Children’s Minnesota announced today that it received the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certification of its Heart Failure and Heart Transplant program. Children’s Minnesota launched its heart transplant program in 2018 after receiving Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) certification. OPTN certification allowed the organization to begin performing heart transplantation services, and the first heart transplant occurred later that year. Children’s Minnesota provides cardiac care to the majority of pediatric cardiovascular patients in the region.
“We knew we needed to add heart transplant capabilities in order to better serve and care for our patients,” said Dr. Erik Edens, medical director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplant program. “As the only program in the state dedicated exclusively to treating pediatric cardiovascular patients, we will now be able to offer the specialized expertise needed to care for patients throughout every stage of their journey.”
Learn more about Children’s Minnesota’s heart transplant program.
Since the first heart transplant at Children’s Minnesota in 2018; six heart transplants have been successfully performed. The program also provides advanced heart failure therapies including medical management and ventricular assist device (VAD) placement which provides a bridge to heart transplant for children waiting for a donor heart to become available.
“Our cardiovascular program is dedicated to advancing the field of cardiac care through research and innovation,” said Dr. Robroy MacIver, congenital heart surgeon and surgical director of Transplantation. “We are proud of the team’s work to launch this program and look forward to helping children across the region in need of cardiovascular care.”
Learn more about Children’s Minnesota’s cardiovascular program.
