Lauderdale Lakes resident Yanice Davis received the 200th heart transplant at Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital when the 41-year-old received a new heart in mid-December 2021. Davis, who was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2017, experienced an 85% reduction in heart function and is grateful to have received the transplant to restore the functionality.

“Our team’s dedication to putting patients first has allowed us to transform the lives of so many families,” Cedric Sheffield says, MD, Surgical Director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Cleveland Clinic Weston. “Our program continues to grow, and we look forward to many more successes on behalf of our patients in the years to come.”

Cleveland Clinic Weston’s heart transplant program was developed in close collaboration with Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, ranked No. 1 in heart care by U.S. News & World Report for 27 consecutive years. Cleveland Clinic Weston also received the No. 1 ranked hospital in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area by U.S. News & World Report.

“In eight years, we’ve been able to give 200 patients a new heart and a higher quality of life,” Rodolfo J. Blandon says, MD, MBA, president of Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. “This milestone not only showcases the significant growth of our transplant program, but also our expertise and ability to provide world-class care. I want to recognize and commend our dedicated team of caregivers who made this possible.”

According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, more than 106,000 people are waiting for an organ nationwide, and on average, 17 people die each day while waiting for a transplant.