AHN Abdominal Transplant

11/18/2025

✨Celebrating Our Post-Kidney Transplant Coordinators ✨

After a kidney transplant, the journey to recovery doesn’t end – it truly begins. We’re proud to have four incredible post-kidney transplant coordinators – Shelly, Shauna, Krista and Callie – who bring a combined 42 years of experience to our transplant program.

From medication management and lab monitoring to education, follow up care, and emotional support, they are there every step of the way. Their expertise, compassion and dedication ensure our patients feel supported long after surgery.

💚Thank you to Shelly, Shauna, Krista and Callie for helping our patients not just recover but thrive.💙

11/11/2025

💚 Thank You for an Inspiring Conversation on Living Donation!

This past Sunday, we were honored to attend the Live Donor Project/National Kidney Foundation event at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. At this donor event, our transplant surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Carpenter, and several living donors shared their insights and experiences about living donor surgery. The donor panel included both altruistic and directed donors, offering diverse perspectives on their motivations, experiences, and the impact of living donation.

Attendees had the unique opportunity to hear directly from the expert who performs these life-changing procedures—and from the generous donors who gave the ultimate gift of life. Their stories of courage, compassion, and connection truly inspired everyone in the room.

A heartfelt thank you to our speakers, attendees, and all who continue to support the mission of saving lives through living donation. Together, we’re building a stronger transplant community. 💚

11/04/2025

🔬 From the OR to the Classroom! 🧠💚

Our transplant surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Carpenter, recently gave students a hands-on lesson in kidney anatomy and surgery! Using real sheep kidneys, students got to see how these incredible organs work and about kidney transplants.

It was an inspiring day full of curiosity, questions, and future medical minds at work. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️
We love opportunities to share the science and passion behind transplantation with the next generation!

10/28/2025

🌟 Calling All Transplant Donors! 🌟
The Live Donor Project is hosting an upcoming event! 💚

Are you or someone you know interested in being a living kidney donor?

Join us for a free event to connect with fellow donors, enjoy refreshments, and celebrate the incredible impact of donation.
You will learn how to connect with a transplant center, what to expect throughout the living donor evaluation and hear living donors share their stories.

🗓️ Date: Sunday, November 9th from 11AM to 1PM
📍 Location: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15213
💬 RSVP: https://events.blackthorn.io/en/5f4bLi97/becoming-a-living-donor-4a3VUz9zNd/overview

Whether you donated a kidney, are looking for a living donor, or part of your story helps someone else — we’d love to see you there. Let’s honor your generosity and share in the spirit of giving life!


https://thelivedonorproject.org

10/23/2025

💚 Happy Liver Awareness Month!
FUN FACT: Your liver can grow back! 💚
When someone donates part of their liver, BOTH the donor’s and recipient’s livers regrow to full size within months! 🌱

✨ Did you know?
🩺 You only need part of your liver to live a healthy life
👫 You don’t have to be related to donate
⏳ Living donation means shorter wait times
💪 Donors return to normal, active lives after recovery

Be the reason someone gets a second chance.
Living donation = Living proof that hope grows back. 💫

💚 If you are interested in being evaluated to be a potential living liver donor, fill out our donor screen link: https://agh.donorscreen.org/register/now

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10/14/2025

💚 October is Liver Awareness Month 💚

This month, we shine a light on the importance of liver health and celebrate the life-saving impact of liver transplantation.

Your liver is one of the body’s hardest-working organs — filtering toxins, aiding digestion, and keeping your body in balance. Yet liver disease often goes unnoticed until it becomes serious.

At Allegheny Health Network, our team is dedicated to education, early detection, and advanced transplant care for those affected by liver disease.

👉 Take time this month to:
• Learn about liver health and prevention
• Get screened if you’re at risk
• Register as an organ donor — one donor can save up to 8 lives

Together, we can bring hope and healing to those waiting for a second chance at life.

💚

10/07/2025

✨In addition to her work with organ donation, Shelly has been an exceptional post-kidney transplant coordinator for OVER 13 YEARS. Her compassion, dedication, and attention to every detail help patients navigate life after transplant with confidence and care. Her commitment to helping patients not only recover but truly thrive is what makes her such a valued member of the AHN Abdominal Transplant team. Thank you for all you do!✨

Shelly is a transplant coordinator at AHN Allegheny General Hospital. She sees the POWER of organ donation every day! 💪

Shelly helps patients through the transplant process. Her favorite part? Calling patients to tell them an organ is available! 🎉 "We get to have that experience that when we call them in for a transplant, how excited they are, the joy and the hope that they have." ✨

After the Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania’s (HAP) Donate Life Challenge in April, Shelly may have a better chance at helping her patients in the future. We have been named as a top performing health system in Western PA for the HAP Donate Life Challenge!

Through this annual challenge, HAP recognizes the efforts of health care providers who lead effective campaigns to increase organ donation awareness within their hospitals and communities. In total, AHN registered more than 375 new organ donors in April thanks to its efforts! 🎉

Thank you to our team members for their efforts in helping us be named as a top performing health system for this challenge!

Join a team that truly cares: https://bit.ly/3ONBYb2

Learn more about this challenge: https://bit.ly/3WkeTzE

09/30/2025

🌟 This past Sunday, our Abdominal Transplant team proudly participated in the 2025 Pittsburgh Kidney Walk at Highmark Stadium! 🌟

The walk, sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, raises funds to support research, drive advocacy, and expand access to transplantation.

Our staff volunteered for the event and had a wonderful time connecting with patients, families, and fellow professionals who share our passion for this important cause. 💙🧡

Together, we walk for hope, awareness, and a future where more lives are saved through kidney health and transplantation.

09/17/2025

Celebrating Excellence in Transplant Care 🌟

We are proud to share that the Abdominal Transplant Department has been formally recognized by Allegheny General Hospital for our outstanding commitment to quality improvement and patient-centered care.

This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire transplant team who work tirelessly to ensure the best outcomes for our patients and their families.

👏 Congratulations to our team, and thank you to our patients for trusting us on their transplant journey.

09/04/2025

💚 Live Donor Project x National Kidney Foundation 💚
We’re proud to co-host this FREE and empowering program:

🧡 FINDING A LIVING DONOR 🧡
A special event for anyone navigating kidney disease or looking to support a loved one through living donation.

📍 The National Aviary, Pittsburgh
📅 Sunday, September 14th
🕚 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Includes lunch!)

Together, we’ll walk through the tools, language, and confidence-building strategies needed to find a living kidney donor. Whether you're a patient, a caregiver, or an advocate — this program is for you.

✨ This is part of the National Kidney Foundation’s Big Ask, Big Give initiative — and we’re honored to bring it to our Pittsburgh community.

🔗 Register now: kidney.org/BABG-9-14-2025
📲 Or scan the QR code in the post

Let’s change the way we talk about living donation.
Let’s help more people say YES.

08/29/2025

Our Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program Medical Director, Dr. Sureshkumar MD, FRCP, FASN, shared the highlights of his scholarly work with staff, colleagues, and students during Grand Rounds at Allegheny General Hospital.

The presentation demonstrated his extensive academic accomplishments and dedication to the field of renal transplantation. His research has not only advanced clinical understanding but has directly guided patient care and improved outcomes for patients. Combining his passion for kidney health with compassion for patients, Dr. Kumar continues to shape the future of transplant medicine.

Thank you, Dr. Kumar, for your tireless work, inspiring leadership, and commitment to improving lives. 👏🩺💙

08/22/2025

Meet the Team✨

From managing the kidney waitlist to guiding generous living donors, these incredible nurses are at the heart of our transplant program.

•Cara and Gailann are our dedicated Waitlist Coordinators. They work closely with patients on the kidney transplant waitlist to ensure they remain “transplant ready.” That means monitoring each patient’s health, staying up to date with any changes, and supporting patients and their families as they await a kidney transplant.

•Cassidy and Nicole are our compassionate Living Donor Coordinators. They walk side-by-side with individuals who are considering the gift of life through kidney donation—supporting them from initial screening, through surgery, and all the way to post-donation care.

Together, these two teams collaborate to match patients in need of a kidney transplant with generous, life-giving donors. 💛