Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center performs 600th heart transplant
Program leads Pennsylvania in post-transplant survival rates
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has reached a major milestone in its decades-long legacy of cardiac excellence, completing its 600th heart transplant on May 19. It remains the only hospital in the state outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia offering heart transplant surgery.
The milestone transplant was performed on Paul Clifford of State College, Pa., who is recovering well after receiving his new heart just one day after his 51st birthday.
In 2015, Clifford was diagnosed with electrical issues in his heart that required a pacemaker. Two years later, concerned about a family history of heart disease, he underwent genetic testing and learned he carried a genetic marker linked to a progressive condition that would gradually weaken his heart’s ability to pump blood. This ability is measured by something called ejection fraction, which is the percentage of blood the heart pumps out with each beat. A normal ejection fraction is typically between 50 and 70 percent. By the time of his transplant, Clifford’s ejection fraction had dropped to less than 20 percent.
Clifford was discharged from Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on June 3 with a surprise sendoff, as staff and members of his care team lined the halls to celebrate his journey and wish him well in his recovery.
“This isn’t something people go through multiple times, so I didn’t know where the best place was to get care,” said Clifford. “But looking back, I don’t think I could have received better care anywhere in the world than I did right here at Penn State Health.”
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has been a leader in heart transplantation since completing its first heart transplant in 1984. Over the years, its team of clinicians has developed a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program that includes pre-transplant evaluations, surgery and lifelong follow-up care. Patients also receive support to address their emotional, nutritional and financial needs, ensuring they receive the best possible treatment throughout their journey.
“Our 600th transplant reflects the strength of our entire team and the total trust our patients place in us,” said Dr. Behzad Soleimani, director of Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, chair of the Department of Surgery, and John Anton and Marian Trescher Waldhausen Chair in Surgery at Penn State College of Medicine, “Each transplant is a life renewed, and we are proud to continue this work with compassion, innovation and excellence.”
The program consistently ranks among the nation’s best for transplant survival. According to data released in January by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s heart transplant program achieved a 97.22% three-year patient survival rate—the highest in Pennsylvania and well above the national average of 84.71%.
Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute extends its commitment to advancing cardiac care through research and innovation. Physicians and scientists at the Heart and Vascular Institute are actively involved in clinical trials to improve transplant outcomes, including new ways to monitor transplant patients using simple blood tests and testing safer medications to prevent organ rejection after transplant.
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