liver
Liver Home Patient Information Referring Physician Information Research Financial Information Contact UsLiver Transplant Team
Listed below are the types of team members you will meet on team evaluation day:
Physicians -Numerous physicians will be involved in your care. Emory University Hospital is a teaching hospital. Therefore, in addition to your attending transplant physicians, you will be meeting resident physicians and consulting physicians from many different services. Multiple specialty physicians may participate in your evaluation, including transplant surgeons, transplant hepatologists (medical liver specialists), gastroenterologists, psychiatrists, hematologists (blood specialists), cardiologists (heart specialists), nephrologists (kidney specialists), pulmonologists (lung specialists), anesthesiologists, and experts in the field of infectious diseases.
Liver Transplant Coordinators - The liver transplant coordinators are Registered Nurses who provide education regarding the transplant and are case managers for patients before and after transplantation.
Psychiatry – The psychiatry staff consists of a clinical nurse specialist and a physician who assess the mental health of patients. They will provide and/or help arrange any treatment therapies as needed.
Pharmacists – The pharmacists are specially trained in transplant care and provide a wide array of information about medications including drug interactions and side effects. The pharmacy staff is an excellent source of drug information.
Dieticians - Representatives of Food and Nutrition Services will explain any food restrictions, answer questions about your diet, and help you make healthy food choices.
Social Workers - Clinical social workers will assist you regarding family concerns and will provide you with some guidance on services available to you.
Financial Counselors - Hospital staff members who will work with you to explain your insurance benefits and assist you with any financial issues. The financial coordinator will help you understand the cost of transplantation and your insurance benefits
Transplant Surgeon - The transplant surgeon will perform your liver transplant surgery and will be in charge of your care immediately following your surgery.
Physicians
Thomas Heffron, MD
Surgical Director
Emory Clinic Physician
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director of Adult Liver Transplantation
at Emory
Director of Pediatric Liver Transplantation
at CHOA
Specialties: Surgery (Board Certified since 1989), Pediatric Surgery, and Transplantation
Areas of Clinical/Research
Interest: liver surgery, liver transplantation,
and liver tumors
Education:
Medical School
University of Nebraska Medical Center,
Omaha, NE, 1982
Residency
Creighton University Affiliated Hospitals,
Omaha, NE, 1987
Fellowship
University of Chicago, Pritzker School
of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 1990
James Spivey , MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
The Emory Clinic and Hospital
Medical Director, Liver Transplantation
Clinical Director, Hepatology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, 1983
American Board of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, 1993, Recertified 2003
Areas of Clinical/Research Interest: Liver transplantation, evaluation and management, acute and chronic liver disease, viral hepatitis, and hepatobiliary malignancy
Education:
Medical School
Tulane Medical School, 1980
Residency
Internal Medicine Residency, North Carolina Baptist Hospital, 1983
Fellowship
Hepatology Fellowship, University of Miami, 1990
Gastroenterology Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, 1992
Andrei Stieber, MD
Emory Clinic Physician
Associate Professor of Surgery
Liver Transplant Program
Specialties: Surgery (Board Certified since 1988) and Transplantation
Areas of Clinical/Research Interest: liver transplantation
Education:
Medical School
State University of Milan, Italy , 1978
Internship
Mount Sinai Medical Center - New York , 1980
Residency
Mount Sinai Medical Center - New York , 1984
Fellowship
University of California - San Diego, 1985
University of Pittsburgh, 1986
Carlos Fasola, MD
Emory Clinic Physician
Transplant Surgeon
Liver Transplant Program
Specialties: Surgery (Board Certified since 1995) and Transplantation
Areas of Clinical/Research Interest: split, reduced-size, and living-donor liver transplantations
Education:
Medical School
University if Chile, Santiago, Chile, 1974
Internship
University of Minnesota Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, 1985
Residency
University of Chile, Santiago, Chile, 1980
University of Minnesota Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, 1992
Fellowship
University of Minnesota Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, 1994
Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA, 2003
Harsh Kapoor, MD, FRCP©, FACP, FACG
Emory Clinic Physician
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Specialties: Surgery (Board Certified since 1993) and Transplantation
Areas of Clinical/Research Interest: Liver Transplantation
Education:
Medical School
University of New Delhi, New Delhi, India, 1980
Internship
Dalhousie University Affiliated Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1989
Residency
Dalhousie University Affiliated Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1993
Fellowship
Dalhousie University Affiliated Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1994
Hetal Karsan, MD
Emory Clinic Physician
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Specialties: Gastroenterology (Board Certified since 2003), Internal Medicine (Board Certified since 1999), and Hepatology
Areas of Clinical/Research Interest:
Cirrhosis, Colon cancer, Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Hepatitis, Liver transplant evaluation, Liver transplantation, Portal hypertension, and Ulcer
Education:
Medical School
Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 1996
Internship
Boston University, Boston, MA, 1997
Residency
Boston University, Boston, MA, 1999
Fellowship
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 2003
Other Transplant Staff
Administrator of Operations
Robin Pastush, RN, BSN
Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistants
David Carpenter, PA
Tenita Foston, NP
Hillary Grillo, PA-C, MPH
Holli Paulk, PA-C, MPAS
Pharmacist
Vacant
Nurse Manager Liver Transplant
Ginny McGrath , RN, BSN, CCTC
Pre-Transplant Coordinators
Wanda Allison, RN, BSN
Barry Clark, RN, BS
Sharon F Williams, RN, MS, NP-C
Pre-Transplant Medical Secretaries
Edith Hicks
Kyle Kusa-Henry
Preshana Price-Cox
Post-Transplant Coordinators
Katherine Lohmuller, RN, BSN
Dianne Thackston , RN, BSN
Post-Transplant Medical Secretary
Zina Smith
Data Coordinator
Kay Patterson, RN, BSN
Medication Access Program (MAP) Coordinator
Gayelord Langley, RN
Research Nurse
Laurel Davis, RN
Financial Coordinators
Angela Broom
Carla Cody
Jeanne Walzer
Physician Medical Secretaries
Tiffany Cooper (Dr. Spivey)
Nancy Pillen (Dr. Heffron, Dr. Stieber, and Dr. Fasola)
Social Worker
Iris Bordeaux, ACSW, LCSW
Sharon Burford, LCSW
Sarah Ross, LCSW
Transplant Dietician
Jessica Enders, RDLD
Medical Records Assistant
Stephanie Jackson