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Pediatric Heart Transplant Team

Lurie Children's Heart Transplant team includes experts from various healthcare specialties. Together, they work to create a holistic care plan that focuses on the whole person. 

Pediatric Cardiologists

Philip T. Thrush, MD

Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program 

Katheryn E. Gambetta, MD

Attending Physician, Cardiology 

Anna G. Joong, MD

Attending Physician, Cardiology 

Brian A. Madden, MD

Attending Physician, Cardiology

Defne A. Magnetta, MD

Attending Physician, Cardiology 

Adam K. Morrison, MD

Attending Physician, Cardiology

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Pediatric Heart Transplant Surgeons

Michael C. Mongé, MD

Surgical Director, Heart Transplant Program  

Sunjay Kaushal, MD, PhD

Head, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery

Osama M. Eltayeb, MD

Attending Physician, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery 

Advanced Practice Nurses & Nurse Coordinators

Grace Macek, APRN-NP

Manager, Advanced Practice Providers; Advanced Practice Provider, Outpatient Cardiology

Stephanie Messerschmidt, APRN-NP

Advanced Practice Provider, Outpatient Cardiology

Catherine Theis, DNP, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC

Advanced Practice Provider, Inpatient Cardiology

Jodi M. Bohl, MSN, APRN-NP, CPNP-PC

Advanced Practice Provider, Inpatient Cardiology

Nicole L. Brazg, MSN, APRN-NP, CPNP-PC

Advanced Practice Provider, Cardiology

Anne Gordon, APRN-NP, PNP

Advanced Practice Provider, Cardiology

Nora Hammond, MSN, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC

Advanced Practice Provider, Inpatient Cardiology

Amanda C. Hartmann, MSN, APRN-NP, CPNP-PC

Advanced Practice Provider, Inpatient Cardiology

Alison N. Kula, DNP, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC

Advanced Practice Provider, Cardiology

Mary G. Lewis, APRN-NP

Advanced Practice Provider, Inpatient Cardiology

Elizabeth A. McGhee, APRN-NP

Advanced Practice Provider, Outpatient Cardiology

Melanie Sojka, APRN-NP

Advanced Practice Provider, Outpatient Cardiology

Nicole Bonner, RN

Mackenzie Hume, RN

Julie Rollings, RN

Nutritionists

Katherine Simmons, RD

Transplant Administration

Johanna Mishra, BSN

Administrator, Transplant 

Berni Chrobak, RN, MSN, MBA

Transplant Managed Care Contractor

Riva Mehmood

Transplant Data and Quality Coordinator 

Renee Shores, MAFM, CAC

Transplant Financial Coordinator 

Organ Procurement Coordinators

Justin Boese

Kelsey Christensen

Ryan Mitchell

Cara Moulesong

Transplant Support Staff

Meredyth A. Evans, PhD

Pediatric Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Kevin Le, PharmD

Transplant Pharmacist

Katie Meyers, PhD

Pediatric Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Natalia Panek, PharmD

Transplant Pharmacist

Nayda Rivera-Escanio

Transplant Assistant

Maria Robles

ParentWISE Coordinator

Sahar Shalash, LCSW

Social Worker

Akina Takahashi, LCSW

Social Worker