Indiana NewsLocal News

Lutheran Hospital is inactivating its heart transplant program

Photo Supplied - Lutheran Health Network

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – A statement issued Friday morning by Lutheran Hospital says they will be inactivating their heart transplant program.

The inactivation comes after their plans for a replacement transplant cardiologist fell through.  The current transplant cardiologist is moving out of state next month.  With no replacement, the program will be left without an advanced heart failure cardiologist to care and monitor patients.

Programs like the heart transplant program are required to have a dedicated cardiologist with specific training, experience and certification for heart transplant programs according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Lutheran Hospital has spoken with the four patients that are awaiting transplants and to their post-transplant patients and are transferring them to St. Vincent Hospital heart transplant program in Indianapolis or any other hospital that the patient may choose.

Lutheran Hospital insists that they are committed to helping them throughout the process to ensure a smooth transition.

Related posts

Garage Cruise to Show off Vehicle Restoration

WOWO News

Indianapolis Ranked 9th Poorest U.S. City

WOWO News

Man involved in police shooting dies

Ian Randall

1 comment

Debra Davis March 19, 2019 at 10:28 am

Shame on Lutheran for leaving over 200 patients without care. They focus on expanding, but do not take care of the patients they have. Some of these patients are elderly with multiple issues (including diabetes and cancer) that need local care…not have to drive two plus hours to Indy for things like their clinic checkup days or prescription changes. The reason is well known among their doctors. They do not pay a competitive wage and overload the staff so much work that they can barely take care of patients as it is. These transplant patients that need the aftercare are furious with Lutheran right now, as they should be. Now, 200+ new patients will clog up the system at St. Vincents or IU Health in Indianapolis and clog up the system which will impact all transplant patients in waiting and needing aftercare. Lutheran needs to take Lutheran out of it’s name, because there is nothing Christian about what they are doing. It comes down to money and greed.

Reply

Leave a Comment