Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Heart Transplant Center Reopens For Business Following Internal Review Of Deaths
The Associated Press: Texas Heart Transplant Program Resumed After Suspension
A Houston hospital announced Friday that it has reactivated its renowned heart transplant program after a two-week suspension of all medical procedures following the deaths this year of several patients. Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center's decision to temporarily halt its program came after a series of joint reports by the Houston Chronicle and ProPublica revealing the departure of several top physicians and an unusually high number of patient deaths in recent years. (6/15)
Houston Chronicle: After Two-Week Review, St. Luke’s In Houston Reopens Its Heart Transplant Program
In a written statement, the hospital said its review "did not identify systemic issues related to the quality of the program" but that it had nonetheless reorganized its transplant surgery team, refined the criteria for which patients it would accept for heart transplants, and made other improvements to strengthen the program. Among the changes: The hospital's top lung transplant surgeon, Dr. Gabriel Loor, will now perform or participate in every heart transplant going forward, working alongside the heart program's surgical director, Dr. Jeffrey Morgan.(Hixenbaugh and Ornstein, 6/15)
