The Heart Transplant Team is a group of physicians, surgeons, nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, social workers, and other healthcare specialists who are experts in the field of heart transplantation.
The Cleveland Clinic's Transplant Team is dedicated to a coordinated approach to the care of the transplant patient.
- If you are a transplant recipient and you or your local cardiologist have questions or concerns related to transplantation, please contact your transplant physician at Cleveland Clinic.
- Following transplant, any medical problems, questions, outpatient appointments, biopsy results, medication changes, etc. post-transplant will be handled by the transplant coordinators, extension 56590. The office number is 800.223.2273 or 216.445.6590.
- If personnel are unavailable, please leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. Messages are checked frequently during the day.
- If you have medical difficulties at night or on the weekend, please call the Cleveland Clinic at 216.444.2200 or 800.223.2273 and ask for the cardiology fellow "On-Call". Tell the doctor you are a heart transplant patient. He/she will contact your cardiologist and give you further instructions. If you have an urgent medical problem, you should go to your local emergency room immediately.
- If you would like to refer yourself or a patient, please contact the Pre-Transplant Office 216.444.8351 or 800.223.2273 x48351.
Leadership:
- Director, Transplant Center: John Fung, MD, PhD
- Surgical Director: Nicholas Smedira, MD
- Cardiac Transplantation and Ventricular-Assist Device Therapies Program
- Medical Director, Heart Transplantation: Randall C Starling, MD, MPH, FACC Head, Section of Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Medicine, Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
- Administrator: Art Thomson
- Finance Manager: Diane Topougis
- Clinical Nurse Manager for Heart Failure: Tiffany Buda, BSN, RN
Heart Transplant Surgeons:
Heart Transplant Physicians:
- Corinne Bott-Silverman, M.D
- Mazen Hanna, MD
- Robert E. Hobbs, MD
- Eileen Hsich, MD
- Karen B. James, MD
- Maria Mountis, DO
- Gustavo Rincon, MD
- Carmela Tan, MD
- Wilson Tang, MD
- David Taylor, MD
- James Young, MD
Pediatric Transplant Team:
Pre-Transplant Coordinators:
- Jim Campbell, RN, CNOR, CRNFA
- Deanna Hartman, RN, BSN
- Kristin Ludrosky, RN, BSN, CCTC
Post Transplant Coordinators:
- Karen Kiefer, RN, BSN, CCTC
- David Pelegrin, RN, PA
- Alexandria Johnson, RN, BSN, MBA
- Christina Haire, RN, BSN, CCRN
- Cathy Zilka, RN
Social Work:
Research:
- Kathy Hoercher, RN, Director, Research & Operations, Kaufman Center
Mechanical Circulatory Support Team:
- Brian Loveland, MSN, ACNP
- Cathie Vacha, MSN, ACNP
- Kimberly R. Zeroske, BSN, RN, MSN, ACNP CCRN-CSC, CCTN ( Lead Coordinator)
- Michael Yeager, RN (Lead LVAD Coordinator)
- Tiffany Buda, BSN, RN