Behind-the-scenes look at a vital team

Team members from the UF Health Shands Transplant Center recently gathered at UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital. Pictured (from left) are: Tiago Noguchi Machuca, M.D., Ph.D., a Lung Transplant Program surgeon; Satish Chandrashekaran, M.D.,FACP, a Lung Transplant Program attending physician; Le Jones, B.S.N., R.N., CCTC, Liver Transplant Program manager; Elizabeth Thomas, D.O., a Kidney Transplant Program and Liver Transplant Program surgeon; Kenneth Andreoni, M.D., a Kidney Transplant Program and Pancreas Transplant Program surgeon; Susan Learn, M.S.N., R.N., CCTC, Heart Transplant Program manager; Stephan Moore, M.H.A., FACHE, CMPE, administrative director; Juan Aranda Jr., M.D. FACC, Heart Transplant/Ventricular Assist Device Program medical director; Karl Womer, M.D., Kidney Transplant Program director; Kiran Upadhyay, M.D., a Kidney Transplant Program attending pediatric physician; and Sandra Demasters, M.S.N., R.N., CCTC, Kidney Transplant Program and Pancreas Transplant Program manager.

UF Health Shands Hospital is home to the only transplant center in North Central Florida. The UF Health Shands Transplant Center team is nationally recognized for its high survival rates and volumes. The center’s UF College of Medicine faculty and UF Health Shands teams performed the state’s first adult and pediatric heart-lung, kidney and lung transplants and their transplant volumes are higher than the national average. Since inception, the UF Health Shands Transplant Center’s staff has transplanted more than 7,000 organs. All programs under the transplant center are certified by The Joint Commission, the United Network for Organ Sharing and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programs
4,800+ kidney transplants and 250+ pancreas transplants performed
The Kidney Transplant Program began in 1966 and performed the state of Florida’s first kidney transplant. The team recently performed its first paired kidney transplant and performs about 30 percent of its annual transplant volume from living donors.

Founded in 1995, the Pancreas Transplant Program team has performed more than 100 pancreas transplants over the last nine years.

Lung Transplant Program
550+ transplants performed
Started in 1994, the Lung Transplant Program team has successfully performed more than 550 transplant operations. The team performed the first adult and pediatric heart-lung transplants in Florida. Ours is the only center in Florida to offer pediatric heart, lung and combined heart-lung transplants.
Heart Transplant Program
550+ transplants performed
Since 1985, the Heart Transplant Program team has offered a full range of cardiac transplantation for children and adults. The Pediatric Heart Transplant Program serves neonatal, newborn and infant heart patients. Our heart transplant team was one of the first in the country to implant Berlin Heart devices in infants and young children, and is a national leader in adult ventricular assist device therapy.

Liver Transplant Program
1,600+ transplants performed
With more than 20 years of experience providing care to patients with complex liver disease, the Liver Transplant Program team has provided transplants to more than 1,600 patients with end-stage liver disease since 1990. The program offers both adult and pediatric liver transplant.