YEAH. BEFORE NOW, CHILDREN IN OKLAHOMA WHO NEEDED A NEW HEART WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE STATE. THE SURGEON LEADING THE CHARGE SAYS OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S NOW OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE HEART CARE TO THE SMALLEST OF PATIENTS IN OKLAHOMA. CHILDREN IN SEARCH OF A NEW HEART. NO LONGER HAVE TO SKIP TOWN. OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
HEART CENTER IS NOW A PEDIATRIC HEART TRANSPLANT PROGRAM, THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE IN THE STATE TO ADD THIS FINAL KIND OF PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AND PUT THAT INTO PLACE, UH, MAKES ME FEEL LIKE WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS. FOR THE PAST DECADE, DOCTOR
HAROLD BURKHART HAS BUILT UP OKLAHOMA’S CHILDREN’S HEART SURGERY PROGRAM, WITH THE GOAL SET ON PERFORMING TRANSPLANT. IT’S ALLOWING KIDS TO STAY WHERE THEY’RE COMFORTABLE, AND I THINK IT’S GREAT THAT WE CAN KEEP IT ALL UNDER ONE ROOF AT A HEART CENTER HERE, WHERE THEY’RE USED TO SEEING THEIR CARDIOLOGIST AND
THEIR HEART SURGEON AND THEIR WHOLE TEAM AND KNOW THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GET CONTINUING CARE. THE FIRST CHILD AT OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE ORGAN TRANSPLANT LIST WITH UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING. DOCTOR BURKHART SAYS THE PATIENT IS LISTED HIGH ENOUGH THAT THEY’RE HOPEFUL A HEART WILL
COME IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. AFTER THE FIRST TRANSPLANT, OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S SAYS THEY’LL BE ABLE TO OFFER THE PROGRAM TO MORE KIDS. IT WASN’T THAT WE COULD JUMP IN TEN YEARS AGO AND DO TRANSPLANT, BUT WE HAD TO GET ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE FROM NURSING TO OR PERSONNEL TO PHYSICIANS THAT
ULTIMATELY ONLY GIVES US THE ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEBODY WHO’S QUITE SICK, NEEDING A HEART TRANSPLANT. SO. NOW OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S EXPECTS TO PERFORM 8 TO 10 HEART TRANSPLANTS A YEAR, WITH MORE EXPECTED AS THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO
