SPOKANE, Wash. - Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in the Northwest, announced it will be temporarily pausing its heart transplant program due to "key vacancies."

"During this pause, Providence is dedicated to evaluating and reimagining the program to ensure future success and effectiveness in saving lives," Providence said in a press release.

A timeline for how long the pause would last or when the Providence Heart Institute would resume transplants at Sacred Heart were not clear.

Sacred Heart Medical Center is the only place in the Inland Northwest that performs heart transplants. Now, patients will have to be redirected to Portland, Seattle, or even Salt Lake City.

According to the Providence website, the Heart Institute in Spokane serves patients

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