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Golisano Children's Hospital News

 

Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong  

 

Services and Programs

Surgical Departments

Transplant Surgery

The Division of Pediatric Transplantation Surgery at Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong provides multiorgan transplantation to children in the Western New York region, including Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and the Southern Tier. We are recognized as a UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) transplant center for liver, intestine, and renal transplantation.

The division of Transplant Surgery offers a nationally renowned living donor liver (hepatic) and kidney (renal) transplantation program. Living donor transplants allow us to implant a new liver or kidney as soon as we find a suitable donor–rather than waiting for the donation of a cadaveric organ. Using living donor organs in transplantations can also help lessen the chance the patient will encounter complications down the road.

  • The hepatic transplant service has one of the nation's most proficient living donor liver transplant programs, which is augmented by an outstanding deceased transplant program. This involves a multidisciplinary team that includes pediatric hepatologists, transplant surgeons, pediatric critical care intensivists, family nurse practitioners, physical and rehabilitation specialists, nutritionists, social workers, and other medical professionals in the care of children with acute fulminant or chronic liver disease as well as inborn errors of metabolism.

  • The renal transplantation services include laparoscopic living donor as well as traditional deceased organ transplantation. Care is multi-disciplinary and involves the pediatric nephrologist, the transplant surgeon, the nutritionist, the social worker, and other medical professionals.

What to Expect if Your Child Needs Liver Transplant Surgery

Knowing what to expect during a liver transplant surgery and knowing that you have a qualified team of professionals coordinating and overseeing your child's care can help take some of the fear out of a transplant surgery.

Pediatric surgeries now take place in the Mildred Levine Pediatric Surgical Suite, our new facility designed with children's needs and comfort in mind.

Our Transplant Team

Transplant Surgeons (liver and kidney)

Support Staff

  • Crystal Bridges
  • Lori Bush-Siracusa
  • Leticia Colon
  • Sue Goss
  • Pam Horowitz
  • Laurie Kenyon
  • Danielle Lofton
  • Jessica Moreno
  • Sarah Powers
  • Libby Rainey
  • Christen Terrore
  • Lisa Walravens

Nurse Coordinators

  • Pam Batzold, R.N., CCTC
  • Leah Bryan, R.N., CCTC
  • Jackie Cullen, R.N., CCTC *
  • Linda Grinnell-Merrick, R.N., A.N.P., CCTC
  • Molly Rogers, R.N.
  • Joan Romano, R.N., CCTC
  • Tomi Shisler, F.N.P., CCTC
  • Mary Vetter, R.N., A.N.P., CCTC*
  • Tedd Vineyard, R.N.

* Live Donor Coordinators

Consulting Physicians

Inpatient Nurse Coordinators

  • Julie Berkhof, F.N.P.
  • Mary Johnson, A.C.N.P.
  • Katherine Singer, N.P.

Research Nurses

  • Judy Gierlach, R.N.
  • Mary Williamson, R.N.

Nutritionist

  • Gwen Kendall, N.D., R.D.

Physicians Assistant

  • Sarah Marquette, P.A.

Social Worker

  • Linda Hicks, L.M.S.W.
  • Megan McKee, M.S.W.

U.N.O.S. Data Analyst

  • Al Lavigueur

Administrator

  • Nancy Metzler

Clinical Nurse Manager

  • Patricia Milot, R.N., B.S.,CCTC