- Accelerated by the recruitment of world-class physicians, efforts begin with liver and kidney transplants
- Dr. Aaron Ahearn joins Hoag's Digestive Health Institute team as surgical director of Hoag's emerging liver and kidney transplant program
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoag today announced a key milestone in its effort to establish a comprehensive organ transplant center with the recruitment of Aaron Ahearn, M.D., Ph.D., as surgical director of its emerging liver and kidney transplant program.
Reflecting Hoag's commitment to anticipate and meet the most complex care needs for Orange County residents, the program will begin with liver and kidney transplantation and is expected to launch as early as 2027, pending regulatory approval. The program is intended to expand over time as clinical readiness is achieved and approvals are secured.
"Hoag is one of the most trusted names in Orange County, and we work every day to earn that trust by anticipating the needs of the people we serve," said Robert T. Braithwaite, Hoag's President and CEO. "Developing a robust organ transplant center has been an important focus for our team and builds on our legacy of clinical excellence, underscoring our commitment to delivering the highest quality, personalized care to the communities we serve. This program ensures families can access world-class care close to home."
The announcement addresses a gap in access to liver transplant care for Orange County residents. Despite a population of more than 3.1 million, Orange County currently has no liver transplant program, requiring patients to seek surgical care outside the region in their most vulnerable moments. By comparison, San Diego County, with a similar population, has two liver transplant programs.
Moreover, Hoag is one of the few hospitals in the region offering coordinated pre- and post-transplant care for patients receiving transplant surgery elsewhere. This means that to receive a transplant, patients must leave their supportive Hoag medical team at precisely the moment when stability, trust and proximity to home matter most.
"This is about building a program that meets the needs of this community at the highest level," said Kenneth J. Chang, M.D., the James & Pamela Muzzy Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair in GI Cancer and Executive Director of Hoag's Digestive Health Institute. "We have the clinical foundation, multidisciplinary expertise and care model in place. The next step is bringing those capabilities together to deliver comprehensive transplant care here at Hoag."
Hoag's preparation for abdominal transplant accreditation follows more than five years of planning, program development and physician recruitment, and builds upon Hoag's Liver & Pancreas Program.
The program, which coordinates care for more than 40 liver transplant patients annually before and after transplant, is led by Tse-Ling Fong, M.D., and Brian T. Lee, M.D., co-directors of the Hoag Liver Program, and includes a multidisciplinary team across hepatology, transplant hepatology, surgical oncology, advanced endoscopy, interventional radiology, oncology, pathology, nutrition and psychosocial services.
The recruitment of Dr. Ahearn as surgical director marks a key step in establishing Hoag's transplant program and advancing its ability to deliver the full continuum of care for transplant patients. A nationally recognized liver transplant, kidney and hepatobiliary surgeon, he joins Hoag from USC Keck School of Medicine.
"Hoag has built something exceptional," Dr. Ahearn said. "To help establish a transplant program in a community of this size and need is an extraordinary professional honor. Our goal is to deliver care at the highest national standard while keeping patients close to the physicians and families who support them."
ABOUT HOAG
Hoag is a nonprofit, regional healthcare delivery system in Orange County, California. Delivering world-class, comprehensive, personalized care, Hoag consists of 1,800 top physicians, 18 urgent care facilities, 13 health & wellness centers, and two award-winning hospitals. Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of healthcare services that includes seven institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, digestive health, heart and vascular, neurosciences, spine, women's health, and orthopedics through Hoag's affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and five ambulatory surgical centers. Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County by U.S. News & World Report and the only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California, as well as a designated Magnet® with Distinction hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). For more information, visit hoag.org.
SOURCE Hoag
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