HERSHEY — Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has been ranked among the top eight blood and marrow transplant programs in the nation for patient outcomes, according to a new report.

The ranking, based on the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research Final 2025 Transplant Center-Specific Survival Report, evaluated 176 programs nationwide. The Hershey-based program was the only one in Pennsylvania to receive the distinction.

According to the report, the medical center’s Blood and Marrow Transplant Program achieved a one-year survival rate of 78%, exceeding its predicted rate of 70.7%.

Officials said the program has provided transplant and cellular therapy services for nearly three decades, treating both adult and pediatric patients. It has maintained accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy since 2000.

In 2018, the program introduced chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR-T, cell therapy, which uses a patient’s immune cells to target cancer. Earlier this year, it launched an outpatient CAR-T program and treated its first patient.

“Consistently delivering outcomes that exceed national expectations requires an extraordinary team,” said Shin Mineishi, director of bone marrow transplantation at the Penn State Cancer Institute. “Our physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers, coordinators and support staff work together every day to ensure our patients receive the safest, most effective care possible.”

Mineishi said the program’s performance is driven by integrating new research into clinical care, regularly reviewing patient outcomes and maintaining a multidisciplinary approach to treatment planning.

The program offers a range of services, including autologous and allogeneic transplants, along with newer cellular therapies such as CAR-T.