Heart Transplant Team

Heart

Penn's heart transplant program brings together a team of surgeons, physicians, nurse specialists and hospital support staff who provide coordinated care throughout the entire transplant process. Our goal is to meet the unique physical and emotional needs of each patient in a caring, professional environment.

While primarily committed to patient care, our faculty members are also actively engaged in clinical and laboratory research designed to improve survival and quality of life for heart transplant recipients.

The following members of the heart transplant team are involved in our patients’ care throughout the transplant process:

Cardiovascular surgeon – performs the surgery and monitors the patient throughout the process.
Heart failure physician – specializes in heart failure and transplant care.
Transplant clinical practitioner
Pre-transplant coordinator – serves as the patient's primary contact by teaching about the process and answering questions.
Social worker – refers patients and their families to community resources and assists with practical concerns, such as counseling and financial issues.
Financial coordinator – assists patients and their families with concerns related to transplant costs and insurance.
Administrative support
Transplant nutritionist
Clinical manager
Practice manager
Manager, transplant outreach & communication

Cardiovascular Surgeons

Michael Acker, MD, Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery
Rohinton Morris, MD, Surgical Director, Heart Failure and Transplantation and Mechanical Assist Device Programs
Alberto Pochettino, MD
Wilson Szeto, MD
Y. Joseph Woo, MD

Heart Failure Physicians

Susan Brozena, MD
Thomas Cappola, MD, ScM
Daniel Dries, MD, MPH
Paul Forfia, MD
Lee R. Goldberg, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Heart Failure and Transplantation Program
Mariell Jessup, MD, Medical Director, Penn Heart and Vascular Center; Associate Chief - Clinical Affairs, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Kenneth B. Margulies, MD
J. Eduardo Rame, MD, Medical Director, Mechanical Assist Device Program
Joyce W. Wald, DO

Transplant Clinical Practitioners

Susan Chambers, MSN, CRNP
Wilhelmina Maslanek, MSN, CRNP
Maria Molina, MSN, CRNP
Patrice Schneider, BSN, RN
Patricia Stutman, MSN, CRNP
Bridget Vincent, MSN, CRNP
Mary Williams, MSN, CRNP

Pre-transplant Coordinator