Williams helped lead the team that developed a method to preserve donor hearts for up to 12 hours — triple the typical four-hour window.

The technique, termed REUP (rapid recovery with extended ultraoxygenated preservation), avoids traditional methods that reanimate the heart within or outside the donor’s body.

Vanderbilt Health's fourth lung transplant patient is thought to be the world's record holder for longevity following a single lung transplant.

Methods such as the cold storage system make it possible to preserve organs for longer after donation, expanding the pool of available organs.

Through dramatic growth, the VTC is now the largest transplant center in the country by volume, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing.

As in prior years, the success of Vanderbilt Health’s transplant program is a testament to the greatness of individuals and innovations alike and to the tremendous power of teamwork.

More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ transplant, and about 13 people die each day waiting.