University Hospital in Newark announced on Thursday that The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation recently successfully performed its 1,500th liver transplant. This is a significant milestone for the Center, the first liver transplant center in New Jersey.

University Hospital’s Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation opened in 1989 and is one of the busiest in the nation.

The Center provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach for treatment of complex hepatobiliary disorders, such as liver masses, bile duct and gall bladder abnormalities, as well as liver diseases, including Hepatitis C, fatty liver disease, liver cancer and portal hypertension.

“The liver transplant team at University Hospital is among the most productive and highest quality services of its kind in the nation. We are proud to reach this milestone — it reflects our continued dedication to the residents of Newark and beyond,” Dr. Shereef Elnahal, president and chief executive officer of University Hospital said in a statement.

“Reaching the milestone of 1,500 successful liver transplants is a testament to the incredible work done by the dedicated team here at the Center,” said Dr. Nikolas Pyrsopoulos, medical director of Liver Transplantation. “We are extremely proud of the work of the Center over the years. Moving forward, we will continue providing high-quality care to all of our patients, while implementing innovative procedures that improve the transplantation operation.”

This milestone, according to University Hospital, was made possible with the help of partners like NJ Sharing Network, a nonprofit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for those in need of a life-saving transplant. By working in close partnership with hospitals and transplant centers, the number of organs recovered in New Jersey for transplants has quadrupled since the organization was founded, according to University Hospital.