Norton's 1000th Lung Transplant Celebration

Stevensons and Tokman

Photo: After recovering from COVID-19 with treatment that saved his life offered at Norton Thoracic Institute, Roger Stevenson had a new appreciation for the hospital he'd been supporting both as a donor and member of the St. Joseph's Foundation Board. Here, he and his wife, Jean (far right) and daughter, Leeanne (far left), thank his pulmonary specialist, Sofya Tokman, MD, for providing compassionate care. The Steveson family was one of many attending a special Norton Thoracic Institute celebration at the Heard Museum.

Click here to view a Facebook photo album featuring event guests

An evening honoring doctors and donors

December 2, 2021

St. Joseph's Foundation hosted a special event at the Heard Museum exclusively to acknowledge another major milestone accomplished by the Norton Thoracic Institute team--completion of its 1000th lung transplant procedure--while giving thanks to the benefactors in the community who've helped make this achievement possible through generous giving. Special recognition to the transplant team was offered by St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center President Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, along with St. Joseph's Foundation Board Chair Michael O'Connor and President Terri Hoffman.

Norton Thoracic Institute Executive Director Ross Bremner, MD, PhD, thanked generous donors for ongoing support of the lung transplant program, which he launched at St. Joseph's in 2007 with the help of surgeon Michael Smith, MD, pulmonologist Rajat Walia, MD, and transplant coordinator Brandi Krushelniski, RN, BSN, MBA. The program soared to No. 1 in the nation within its first decade of operation, and it continues to remain in the top-five highest performing facilities for the procedure every year. It is the only one of the top-five to maintain highest marks for one-year survival rates and shortest waitlist times.

Ongoing support is needed to sustain this lifesaving program at St. Joseph's Norton Thoracic Institute. Please make a generous donation today.

Donation Information

Amount:

Champion Sponsor

$10,000.00

Hope Sponsor

$5,000.00

Healing Sponsor

$2,500.00

Admission per couple

$1,000.00

Admission per person

$500.00

Other

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Norton Lung Transplant Program rises to No. 1 in nation

St. Joseph’s Hospital jumped to No. 1 in the nation for the amount of lung transplantations performed in 2016. A primary reason for the increase in rank to the No. 1 spot is the institute’s surge in patients who are coming from around the nation for transplants because of the expertise of physicians and staff at St. Joseph’s.

Dr. Rajat Walia

“The numbers are impressive, but we are most proud of our outcomes and the quality of care we give to each individual patient. The tireless efforts of our team continues to amaze me,” says Rajat Walia, MD, pulmonologist and medical director of lung transplantation.

Lung transplant patients at St. Joseph's have higher than average one-year survival rates—near 90 percent.

Prior to the launch of the program in 2007, many Arizonans had to travel out of state for the complex procedure. With its annual lung transplant volume surpassing 100 per year, the St. Joseph's program is outpacing Cleveland Clinic, University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, The Methodist Hospital and Temple University.

You can help St. Joseph's save more lives through lung transplants by making a gift today. Donate now.

Norton's 1000th Lung Transplant Celebration

Click here to view a Facebook photo album featuring event guests

An evening honoring doctors and donors

December 2, 2021

Donation Form

Norton Lung Transplant Program rises to No. 1 in nation