Cohen Children's Medical Center is now home to the first pediatric heart transplant program on Long Island.

It says it is ready to perform the lifesaving procedure as soon as needed.

Until now, Long Island families whose children needed a heart transplant had to travel into Manhattan for care.

Dr. Jake Kleinmahon, the medical director of Pediatric Heart Transplant at Cohen, says they have been working toward this for more than a year, and have the staff and space ready to go.