WESTON, Fla. – May 20, 2019 – Cleveland Clinic Weston, part of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region, and Broward County’s largest provider of solid organ transplantation, recently conducted its 1000th organ transplant, maintaining its position as the fastest growing transplant center in Florida.
The 1000th transplant procedure was performed at the Weston hospital on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 and Louis Foranoce, 70, of Boynton Beach, Florida, is the recipient of a new kidney. Foranoce, a retired corrections officer from New York who moved to Boynton Beach 14 years ago, said he felt “great mentally and physically,” after the surgery.
“This significant milestone in Cleveland Clinic Weston’s history underscores the dedication of our team of nationally recognized transplant specialists who deliver world-class, complex care to the South Florida community and beyond,” said Rodolfo Blandon, M.D., President of Cleveland Clinic Weston. “Our experts in adult kidney, liver and heart transplantation have impacted countless lives in just six years, including doubling the number procedures completed less than two years ago when we celebrated the 500th transplant mark.” 
The 1,000th transplant includes kidney, liver and heart transplants. To date, Cleveland Clinic Weston has performed 636 kidney, 271 liver and 93 heart transplants.
Cleveland Clinic Weston’s transplant program now serves the Florida region which includes hospitals in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Healthcare teams throughout the region collaborate to evaluate patients and most recently, a Vero Beach patient at Cleveland Clinic Indian River hospital was evaluated, listed for a transplant and subsequently received a new heart.
Cleveland Clinic Florida received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing to perform adult liver and kidney transplants in 2013 and adult heart transplants in 2014.
The multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, nurses, transplant coordinators, dietitians, pharmacists and social workers in Florida works in close collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center in Cleveland, Ohio. A pioneer in organ transplantation, having performed Ohio’s first kidney transplant in 1963, Cleveland Clinic continues to advance the field, most recently in the areas of facial and uterine transplantation.
“Achieving this major accomplishment is a proud moment for our transplant team, added Cedric Sheffield, MD, Head of Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Transplant Center. “We thank all of the donor families who make it possible for us to perform these life-transforming surgeries.”
Nationwide more than 113,000 people are waiting for an organ, and on average 18 patients die each day while waiting for a transplant, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The average length of time for a patient on the kidney transplant waiting list to receive a deceased donor kidney is five years.
About Cleveland Clinic Weston
Cleveland Clinic Weston, part of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region, is a nonprofit, multi-specialty, academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. With locations in Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Parkland, West Palm Beach, Wellington, and Palm Beach Gardens, Cleveland Clinic Weston has more than 250 physicians with expertise in 55 specialties. The medical campus is fully integrated and includes diagnostic centers, outpatient surgery and a 24-hour emergency department located in the state-of-the-art hospital. Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region now includes Cleveland Clinic Indian River and Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and has hospitals and outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties. The Florida region is an integral part of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where providing outstanding patient care is based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Physicians at Cleveland Clinic are experts in the treatment of complex conditions that are difficult to diagnose. For more information about Cleveland Clinic Florida, visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
