospital Health Network will continue to provide world-class heart care closer to home.

“Patients from this area often travel to other cities for a heart transplant and that’s an extremely difficult obstacle for them,” said Dr. Dowling “The Christ Hospital has the right combination of heart failure programs, a perfect research environment and specialized heart failure surgeons and cardiologists. What we are delivering here will help many people in the region and will continue to do so long after any of us are still practicing.”

In collaboration with the heart transplant program, the Harold C. Schott Foundation Mechanical Cardiac Support program is established for supporting research and development of artificial hearts and other mechanical cardiac support devices. This program enables the hospital to offer therapeutic options not available anywhere else and will place The Christ Hospital and The Lindner Research Center at the national forefront for heart replacement.

If you or someone you love has questions about heart failure or wants to schedule a consultation with The Christ Hospital Heart Transplant Center, call 513-585-2493 or click here to visit our heart transplant website.

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,300 talented physicians and more than 6,000 dedicated team members support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes and the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and awarded Healthgrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” for being in the top 1% in the nation for providing the highest clinical quality year over year. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience. The Christ Hospital is among a select number of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.