As a liver transplant patient at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, you will receive care from a collaborative team of highly trained and experienced health care professionals who combine their expertise to address every aspect of your care. Working together, the team shares information and ideas to ensure full communication about your case and determine the best course of treatment before, during and after your transplant.

The multicultural team also is sensitive to the specific needs and concerns of Rush's diverse patient population. Members of the transplant program at Rush speak different languages, including Mandarin, Polish and Spanish.

The liver transplant care team at Rush includes the following professionals, who work together to meet the diverse needs of patients and their families throughout the transplant process.

Transplant physicians: These include both surgeons who perform the actual transplant and hepatologists (liver disease specialists) who will take charge of your care two to four months after your transplant surgery.

• Edie Chan, MD, primary liver transplant surgeon, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon 
• Oyedolamu Olaitan, MD, liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon
• Sameh Fayek, MD, liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon
• Edward Hollinger, MD, PhD, liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon
• Nikunj Shah, MD, acting chief, Section of Hepatology  
• Sheila Eswaran, MD, hepatologist, assistant professor, Section of Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition 

Transplant physician assistants: Physician assistants are involved in all aspects of your care, from admission through discharge in the hospital. They provide an essential link between the inpatient and outpatient teams and communicate on a regular basis with the surgeons, pharmacist, social workers and outpatient coordinator to implement your personalized plan of care on a daily basis.

Transplant nurse coordinators: Working together with the transplant physicians, they help provide you with personalized and consistent care. The transplant coordinators act as your case managers prior to your transplant and will continue to see you on a weekly basis for up to four months after you are discharged from the hospital.

• Pre-transplant nurse will help you get ready for your transplant
• Inpatient nurse will assist you during your stay at the hospital
• Post-transplant nurse will help you manage your care after your transplant.

Transplant pharmacists: These pharmacists help the transplant team decide the best drug therapy for you. They monitor your medications and adjust your dosage to make sure you are getting the greatest benefit. They also look for possible drug interactions. They are available to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your medications.

Clinical dietitians: Dietitians help the doctors decide what diet you need while you are in the hospital after surgery.  If you have special needs or need to be on a special diet when you return home after surgery, a dietitian will assist you.

Financial coordinators: Need to understand, manage or address problems with your medical insurance? They can help. A coordinator will work with your insurance company, Medicare and Medicaid to obtain approval for your transplant and to identify potential gaps in your coverage. For more information about insurance coverage for your liver transplant, please visit the Financial Information page.

Social workers: Helping you plan for both day-to-day and long-term needs related to transplant, social workers find you the support you need from your community. Your social worker can help locate agencies that provide temporary housing, travel arrangements, emotional and financial support, medications and rehabilitation placement.