I was appointed as the Face Transplant Coordinator after having participated in the care of the first near total face transplant done in the United States in 2008, and as well as subsequent face transplant candidates and recipients. In September of 2014, Vascular Composite Allgraft Transplantation (VCA) policies and bylaws were implemented by UNOS. At this time, I became the VCA Transplant Coordinator at the Cleveland Clinic. In July 2015, began the process of organizing a team to begin the Hand Transplantation program, for which pre and post-transplant coordinator roles will be assumed. We began evaluating patients for this program in September 2015. In August 2015 was appointed to the Uterine Transplant Team, and assumed the pre and post-transplant coordinator role. Began evaluating patients for this program in September 2015.

Care of pre and post-operative liver transplant patients including medication management and teaching, life style teaching, telephone triage, monitoring immunosuppression, seeing patients in the out-patient clinic setting to follow up on any educational and care needs, presentation of patients to the transplant selection committee, registering and updating patient information with UNOS, completing patient insurance and FMLA forms, completing prior authorization for immunosuppressive medications, coordination of care with outside physicians, input of data into transplant database, and on-call responsibilities including organizing the transplant team when an organ becomes available as well as on-call patient triaging.In 2005, as our program experienced rapid growth, I was moved to post-transplant responsibilities only. This included care of post-operative liver transplant patients including medication management and teaching, life style teaching, telephone triage, monitoring labs, monitoring immunosuppression, seeing patients in the out-patient clinic setting to follow up on any educational and care needs, input of data into transplant database, completing patient insurance and FMLA forms, completing prior authorization for immunosuppressive medications, coordination of care with outside physicians, care contractors and insurance companies, on-call responsibilities for patient telephone triage. Care for the Hepatitis B post-transplant patient population including serology monitoring, as well as coordinating monitoring of recipients who received a high risk donor. April 2007 became Team Leader for post-transplant coordinator group which includes education for liver transplant coordinators, training new coordinators, coordinating team meetings, creating the call schedule, assisting with updating of patient education information, assisting with employee evaluations and being a spokesperson for the post-transplant coordinator team.

Responsible for organization and execution of Phase 1 studies, including presentation of study to patients, patient screening, drug administration, pharmacokinetic sampling, processing of specimens, toxicity evaluation of patients and appointment scheduling, on-call patient triaging for study related problems, as well as, patient follow-up per study protocols. Responsibilities also included completing and filing case report forms to sponsoring pharmaceutical companies, as well as submission of adverse events to the IRB and pharmaceutical companies.

ICU Nurse