CINCINNATI (March 31, 2026) – The Christ Hospital Health Network’s Transplant Center Team was hot to a special Donate Life Flag Raising Ceremony on Friday, April 3 at 8:00 a.m. on the sixth floor of the Joint & Spine Center of the main campus in Mt. Auburn. April Marks National Donate Life Month and The Christ Hospital is raising awareness of the importance of becoming an organ donor.
The ceremony featured a number of speakers including a heart transplant recipient, kidney recipient and a living kidney donor. Other speakers included Debbie Hayes, President & CEO of The Christ Hospital Health Network, Barry Massa, CEO of Network for Hope and a special proclamation from Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati.
One of the speakers was George Cecere. George’s wife, Terri, was the first-ever heart transplant recipient at The Christ Hospital Health Network. He was so moved by the care his wife received that last year, he became a living kidney donor.
The Christ Hospital Health Network is home to one of the most successful kidney transplant and tissue transplant programs in the country. The Christ Hospital began doing transplants in 1972 and has completed more than 2,500 successful kidney transplants. Our network has a very successful living donor program and participates in the National Kidney Registry with other centers across the country.
The Christ Hospital Health Network’s heart transplant program, that began in October 2022, has performed more than 58 successful heart transplants. We are also able to offer our patients combined heart and kidney transplants for those patients that need dual organs.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, eight ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For 136 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up of more than 1,300 physicians and more than 7,200 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2026.