AHN Abdominal Transplant

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. 💛

08/01/2025

Today is Pennsylvania Donor Day — a time to honor the heroes who give the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation 💚💙

Interested in becoming an organ donor?
Sign up here: https://registerme.org/campaign/ahn

05/28/2025

At Allegheny General Hospital, we strive to offer as many opportunities as possible for patients with end stage liver disease to receive a life-saving transplant.

With over 10,000 people on the national waiting list for a liver transplant, there are people who will die or get removed from the waiting list because they’ve become too sick to undergo a transplant or their liver cancer becomes too advanced. Unfortunately, there are many more people waiting for a transplant than there are available organs.

The good news is that a healthy person can donate part of their liver to someone in need of a transplant, shortening the time a recipient has to wait on the list and giving them a second chance at life.

If you are interested in learning more about donating part of your liver, please reach out to our living donor team for more information.

05/15/2025

Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2025 Top Doctors 🏆

Transplant surgeon Dr. Machado and transplant hepatologist Dr. Strahotin were recently featured in Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2025 Top Doctors report. A well-deserved recognition for two renowned physicians on our abdominal transplant team. 👏🏼

To receive this designation, doctors are nominated and screened based on their professional reputation, education and expertise, and interpersonal skills. The Castle Connolly Doctor Directory is the largest network of peer-nominated physicians in the nation.

Check out the full list of featured physicians:
https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/find-the-top-doctors-in-pittsburgh/

05/12/2025

Son donates kidney for mom’s second transplant 💚

Zane Slater’s decision to donate one of his kidneys to his mother was easy for him to make, but not quite as easy for her to accept.

“I was so adamant. I don’t want to take from my kids,” said Anna Castello. “He kept being persistent. It has to feel right to accept it. It felt right. It was God’s will.”

•••

Castello didn’t know it at the time, but Zane, 34, said he, his older brother, Zach Slater, 36, and their fiances had their blood tested to see if they would be suitable donors.

“They did it without my knowledge,” Castello said.

It was November last year when she finally agreed to accept a kidney from Zane.

“I’m supposed to take care of them. It was a reversal,” she said.

Slater said he had no hesitation about donating a kidney to his mother.

“Gotta take care of mom,” he said.

The transplant was performed Jan. 27 at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

•••

Slater said his kidney was removed at 7:30 a.m., but he barely noticed.

“I woke up and didn’t think they operated on me. I thought they decided they couldn’t do it,” Slater said.

He said felt the area of his abdomen that was covered with a bandage to confirm he underwent surgery.
The removal resulted in less post-operative pain than he experienced when his gall bladder and appendix were removed in separate procedures. The only rule he said he has to follow is to stay hydrated.

“It’s too easy,” Slater said.

•••

Over 100,000 people across the nation, including 7,000 in Pennsylvania, are awaiting an organ transplant. Every 10 minutes, someone new is added to the national transplant list and 17 will die every day while awaiting a transplant. One person can save the lives of as many as eight people through organ donation. One tissue donor can heal 75 lives, according to the proclamation.

Slater said he gets tested every six months to make sure his remaining kidney is working well, but those tests also will gradually become less frequent.

The hospital’s transplant team looks after the donor as much as the recipient, Castello said.
Because he donated a kidney, Slater said he would placed at the top of the transplant list if he needs one.

“Everyone should be a donor to save lives,” Castello said.

Read full story:

CONCORD TWP — Zane Slater’s decision to donate one of his kidneys to his mother was easy for him to make, but not quite as easy for her to accept. “I was so adamant. I don’t want to take from my kids,...

05/06/2025

Happy Nurses Week! 🩺🖤

We are proud to recognize the unwavering dedication, expertise, and compassion of our transplant nurse coordinators. Transplant coordinators guide patients and their families through every stage of the transplant journey—from initial evaluation and listing, to surgery, recovery, and lifelong follow-up.

We also want to thank the nursing teams in the operating room and inpatient units who ensure seamless, compassionate care during and after transplant surgery. Whether it’s educating patients, advocating for their needs, or providing emotional support, these nurses are with our patients every step of the way.

Thank you to our transplant nurse coordinators—and all transplant nurses—for being the steady hands and compassionate hearts behind every successful transplant. 👏🏼

04/30/2025

April 30th is Donor Remembrance Day 🤍

To wrap up National Donate Life Month, Allegheny General Hosptial hosted our annual Honor Walk to pay tribute to those who have given the ultimate lifesaving gift of organ donation.

The Honor Walk provides caregivers a chance to honor the heroism of patients, while giving families of deceased donors a powerful opportunity to recognize the legacies that their loved ones leave behind.

We are eternally grateful for those who gave the gift of life to those awaiting an organ transplant. They will never be forgotten. 💚

Read more: https://www.ahn.org/newsroom/press-releases/press-release.html?pr=allegheny-health-network-pays-tribute-to-over-100-members-of-organ-donor-families-with-ceremonial-honor-walk