The lung transplant program provides two-hour educational seminars approximately three times per month (see schedule below), and lung transplant candidates are required to attend 12 lectures per year. There are usually two lectures per seminar. These seminars offer invaluable information to help you and your loved ones to learn more about transplant and to know what to expect. The professional staff of the lung transplant team provides interactive lectures about organ donation, post-transplant medications, the role of exercise, organ rejection, psychological factors, nutrition, research in transplant, ethics, and infection control.

Twice a year we offer a two-hour panel comprised of post-transplant patients that give pre-transplant patients an opportunity to hear their experiences. .Post-surgical patients are encouraged to participate, not only because the sessions continue to be helpful but also because they can offer a unique and very helpful perspective to candidates waiting for a donor organ.

The program also offers non-mandatory, specialized support group meetings for: (1) caregivers — those responsible for seeing to it that the recovering transplant patients are taking their medications, moving about and getting the necessary care they require at home — and for (2) pre-transplant patients to give them an opportunity to share their experiences and concerns with one another.

Lung Transplant Program Educational Seminar Meetings

Download the 2020 Meeting Schedules Flyer » ( English | Spanish )

Please Note: Patients Are Required to Attend 12 Seminar Meetings per Year.
One visit counts for 2 seminars.

January - June 2020

• Mon. January 13th

  12:00-1:00 PM: Readmissions and Hospitalizations by Tamar Garner, RN
  1:00-2:00 PM: What To Do When the Call Comes by Genevieve Reilly, DNP

• Tues, January 28th 

  3:00-4:00 PM: Post-Transplant Hospitalizations by Diana Walsh, PA
  4:00-5:00 PM: Meditation and Healing in Transplant by Rev. Seigan Ed Glassing

• Mon, February 10th

  12:00-1:00 PM: Nonpulmonary Complications by Hilary Robbins, MD
  1:00-2:00 PM: Acute and Chronic Rejection by Lori Shah, MD

• Tues, February 25th

  3:00-4:00 PM: Advanced Directives and Goals of Care by Sasha Storaasli, LCSW
  4:00-5:00 PM: Thoracic Procurement Procedures by Joseph Costa, PA

• Mon, March 9th

  12:00-1:00 PM: Post-Transplant Medications by Jenna Scheffert, Pharm-D
  1:00-2:00 PM: Lung Allocation Score (LAS) by Hanyoung Kim, RN

• Tues, March 24th 

  3:00-4:00 PM: Exercise in Transplant by Nicole Pieszchata, PT and Aimee Layton, PhD
  4:00-5:00 PM: Life After Transplant by Maggie Carroll, PA

• Mon, April 6th 

  12:00-1:00 PM: Open Forum (Q&A) by Carlo Balthazar, RN
  1:00-2:00 PM: Insurance and Financing Transplant by Stemmijoi Haynes, Fin. Coordinator

• Tues, April 21st  

  3:00-5:00 PM: Post Transplant Patient Panel by Lung Transplant Recipients
  Location: Riverview Terrace

• Mon, May 11th

  12:00-1:00 PM: Nonpulmonary Complications by Hilary Robbins, MD
  1:00-2:00 PM: Emotional Wellbeing in Transplant by David Federonko, MD

• Tues, May 26th

  3:00-4:00 PM: Frequently Asked Questions by Selim Arcasoy, MD
  4:00-5:00 PM: Types of Donors by Blair Wiggins, PA

• Mon, June 8th

  12:00-1:00 PM: The Importance of Caregivers
   (Seminar given in English but Spanish translation offered)
   by Melinda Greene, LCSW 
  
  1:00-2:00 PM: Types of Donors/Tipos de Donantes
  (for Spanish Speakers ONLY)
  by Altagracia Taveras, RN

• Tues, June 23rd

  3:00-4:00 PM: Fear and Courage in Transplant by Sasha Storaasli, LCSW
  4:00-5:00 PM: Diet and Transplant by Brenda Klein, RD, CDN, CDE

Location

All meetings will take place in:
Vivian & Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center
173 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032
Myrna Daniels Auditorium
Get Maps & Directions » 

EXCEPT the Post-Transplant Patient Panel which will take place in Riverview Terrace

Please bring sufficient oxygen to last the duration of your trip to the hospital and return home.
If you need to run out and need to borrow from the Milstein Security Desk, please return it to the safety containers when finished.

This Schedule is subject to last minute changes. It is advised to contact your Social Worker or check Social Worker voicemail prior to the meeting:

Sasha Storaasli, LMSW (212) 305-0665
Melinda Greene, LCSW (212) 342-1364