Our Commitment

Emotional Support - The primary purpose of the Heart Exchange is to provide emotional support for transplant patients during the difficult wait for a donor organ and to support those who have received transplants at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas. members of the group are available to visit patients and families in the hospital, and we sponsor a supportive "Heart Exchange social" each month at St. Luke's.

Organ Donor Awareness - Our secondary objective is to educate the general public about organ transplantation and to encourage organ donation. We promote organ donor awareness through a wide range of media, including radio and TV advertising, educational literature and posters, T-shirts, health fairs and sporting events. We provide speakers to schools, churches, businesses, and civic organizations to further educate thee communities about organ transplantation.

Financial Support - We contribute financial support to St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and the Texas Heart Institute for the development and improvement of transplantation facilities and research. The Heart Exchange makes funds available to St. Luke's transplant nurses to further their professional growth through transplant-related seminars.

Gratitude  - We would like to acknowledge the extraordinary doctors and nurses of Texas Heart Institute and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Their knowledge, care and education are remarkable.

The Organization  The Heart Exchange Support Group Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, was chartered in 1986. It is affiliated with St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Membership requires no dues, only a desire to further the Heart Exchange's objectives of patient support, donor awareness, and support of professional education and research. Most of our active members are also members of the St. Luke's Episcopal Auxiliary.
Heart Exchange activities are funded by the proceeds of the Annual Heart Exchange Golf Classic, donations, and memorial gifts. Historically 98.5 percent of our funds are used directly on support programs, including temporary housing, prescription medications, and financial aid for needy patients and families identified by the Social Services department at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Elected boards of directors comprising a president, vice president/ secretary, vice-president/ treasurer, and 20+ general board members, governs the corporation and receive no compensation. Business meetings are held at 5 PM in the Cooley Auditorium at the Denton Cooley Texas Heart Institute Building, on the second Saturday of each month. Our meetings, as well as the socials that follow, are open to all.  ...We’ve been where you are. The Heart Exchange exists for the benefit of transplant patients. Its members are transplant recipients, assist device recipients, those in need of transplants or devices, their families and friends and the nurses who work with them.  Its members are also volunteers. We’ve been where you are.  We know what its like to be told, “You need a transplant.”  We know what its like to wait and we know what its like when the wait is over.  The life ahead of you can be wonderful. And we would like to share our perspective with you.   Just contact us: see our “contact us” page or If you are a patient at St. Luke’s just tell your nurse that you’d like us to visit and we will be there.

Become a Volunteer via the Auxiliary of the St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital

We welcome your suggestions. For additional comments, please contact our webmaster: Edgar Antístenes Vesga: evesga@aol.com  Mailing address: Heart Exchange Support Group, INC * 6720 Bertner Ave. 4-129 * Houston, TX77030-2604 * Support organ donation