Geisinger’s Transplant team consists of many different healthcare specialists and support staff. The team members are among the best in the field of transplant surgery. They include:

Surgeons
Transplant surgeons perform the procedure of removing the diseased organ and transplanting the donated organ. Transplant surgeons assess the quality of the donor's organ before surgery and monitor the patient's status following the transplantation.  They prescribe proper medication and periodically follow up with the patient to ensure the incision is healing properly.

• Chintalapati Varma, MD, Director of Transplant Surgery
• Anil Kotru, MD
• Manish Gupta, MD
• Manoj K. Maloo , MD
  

Nephrologists/Pediatric Nephrologists
Transplant nephrologists focus on diagnosing the health of a patient’s kidney.   They are responsible for the nonsurgical (medical) care of the kidney and pancreas pre and post transplant patients.  A pediatric nephrologist specializes in treating children.

• James Hartle, MD
• Evan Norfolk, MD
• Michael Schultz, MD
• Taher Yahya, MD
• Rajesh Govindasamy, MD
• Glenn Bock, MD

Gastroenterologists/Hepatologists
Transplant gastroenterologists and hepatologists are involved with diagnosing and treating a transplant patient’s digestive tract and liver. They handle all liver pre and post transplant patient care. 

• Robert Smith, MD

Infectious Disease/Epidemiologists
Transplant epidemiologists treat transplant patients with antibiotics and antivirals to prevent infections after surgery.

• Robert Gotoff, MD
• Michael Foltzer, MD
• Svetolik Djurkovic, MD

Radiologists
Transplant radiologists diagnose organs through images obtained with state-of-the-art equipment, including X-ray, CAT scan and MRI.

• John Baxter, MD
• Christoph Pohl, MD
• Luis Nadal, MD

Cardiologists
Transplant cardiologists ensure that the transplant patient’s heart is healthy before and after surgery.

• Thomas Scott, DO

Urologists
Transplant urologists ensure the proper diagnosis and functioning of the kidney before and after surgery.  The surgery on living donor patients is performed robotically by the transplant urologist.

• Brant Fulmer, MD
• Jennifer Simmons, MD

Mid-level Providers (Physician Assistants/Nurse Practitioners)
Transplant mid-level providers assist in transplant surgeries and focus on inpatient care for pre and post transplant patients.

• Richard Bunton, CRNP

Anesthesiologists
Transplant anesthesiologists administer medications to keep the patient asleep during the transplantation surgery. They also monitor heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing during the transplant operation.  They also deal with pain management after the transplant surgery and during the inpatient stay.

• Yuri Kuras, MD

Pathologists
Transplant pathologists are physicians who evaluate body tissue or cells for abnormalities through biopsies.

• Ping Zhang, MD
• Jeffrey Prichard, DO

Coordinators
Transplant coordinators are nurses who are highly trained and experienced in caring for transplant patients and their families throughout the entire process of transplantation surgery, from evaluation through postoperative outpatient care. They monitor pre and post patient care and communicate to the transplant team and the referring physician. There is a transplant coordinator on call 7-days a week, 24-hours a day to answer patient questions or concerns. 

Dieticians
Transplant dieticians are educated and experienced in managing all aspects of nutrition for patients before and after transplant surgery. Transplant dieticians help patients and their families by teaching them about appropriate diets and provide help in dealing with decreased appetite, weight loss, dietary supplements and other related issues.

Social Workers
Transplant social workers are trained to support the various needs of transplant patients. Before, during and after a patient’s hospital stay, a social worker is available to provide educational information to the patient and family members. The same social worker typically follows a patient through the entire transplant process.

Financial Counselors
Transplant financial counselors review and explain insurance coverage for the operation. The counselor can assist with Medicare and medical assistance application and can give advice on various insurance options.

Transplant Administrative Assistants
Transplant administrative assistants coordinate the scheduling of all appointments and testing procedures. They answer the phones and direct patient calls as needed.