Committees
The OSOTC consists of many standing committees that carry out the responsibilities of the organization as specified by the Ohio Extra-Renal Organ Transplantation Rule in Ohio Revised Code 3701-84-16 through 3701-84-23 and as set forth by the Cooperative Agreement.
The Chemical Dependency Committee consists of at least one representative from each of the member hospitals. The tasks of this committee are to monitor and evaluate the screening guidelines for individuals with organ failure who present with a secondary diagnosis of chemical dependency.
| Annette Humberson, LISW Elizabeth Hooley, LISW Melissa Burkett, LISW | Cleveland Clinic |
| Kim Ansley, LISW Melissa Skillman, LISW | The Ohio State University Medical Center |
| Lynn Deye, LISW Kathleen Daley, LISW | University Hospital of Cincinnati |
| Kristy Kast, LISW Paul Bate, LISW | University Hospitals Case Medical Center |
| Dolores Christie, PhD | Ethicist |
| Mark Hurst, MD | Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services |
The Cushion Fund Committee consists of the OSOTC’s Executive Committee and was created to guarantee access to care for individuals who were either uninsured or under-insured. Since most insurance companies now cover some or all of patients’ medical expenses and the member hospitals have agreed to absorb the cost of hospital bills for the uninsured, the fund’s purpose was changed to assisting patients in paying for non-reimbursable medical expenses and medication. In addition, monies from the Cushion Fund may also be designated to support Board approved non-patient specific endeavors that, in general, benefit the Ohio transplant patient well-being, transplant awareness and education, or promote organ donation.
| Kareem Abu-Elmagd, MD | The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Greg Tiao, MD | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center |
| Don Hayes, MD | Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Todd Pesavento, MD | Ohio State University Medical Center |
| E. Steve Woodle, MD | University Hospital of Cincinnati |
| Edmund Sanchez, MD | University Hospitals Case Medical Center |
| Mary DiOrio, MD | Ohio Department of Health |
| Gordon Bowen, Chief Executive Officer | LifeBanc |
| Barry Massa, Executive Director | LifeCenter Organ Donor Network |
| Kent Holloway, Chief Executive Officer | Lifeline of Ohio |
| Life Connection of Ohio |
The Program Peer Review Committee consists of a representative from each member hospital and a representative from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). This committee has the responsibility of conducting the annual program peer review to ensure that each member institution and each program continues to meet the standards necessary for entry into the Consortium, and maintains an acceptable survival rate as prescribed by OSOTC standards. In addition, the committee reviews the Consortium’s data in aggregate, focusing specifically on such factors as patient survival rates, transplant volume, and length of stay for the transplant hospitalization.
| Kareem Abu-Elmagd, MD | The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Greg Tiao, MD | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center |
| Don Hayes, MD | Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Todd Pesavento, MD | The Ohio State University Medical Center |
| E. Steve Woodle, MD | University Hospital of Cincinnati |
| Edmund Sanchez, MD | University Hospitals Case Medical Center |
| Mary DiOrio, MD | Ohio Department of Health |
The Pediatric Heart Program Review Committee conducts the statewide review in the spring of each year by performing case-by-case reviews. Rather than relying on statistical measures to evaluate the quality of each individual program, due to the low volume of pediatric heart transplants performed statewide, each patient’s care is discussed individually.
| Gerard Boyle, MD | The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Robert Stewart, MD | The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Clifford Chin, MD | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center |
| Alistair Phillips, MD | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center |
| Robert Gajarski, MD | Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Mark Galantowicz, MD | Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Mary DiOrio, MD | Ohio Department of Health |
The Patient Selection Committees, one for each separate organ, consists of a representative from each of the hospitals, a representative from the Ohio Department of Health, an ethicist, and an attorney. The Patient Selection Committee establishes policy that is consistent with both the principles of the Consortium and the requirements of United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) for patient selection. The committees also review proposed amendments to policy changes regarding the selection process for each of the organ-specific subcommittees.
Click to review the Organ Specific Patient Selection Committees
The Transplant Administrator Committee consists of a representative from each of the member hospitals and is charged with the responsibility of providing information regarding UNOS and CMS compliance issues and other management issues as they arise.
| Klesta Gjini | The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Scott Wansley | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center |
| TBD | Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Laura Stillion | The Ohio State University Medical Center |
| Jason Huff | University Hospital of Cincinnati |
| Micah Davis | University Hospitals Case Medical Center |
