MetroHealth transplant program earns national accreditation; lead hazard funding and infant health initiative draw attention
Cleveland, OH – March 4, 2026 – MetroHealth’s transplant program earned FACT accreditation as Cleveland tracks lead hazards and backs infant health work.
MetroHealth and local public-health leaders are highlighting several developments that could affect care access and health outcomes for Cleveland-area residents, from specialized cancer therapy capacity to renewed attention on lead hazards and infant mortality.
MetroHealth: National accreditation for blood and marrow transplant program
MetroHealth said its Cancer Institute Blood and Marrow Transplant Program has achieved accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT). The health system described the designation as a quality and safety benchmark for cellular therapy programs, spanning areas such as transplant-related care processes, apheresis collection and cell processing.
MetroHealth noted that the accreditation is intended to help expand access to advanced cellular therapies locally, including immune effector cell therapies, and to strengthen participation with insurance plans that require FACT-accredited programs for certain treatments. The system said the program performed its first blood and marrow transplant in April 2023 and pursued accreditation after completing early transplant milestones.
City lead remediation funds: spending lapses and testing concerns
Cleveland19 reported that the City of Cleveland failed to spend millions of dollars in lead remediation funds, a setback city officials and advocates said should not derail efforts to reduce lead hazards in older housing. The report said city leaders connected the lapse to administrative and leadership issues, while noting that the Cleveland Department of Public Health focuses on the health impacts of lead exposure.
In the report, the city’s health director linked many childhood lead exposures to lead dust generated by friction on older painted windows, with doors and decks also cited as potential contributors. Cleveland19 also cited data presented by the health director in October 2025 showing 15.8% of children tested in Cleveland had elevated blood lead levels, compared with 16.8% in 2024 and 18.1% in 2023. Advocates interviewed in the story raised concerns that testing rates have declined, which can affect reported totals.
Infant health: $1.8M award to support Cuyahoga County families
Case Western Reserve University reported that First Year Cleveland, a maternal and children’s health organization based at the university, was awarded $1.8 million from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth to address infant mortality in Cuyahoga County. The university said the 18-month initiative runs through June 2027 and is intended to coordinate investments in community and faith-based organizations that provide services for pregnant women and families.
The CWRU report cited county infant mortality levels between 2022 and 2024 at roughly eight deaths per 1,000 live births, framing the funding as support for strengthening family support systems.
Sources
https://www.metrohealth.org/en/newsroom/2026/blood-and-marrow-transplant-program-achieves-fact-accreditation/
https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/03/02/cleveland-fails-spend-millions-lead-remediation-funds/
https://case.edu/news/first-year-cleveland-awarded-18m-address-infant-mortality-crisis-cuyahoga-county
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