Heart Transplantation Committee

The Heart Transplantation Committee considers issues relating to heart procurement, allocation, and transplantation, including medical, scientific, and ethical aspects. The committee also considers the broad implications of such issues and deals with specific individual issues or situations. The goal of the committee’s work is to develop evidence-based policies aimed at reducing waitlist mortality in heart transplant candidates, increasing heart utilization, improving access to heart transplantation, and improving the health outcomes of heart transplant recipients.

Featured report

Current projects

Review

Board approved and pending implementation

Implemented

  • Modify Heart Policy for Intended Incompatible Blood Type (ABOi) Offers to Pediatric Candidates
  • Amend Adult Heart Status 2 Mechanical Device Requirements
  • Modify Heart Policy to Address Patient Safety Following Device Recall
  • Report Primary Graft Dysfunction in Heart Transplant Recipients (9/2023)
  • Amend Status Extension Requirements in Adult Heart Allocation Policy
  • Guidance Addressing the Use of Pediatric Heart Exceptions
  • Guidance and Policy Addressing Adult Heart Allocation
  • National Heart Review Board for Pediatrics (12/2019)
  • Eliminate the use of DSAs in thoracic distribution (1/2019)
  • Review board guidance on HCM and RCM exceptions (1/2018)
  • Guidance on congenital heart disease exception requests (7/2017)
  • Modify adult heart allocation 2016 2nd round (8/2016)

Committee members

Chair

Dr. Jondavid Menteer
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Vice Chair

Dr. Hannah Z Copeland
Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne

Liaison

Eric Messick
UNOS Employee
eric.messick@unos.org

MembersOrganizationPositionEnd Term Date
Dr. Tamas AlexyUniversity of Minnesota Medical Center, FairviewRegion 7 Representative6/30/2026
Maria D AvilaNorth Shore University Hospital/Northwell HealthRegion 9 Representative6/30/2028
Ms. Kim BaltierraTransplant Staffing Resources, LLCAt Large6/30/2027
Dr. Jennifer A CowgerHenry Ford HospitalAt Large6/30/2026
Dr. Kevin P DalyBoston Children's HospitalRegion 1 Representative6/30/2028
Dr. Richard C DalyMayo Clinic Hospital MinnesotaEx Officio6/30/2026
Ms. Erin DavisUniversity of Utah Medical CenterRegion 5 Representative6/30/2028
Dr. Jill M GelowProvidence St. Vincent Medical CenterRegion 6 Representative6/30/2028
Dr. Timothy A GongBaylor University Medical CenterRegion 4 Representative6/30/2026
Eman A HamadTemple University HospitalRegion 2 Representative6/30/2027
Jennifer HartmanCorewell Health Grand Rapids HospitalsRegion 10 Representative6/30/2026
Earl S LovellGeneral Public Region 5At Large6/30/2026
Dr. Cindy M MartinHouston Methodist HospitalAt Large6/30/2027
Dr. Ezequiel J MolinaPiedmont HospitalRegion 3 Representative6/30/2028
Amanda NathanGeneral Public Region 4At Large6/30/2028
Dr. Jason W SmithUniversity of California San Francisco Medical CenterAt Large6/30/2028
Dr. David L SutcliffeChildren's Mercy HospitalRegion 8 Representative6/30/2028
Dmitry M YaranovBaptist Memorial HospitalRegion 11 Representative6/30/2026

Past projects from the Thoracic Committee

Board approved and pending implementation

  • National Heart Review Board for Pediatrics (12/2019)
  • Adult heart allocation changes 2016 (1/2016)

Implemented

  • Eliminate the use of DSAs in thoracic distribution (1/2019)
  • Review board guidance on HCM and RCM exceptions (1/2018)
  • Guidance on congenital heart disease exception requests (7/2017)
  • Modify adult heart allocation 2016 2nd round (8/2016)
Date Last Reviewed: