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The Alliance Announces 2022 Council Leadership and Council Members

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The Alliance is pleased to announce the national leaders serving on its 2022 National Leadership Councils.  

The first strategic pillar of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance is based on Community Collaboration, intended to drive greater sharing among thought leaders in the field.  

“The Alliance is dedicated to the facilitation of exchange of collective experience to promote a consistent and enduring investment in advancement.  The three National Leadership Councils are the foundation to this work,” says Karri Hobson-Pape, Executive Director of The Alliance.

The Alliance currently has 18 active workgroups that are focused on developing resources based on initiatives inspired by the ideas brought forward by the national councils. In addition, council members serve as advocates within their organizations and across their network to bring issues to the council for discussion and share learning programs that are currently available.

“With their collective expertise and guidance, these national leaders help steward The Alliance’s vision and mission to ignite bold advancements in the field, and cascade innovations and effective practices throughout the community of practice,” says Deanna Fenton, Senior Manager of Educational Program Development and Operations, who leads the council activities. “Over the years, we’ve managed to accomplish a lot with the development of vital programming and resources such as The Alliance’s Mentorship Program, Advancement Learning Series, and the ever-evolving Community Resource Toolbox.” 

To instill greater continuity through the years, 2022 council governance changed to incorporate a Chair, Chair-Elect and Immediate Past Chair.  The leadership of the National Councils are: 

  • National Transplant Leadership Council
    • Chair: Dr. Randy Sung, Associate Professor of Transplant Surgery, Michigan Medicine
    • Chair-Elect: Tamra Magee, Director, Center for Transplantation, UC San Diego Health
  • National Donation Leadership Council
    • Chair: Dr. Dan Lebovitz, Associate Division Chief, Pediatric Critical Care, Akron Children’s Hospital
    • Chair-Elect: Dominic Adorno, Vice President of Clinical Operations, LifeCenter Northwest
  • National Innovation Leadership Council
    • Chair: Gina Dunne Smith, Executive Director, International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine (IIAM)
    • Chair-Elect: Yvette Chapman, Vice President, Business Partner Development, Southwest Transplant Alliance

The full membership of each council covers the expansive competencies involved in the donation and transplantation continuum.  The Alliance Board of Directors has one liaison representative on each council.  You can see additional detail about each member by viewing the Alliance full directory here.  

National Transplant Leadership Council

  • Joann Brooks, Clinical Nursing Director for Solid Organ, Michigan Medicine
  • Dr. Susan Mandell, Director, Anesthesia for Abdominal Transplant, University of Colorado
  • Christopher Wood, Director, Operations, Transplant Services, UPMC
  • Erika Dudley, Director Transplant Services, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
  • Lindsay Smith, Transplant Quality Director, Vanderbilt Transplant Center
  • Leigh Ann Burgess, Senior Administrative Director, Methodist Healthcare
  • Erin Wells, Clinical Director, Loma Linda University Health
  • Dr. Kristin Mekeel, Chief of Transplant Surgery, UC San Diego Health
  • Jason Saude, ​​Abdominal Transplant Manager, UC San Diego Health
  • Ljiljana Saponja, Transplant Program Coordinator, Rush University Medical Center
  • Kimberly Rallis, Executive Director, UofFL Health, Jewish Hospital 
  • Dr. Robert Harland, Surgical Director, Solid Organ Transplantation, University of Arizona
  • Paul Myoung, Senior Administrative Director, Massachusetts General Hospital (Alliance Board of Directors Liaison)

National Donation Leadership Council

  • Dr. Rosemary O’Meeghan, Intensivist, OneLegacy
  • Dr. Sophia Smith, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children’s National Medical Center
  • Dr. Fady Nasrallah, Medical Director, SICU, PCU, and Trauma, Scripps Health 
  • Katie McKee, Director, Hospital Services and Donor Family Aftercare, LifeSource
  • Dr. Judith Pepe, Senior Associate Director, Surgical Critical Care, Hartford Hospital
  • Christine Radolovic, Director, Transplant Coordinator Services, Gift of Life Donor Program
  • Dr. Rondi Gelbard, Assistant Professor of Surgery, UAB Hospital 
  • Dr. Emily Vail, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care, UPenn Medicine
  • Michelle Reef, Director, Hospital & Partner Relations, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Network
  • Robin Ohkagawa, Senior Director, Education & Development, New England Donor Services
  • Donna Smith, Senior Director of Clinical Services, Sierra Donor Services
  • Brendan Parent, JD, Director, Transplant Ethics and Policy Research, NYU Langone Health 
  • Schawnte’ Williams-Taylor, Vice President, Family Engagement & Donation Services, LifeGift
  • Jennifer Prinz, President & Chief Executive Officer, Donor Alliance (Alliance Board of Directors Liaison)

National Innovation Leadership Council

  • Dr. David Axelrod, Surgical Director of Kidney, Pancreas, and Living Donor Program, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics 
  • Macey Levan, JD, PhD, Director, Research Institute, NYU Langone 
  • Dr. George V. Mazariegos, Director, Pediatric Transplant Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
  • Jennifer Muriett, Chief Operating Officer, Donor Alliance
  • Scott Wunsch, VP, Strategy and Partner Relations, Trinity Air Medical
  • Dr. Adam Bingaman, Transplant Program Director, Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital
  • Dr. Mark Hobeika, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Houston Methodist
  • Kevin Cmunt, Director, Community Foundation, Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network
  • Dr. Bhargav Mistry, Director, Transplant Services, Sanford Health
  • Barry Friedman, Executive Director, AdventHealth
  • Dalton Shaull, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, OmniLife
  • Maria Molina, NP, Heart Transplant Nurse Practitioner, UPenn Medicine
  • Dr. Jerome Saltarrelli, PhD., F(ACHI), Director; Histocompatibility Laboratory, McGovern Medical School – UTHealth
  • Janice Whaley, Chief Executive Officer, Donor Network West (Alliance Board of Directors Liaison)

The National Councils meet quarterly and have additional workgroup meetings to launch initiatives.  For more information about the councils and their charter, please click here.  

The Alliance Announces New Executive Committee and Board Members for 2022
Dr. Robert Metzger: A Reflection on Nearly Six Decades of Advancing Transplantation

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