MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A new frontier in pediatric healthcare has been opened with the introduction of a heart transplant program for children at American Family Children’s Hospital, launched by the UW Health Transplant Center.

This move bolsters the center’s ability to provide a wide array of organ transplants while enhancing the availability of specialized care for kids in the region.

Dr. Dixon Kaufman, the medical director at the UW Health Transplant Center, stated in a Thursday, June 8 press release, "We are currently one of only six institutions across the United States, and the sole one in the Midwest, that are performing heart, kidney, liver, lung and pancreas transplants in both children and adults."

The emergence of the heart transplant program, which obtained certification from the United Network for Organ Sharing in March, enables the use of ventricular assist devices at American Family Children’s Hospital for children who require such support to either recover or bide time for a new heart.

Dr. Sonya Kirmani, Medical Director of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Program, UW Health Kids, noted that the development reduces the need for families to seek care far from home. "No longer will families be required to navigate the stress of changing jobs or healthcare providers, relocating, or coping with a new team. We'll be with them as they transition into adulthood and learn to manage their care."

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