Emory's Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Team

A transplant surgeon will perform your kidney transplant surgery and supervise your care immediately following your surgery. The transplant surgeon will also follow your progress after you are discharged from the hospital.

Christian Larsen, MD
Co-Director, Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Program

Thomas Pearson, MD
Co-Director, Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Program

Allan Kirk, MD
Scientific Director, Emory Transplant Center

Kenneth Newell, MD
Transplant Surgeon

Paul Tso, MD
Transplant Surgeon

Nicole Turgeon, MD
Transplant Surgeon

A transplant nephrologist will manage your medical care while you are in the hospital for your transplant. They will also provide follow-up care in the transplant clinic, adjusting your medications and monitoring your progress.

Stephen Pastan, MD
Medical Director, Kidney Transplant Program

Sharon Graves, MD
Transplant Nephrologist

Antonio Guasch, MD
Transplant Nephrologist

Sundus Lodhi, MD
Transplant Nephrologist

Ashtar Chami, MD
Transplant Nephrologist

Sudha Tata, MD
Transplant Nephrologist

Since transplant patients take medications to prevent the immune system from attacking their new organ, the transplant infectious disease physician provides consultation for infectious disease management in transplant recipients. They provide pre- and post-transplant vaccination and individual treatment plans for preventing infections.

G. Marshall Lyon, MD
Director, Transplant Infectious Diseases

Aneesh Mehta, MD
Assistant Director, Transplant Infectious Diseases

The Physician Assistant (PA) and Nurse Practitioner (NP) are members of the transplant team who practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. The PA or NP may obtain your medical history, perform your physical exam and supervise your transplant evaluation. He or she will educate you about transplantation. After transplant, the PA or NP will follow your progress in the hospital as well as in the transplant clinic.

Physician Assistants (PA) and Nurse Practitioners (NP)

Laura Brannon, NP
Jennifer Everett Kitchens, PA
Steve Mishkin, PA

A transplant coordinator is a registered nurse specially trained to care for patients before and after transplantation. Transplant coordinators work in different stages of the transplant process. One coordinator will be responsible for obtaining the results of your evaluation. This coordinator will serve as your main contact from the time of your evaluation until the time of your transplant. Additional coordinators will follow your progress in the hospital and provide follow-up care at each clinic visit after you are discharged.

Pre-Transplant Coordinators

Shannon Dukes, RN, BS
Kenya Savage, RN, BSN

Post-Transplant Coordinators

Mimi Buenvenida, RN, BSN
Cathy Kuharcik, RN, MSN, CNN
Mary Moore, RN, BSN
Beverly Tharps, RN, BSN

Social workers are available for evaluation and supportive counseling for you and your family throughout the phases of transplant. If you need information about local housing, fundraising, and other transplant resources, the transplant social worker can assist you.

Transplant Social Workers

A psychiatrist will meet with you during the evaluation to obtain a general mental health history. He or she can identify personal or social situations that may affect the likelihood of a successful outcome after transplant. Psychiatric help is available for any developing needs or concerns.

A clinical nutritionist will see you before and after your transplant to evaluate your diet and help you maintain a healthy weight. After your transplant you may have difficulty maintaining your weight and controlling your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The nutritionist will be available to see you regularly after your transplant to discuss these issues.

Transplant Dietitian

Jessica Principe

A pharmacist will begin working with you after your transplant. It is important for you to clearly understand your medications and how each affects your body. The transplant pharmacist, along with your transplant coordinator and nurses, will explain the actions, dosages and side effects of your medications. The pharmacist will be available to answer questions during your hospitalization and after transplant.

Transplant Pharmacist

Helen Triemer, PharmD

A chaplain is on call 24 hours a day to visit with you while you are at Emory University Hospital. The chaplain can help you and your family deal with the emotional and spiritual issues that can be associated with transplantation.

The Staff Nurse is responsible for monitoring your daily care in the hospital. They will teach you how to check your vital signs and identify any signs of infection. They will help you learn how and when to take your new transplant medications. Staff nurses play an important role in alerting the team to any potential problems.

The financial coordinator will help you understand the cost of transplantation, explain your insurance benefits and assist you in identifying resources available to you.

Financial Coordinators

Denisha McNair Sandra Revere

The Emory Transplant Call Center team is specially trained to review offers for all organs that match with potential recipients at Emory University Hospital. This nursing team is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to review donor offers with the transplant surgeon on call. Together with numerous organ procurement organizations, this team of specially trained nurses is responsible for coordinating the transplant process from the time the initial offer is received through calling a patient in for their transplant. If and when a patient is offered a possible transplant, one of these coordinators will be in contact.

Call Center Coordinators

Casey King, RN
Robin Howard, RN
Leidys Lopez, RN
Megan Samples, RN
Cassandra Walker, RN
Mimi Buenvenida, RN
Carolyn Johnson, RN
Angela Williams, RN
Dawn Fleming, RN

Administrator of Operations

Robin Pastush, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager, Renal Transplant

Ginny McGrath, RN, BSN, CCTC

Clinical Research Staff

Beth Begley, RN, BSN, CCTC
Elizabeth Ferry, RN, CCRC
Amy Lewis, RN, BSN, CCRC
Marti Sears, RN, BSN

Medication Access Program (MAP) Coordinator

Debbie Martin, RN