Transplant Team 

Your Transplant Team

Geisinger’s transplant team are specialists in many different healthcare fields with the support staff to assist them. They bring years of experience, special training and often national reputations to care for patients who need organ transplants.

Click for a complete list of physicians and surgeons  who are members of Geisinger’s transplant team.

• Transplant Surgeon - is the doctor who performs the transplant surgery. In addition to board-certification in general surgery, the transplant surgeons have been trained with specialized fellowships in transplant surgery and post-surgical follow up care. The transplant surgeons will assess the quality of the donor's organ before surgery and will monitor the transplant recipient after the surgery. The surgeons will monitor the transplant recipient's medications and will check the incision to make sure it is healing properly. 
• Transplant Nephrologist - is the doctor who manages your medical care, tests and medications. He or she does not perform surgery. The transplant nephrologist will monitor your kidney function to identify any problems or complications and will manage other medical problems such as hypertension and diabetes.
• Transplant Hepatologist - is the doctor who manages your medical care, tests and medications. He or she does not perform surgery. The transplant hepatologist will monitor your liver function to identify any problems or complications and will manage other medical problems such as hepatitis. 
• Radiologists use imaging equipment, such as X-ray, CT scan and MRI to help in the diagnosis of organ conditions.
• Cardiologists ensure a patient’s heart is healthy before and after surgery.
• Urologists diagnose and care for kidney transplant patients before and after surgery. They also perform the surgery on living donor patients robotically.
• Physician Assistant & Nurse Practitioner - Physician assistants and nurse practitioners are members of the transplant team who practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. The physician assistant or nurse practitioner may obtain your medical history, perform a physical examination and educate you about transplantation. He or she will follow your progress during your hospital stay.
• Anesthesiologists monitor sedation, heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing during surgery and help manage pain afterwards.
• Pathologists examine body tissue or cells for abnormalities.
• Transplant coordinator - nurse coordinators coordinate all the events leading up to and following surgery. These events may include scheduling pre-transplant testing, testing for donor compatibility, contacting the transplant recipient when an organ is located, and making sure the transplant recipient has proper follow up care. The transplant coordinator is also responsible for teaching the transplant recipient about the transplant medications and acts as the main source of communication for the patient, the physicians, the hospital and the clinic. A transplant nurse coordinator is on call 7 days a week, 24 hours per day to assist with any questions or concerns from patients.
• Dietician - is a registered clinician with special training in nutrition. He or she will create a customized diet plan to help you recover quickly, stay healthy and avoid gaining too much weight. He or she will also assist you in losing weight before surgery and managing your diet after the transplant.
• Social Worker - is a professional who can help you and your family understand and cope with a variety of problems associated with your illness. The social worker can assist with transportation needs, help at home and various other issues. The social worker may also perform some of the functions of the financial coordinator.
• Financial coordinator - is a professional who has detailed knowledge of financial matters, insurance and hospital billing. The financial coordinator works with members of the transplant team, insurers and administrative personnel to coordinate and clarify the financial aspects of your care before, uring and after your transplant. The financial coordinator determines the best way for you to pay for your transplant.
• Other Specialists - Transplantation is a complex, long-term process. To address every aspect of the many inter-related issues, a multi-disciplinary team of experts becomes involved at the evaluation and remains involved through the hospitalization and post-transplant follow up care. In addition to the medical and surgical specialists, the team includes carefully selected experts from the following areas: anesthesiology, infectious disease, radiology, cardiology, psychiatry, pharmacy, urology and pathology. Additional consultants may be contacted as necessary.
• Administrative assistants schedule appointments and testing, and direct calls.