Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Hospital will suspend its heart transplant program next month due to a cardiologist shortage, reports WANE 15 News.
The program will close April 1 after the hospital's only transplant cardiologist moves out of state.
"Lutheran Hospital had recruited a replacement for her role but those plans fell through, leaving the program without an advanced heart failure cardiologist to care for and monitor patients," Geoff Thomas, the hospital's public relations supervisor, said in a statement to WANE 15 News.
Lutheran Hospital currently has four patients on its transplant waiting list. The hospital will transfer all transplant patients to St. Vincent Hospital's program in Indianapolis or another program of the patient's choice, Mr. Thomas said.
Fort Wayne, Ind.-Lutheran Health Network, Lutheran Hospital's parent company, is working to fill the transplant cardiologist position.