Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States and Arkansas. In recognition of American Heart Month and Heart Failure Week, we want you to meet the Baptist Health Failure & Transplant Institute team who is working to change that.
Check out these few quick facts about Baptist Health’s heart failure program:
- In 1989, Dr. John Ransom assisted in the first heart transplant surgery in Arkansas at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock.
- In 1999, the first LVAD was implanted at Baptist Health.
- In 2008 the first durable LVAD was implanted and, to date, 487 LVADs have been implanted!
- In 2017, Dr. Ransom conducted the state’s first Total Artificial Heart in a patient. To date, that is 307 heart transplants performed!
Did you know Baptist Health is the ONLY comprehensive heart failure program in Arkansas?
The Heart of Faith Fund helps to support the important work of the Baptist Health Failure & Transplant Institute as well as the patients who are in need of life-extending cardiac care. Many of these patients live at the edges of the state causing them to incur hotel costs and travel expenses. Although some may have insurance there are times where insurance will not cover necessary transplant medications. This is why the Heart of Faith fund is needed.
A gift at any level to the Heart of Faith Fund can help those who are not able to afford life-extending medical services, travel and hotel expenses, equipment vital to their treatment, prescriptions and other medical or non-medical needs as well as any related operational costs.
