Northwell Heart Transplant Patients Wait Less
Adults with advanced heart failure at Northwell reached transplant in a median of 1.5 months, versus 2.1 months nationally.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Heart Disease
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Northwell Transplant Institute recorded the highest one-year heart transplant patient survival in the Tri-State area, according to a Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients report. New York heart transplant patients at Northwell also reached transplantation faster than the national median, which is relevant to people with advanced heart failure in the state.
Why it matters
Time spent waiting for a donor heart is a major factor in outcomes for people with advanced heart disease, so a shorter median wait at a New York center matters for those being evaluated for transplant. The report also points to lower waitlist mortality at the program than regional and national averages.
The findings come from a Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients report comparing Northwell's heart program with regional and national benchmarks. The report also covers lung, liver and kidney programs, with survival and speed-of-access figures reported against national comparisons.
The players
Northwell Transplant Institute
Northwell's transplant program, based at North Shore University Hospital, covers heart, lung, liver and kidney transplantation.
Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients
The national registry that tracks organ transplant outcomes and wait times across U.S. transplant centers.
The details
Heart transplant access depends heavily on how quickly a matched donor organ becomes available once a patient is listed. Northwell's shorter median time to transplantation suggests its donor-matching and listing process moved patients to surgery faster than the national norm. The report also tied the program's results to lower waitlist mortality, meaning fewer patients died while waiting.
Timeline
Sept. 17: Northwell's lung transplant program reached its 100th transplant.
Nov. 2, 2026: Daily Voice published the report on transplant survival results.
Health Landscape
Benchmarks from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients are the standard against which U.S. transplant centers are compared. Results like these show how regional programs measure up on wait time and survival, which shapes where patients seek evaluation.
If you or a family member has advanced heart failure, it is worth asking a cardiologist whether a transplant evaluation is appropriate and how wait times at nearby centers compare. Patients considering transplant can also discuss the timing and care setting of evaluation with their physician.
The takeaway
Shorter waits and lower waitlist mortality are the practical markers to ask about when comparing transplant centers. If you have advanced heart failure, raise transplant evaluation and program outcomes with your cardiologist.
Further reading
For more on the conditions these transplants treat, see Heart Disease coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by New City Daily Voice.
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