Meet the Team

Strong results reflect a multidisciplinary approach to patient care that draws on the combined talents and experience of transplant physicians, transplant surgeons, nurse coordinators, transplant assistants, social workers, financial counselors and psychologists.

UF Health Shands Transplant Center team members offer state of the art immunosuppression protocols to improve patient and graft survival rates.

Transplant Center Director

• Jaison Abraham

Transplant Surgeons

• Thiago Beduschi, M.D.
  Chief, Division of Transplantation & Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Georgios Vrakas, M.D.
  Director, Adult Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program
• Ashraf El-Hinnawi, MD
  Director, Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program; Associate Director, Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Program
• Mark Johnson, M.D.
• Ali Zarrinpar, MD, PhD
• Daiki Soma, M.D., Ph.D.
• Wen Y Xie
• Alp Demirag

Transplant Physicians

• Kawther Alquadan, MD
• Alfonso Santos, Jr., M.D.
• Karl Womer, M.D.
  Medical Director, Adult Kidney Transplant 

Physician Extenders

• Nicole Gazzola

Manager of Kidney and Pancreas Transplant and the Living Donor Programs

• Sandra Demasters-Reynolds, MSN, RN, CCTC

Living Donor Team

• Stephanie Sharpe, RN, BSN – Coordinator
• Angela Hoppe, LCSW – Social work & ILDA
• Vickie Connell – Transplant Assistant 

Pre-Transplant Assistants

• Vickie Connell
• Phyllis Mitchell
• Pam Tilley-Hewlett
• Michaela Wiley

Post-Transplant Assistants

• Viva Brown
• Edward Harley
• Kathy Henderson
• Latosha Wiliams

Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Coordinators and Assistants

Pre-transplant Coordinators

• Mojdeh Bannister BSN, RN
• Goldwyn Rahman BSN, RN, CCRN
• Laura Schoonmaker MSN, RN, CCTC
• Michelle Tharp, RN, BSN

Live Donor

• Stephanie Sharpe, RN, BSN

Post-transplant Assistants

• Ke'van Brown, RN, BSN
• Karen S. Miller, RN, BS
• Kennisha Miranda, RN, BSN
• Wilma Thomas-Simmons RN, MSN, MBA
• June Sims, RN, BSN

Financial Coordinators

UF Health is contracted with most transplant networks. Check with your employer or insurer for more information about accessing UF Health for transplant services or our call financial coordinators with any questions.

• Stephanie Achour, 352.265.0358
• Katina Rees, 352.265.0359
• Carol Smith, 352.594.6951

Social Worker

• Jennifer Zeidman, MSW, LCSW, CCTSW (Adult and Pediatric)