Piedmont to launch lung transplant program, expanding other advanced lung care programs

Atlanta, Ga. (September 15, 2026) – Piedmont, a nationally recognized destination for clinical care, is launching a lung transplant program designed to expand access to lifesaving treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease – creating only the second program in the state for Georgia’s 11-million-plus residents.

Currently, more than half of transplantable lungs donated in Georgia leave the state for transplantation, creating significant challenges for patients, families, and care teams. Piedmont’s new program aims to reduce those burdens. As part of the complete set of lung therapies for which Piedmont provides care, lung transplantation will be available in fall 2026.

“Piedmont serves patients from all 50 states, and Piedmont Heart Institute is one of the top-ranked heart programs in the country and a national leader in heart transplantation,” said Charles L. Brown III, M.D., CEO of Piedmont’s Physician Enterprise. “Piedmont Transplant Institute also is one of the highest-volume liver, kidney and pancreas programs in the United States. Together, the synergies these two programs create, along with the skill of our new lung transplant physicians, will combine to provide an elite level of patient care.”

Based at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the program is led by Surgical Director Christian Bermudez, M.D., Transplant Program Medical Director Juan Salgado, M.D., and Lung Transplant Critical Care Medical Director Enrique Diaz Guzman, M.D. Together, they bring more than 60 years of experience caring for patients with advanced cardiopulmonary disease.

Approximately 3,000 lung transplants are performed in the United States each year, and nearly 5,000 people are on the waiting list. Lung transplantation is often the last treatment option for patients with end-stage lung disease, including pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis, when other therapies are no longer effective.

Piedmont’s lung transplant team also has extensive experience in thoracic rescue and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which provides support for the heart and/or lungs outside of a patient’s body. The team hopes to make lung transplantation available to more patients, including patients with acute respiratory failure and those receiving ECMO support. In the ECMO program’s history at Piedmont, the team has placed more than 2,000 patients on ECMO, making it one of the busiest programs in the world.

“Our team’s expertise combined with Piedmont’s transplant capabilities and pulmonary care network make us uniquely positioned to provide personalized care for high-complexity patients,” said Dr. Bermudez. “We look forward to giving patients, including those who have been declined by other programs, another option for lung transplantation in Georgia.”

The lung transplant program complements Piedmont’s Advanced Lung Disease program, which provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for patients with complex lung conditions. The addition of lung transplantation expands Piedmont’s established transplant program, which already includes heart, liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation. In 2025, Piedmont surgeons performed more than 100 heart transplants, more than any other health system in Georgia.

“Launching a lung transplant program is a significant milestone for Piedmont and for the patients we serve across the state,” said Patrick M. Battey, M.D., chief executive officer of Piedmont Atlanta, home to the lung transplant program. “We are excited to support the talented transplant team in their mission to save lives.”