UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Some of the more than 590 people who have received heart transplants at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the hospital’s heart transplant program.

The heart transplant patient reunion in Hershey also provided an opportunity for patients to share stories and catch up with friends, many of whom they met while in the hospital. The event was filled with joy and gratitude as attendees reflected on their second chances at life.

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center launched its heart transplant program in 1984 to provide life-saving treatment to patients with end-stage heart failure. Just one year later, it became one of the first hospitals in the country to successfully implant an artificial heart, further solidifying its position as a pioneer in cardiac care.

“We are celebrating 40 extraordinary years of saving lives, 40 years of heartfelt innovation and life-changing milestones,” said Behzad Soleimani, director of Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute. "Everything we have done during the past 40 years — and all that we will do in the coming years — is centered on giving every patient like you hope and a second chance, an enhanced quality of life, and the opportunity to enjoy life’s simplest pleasures and major life events.”

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is the only hospital in Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia that performs heart transplant surgery. More than 94% of all patients who receive a heart transplant at the Medical Center survive for at least three years after their surgery. That is the best three-year, post-transplant survival rate in Pennsylvania, and almost 10% higher than the national average among transplant centers, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Currently, the medical center’s cardiologists, surgeons, nurses and other dedicated team members provide follow-up care to approximately 200 heart transplant recipients across six states, monitoring their ongoing well-being and progress.

Among those who addressed the crowd at the patient reunion was Alessandro Sgro, who was a congenital heart patient at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for 38 years before receiving his new heart less than two years ago.

“There have been many doctors, nurses and staff members that have helped me on my journey. Together, they have saved my life and have given me a better future,” Sgro said. “Today, I’m able to ride my bike with my daughter in the back seat. I can pull her on a sled or put her on my shoulders and walk the distance without feeling out of breath. These are memories I can make with her that I would not have been able to do before.”

The approximately 45 transplant recipients in attendance at the reunion, who traveled to Hershey from counties across Pennsylvania, have been living with their new hearts for anywhere from six months to 35 years.

“I am proud of the Heart and Vascular Institute’s consistent outstanding outcomes,” said Milton S. Hershey Medical Center President Don McKenna. “Year after year, data shows that world-class heart care is right here in Hershey. And all of you here tonight are proof of that.”

View a gallery of images from the heart transplant reunion and 40th anniversary celebration.