University of Mississippi Health Care has a proud history of solid organ transplantation beginning with the first-ever lung and heart transplants, which were performed by Dr. James Hardy in 1963-64 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He proved that transplanted lungs would breathe and a transplanted heart would beat in their new recipients.

In 2007, the kidney and heart transplant programs joined as University Transplant, the only transplant program in the state. Currently, adult heart and kidney organ transplants are performed at UMHC.

The state’s only stem cell and bone marrow transplant unit is housed at UMHC, and sight-saving cornea transplantation is available through the ophthalmology program.

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