How the Transplant Program began

Christiana Care Health System and the community nephrologists determined that Delaware needed improved end-stage renal care, especially renal (kidney) transplantation. National data compiled by the United States Renal Data System also confirmed this. While barriers to transplantation in surrounding states may seem relatively small in terms of travel distance, they loom large in the lives of many potential or current transplant recipients in the state. Christiana Care then established a renal transplant program to fulfill part of its mission to serve its neighbors as the premier medical system in the state of Delaware.

The Christiana Care Transplant Program officially opened to provide kidney transplant services to dialysis patients in the Christiana Care service area in October 2006. The program is certified by the appropriate agencies including the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). We also completed the assembly of our team of physicians and transplant professionals to provide optimum care for these complex patients. Though the program is new, many of the professionals on our team have greater than 15 years of experience in transplantation programs. 

We can be reached at 302-623-3866 and fax 302-623-3864 for referrals or any questions regarding the program.   

Our Care

Here is how a typical transplant case unfolds:

• When a donor organ becomes available, the computer generates a ranked list of patients based on factors that include tissue matching, blood type, length of time on the waiting list, immune status and the distance between the potential recipient and the donor.
• The organ is offered to the transplant team taking care of the first person on the list and to subsequent others in order until the organ can be accepted.
• According to UNOS, when a patient is selected as a donor match, he or she must be healthy enough to undergo major surgery and willing to be transplanted immediately.

Patients unable to benefit from a living donor wait increasingly long times for their kidneys.

Easier access to treatment
Christiana Care is one of only 250 hospitals performing kidney transplants in the U.S. In Delaware, A.I. du Pont Hospital for Children offers kidney and liver transplants for children. Donated kidneys can be kept on ice, but must be transplanted within 36 hours to remain viable. Until now, potential recipients in Delaware would have had to travel an hour or more on short notice to the closest transplant center when a kidney became available. 

We are available to assist on several levels of care. Transplantation, like dialysis, is a treatment and not a cure for end-stage renal disease. Our focus will be helping the patient determine the best treatment for them and providing them with a thorough education process as they make this decision.

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Our Team

S. John Swanson, III, M.D., FACS, has been selected as the Surgical Director for the program. He is a board certified urologist who completed residency in 1989 and kidney/pancreas fellowship training in 1991. From that time until his retirement on 31 December 2005, he had been the UNOS certified surgical director of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Program. In 1994, he also became the Chief, Organ Transplant Service which he continued until retirement as well. In 1999, he helped establish the Transplantation Branch of the NIDDK at National Institutes of Health that is a research-based program without standard-of-care protocols. He was an intramural Principal Investigator on one protocol and Associate on several others.

Stephanie Gilibert, M.D., a Delaware native, is the program’s Medical Director.  She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology and completed her internal medicine residency at Christiana and recently her Nephrology/Transplantation fellowship at Hahnemann University Hospital.  Stephanie holds transplant nephrology certification by the American Society of Transplantation and is a member of the American Society of Transplantation, the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation, the American Medical Association and the Medical Society of Delaware.

Geri LiBetti R.N., CCTC is the Administrative Director of Renal and Transplant Services. She has extensive transplant experience including bedside care of heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas recipients as well as multi-organ donors. She became a kidney transplant coordinator in 1990 with additional responsibility of pancreas transplant in 1997 and liver transplant in 1999. From 2001 until 2006 she was the senior coordinator for the liver program at the University of Pennsylvania. She was recently named to the UNOS Transplant Coordinator’s Committee which will help establish guidelines for practice and is a board member of the American Board of Transplant Coordinators.

Velma P. Scantlebury, M.D.,  comes to Christiana Care from the University of South Alabama’s Regional Transplant Center, where she has served as a professor of surgery, assistant dean for community education and directory of transplantation. She has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors.Com and she has served as a national spokesperson for Linkages to Life, an initiative to address the shortage of African- American organ donors. In her career, she has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants. She became the nation’s first African-American female transplant surgeon in 1989. Dr. Scantlebury earned her medical degree from Columbia University, followed by an internship and residency in general surgery at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. She completed her fellowship training in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as an assistant professor of surgery in 1989. She rose  to the rank of associate professor prior to her appointment at the University of Southern Alabama. Dr. Scantlebury has a special interest in outcomes research in the area of donation and transplantation in African Americans; increasing organ donation in the African-American community through education and awareness; increasing the incidence of living donor transplantation by education; and in treating viral infections in kidneys.

Aline Stant is a graduate of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden, NJ and earned her BSN and MSN at Wilmington College, in New Castle, DE. She has cared for renal patients in many roles for close to three decades, most of those years at Christiana Care, and holds certification in nephrology nursing.  She was the patient and staff educator in the Hemodialysis Unit at Christiana Care for ten years and the nurse manager for four years prior to accepting the position of Transplant Coordinator.

Eileen Edge, MSW, LSW comes to us with many years of experience as a transplant social worker. She earned her Masters Degree for University of Pennsylvania, and began her transplant experience in 1992 with renal transplant patients at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. As a Senior Social Worker she developed the social work position for the lung and liver transplant programs and has followed hundreds of patients and their families through the continuum of care. In addition to patient assessment and care, Eileen plans to organize a patient support group here at Christiana and continue her active participation  with the Delaware Valley Transplant Social Workers group, the Society for Transplant Social Workers, Gift of Life Donor Program and the National Kidney Foundation.

Nadia Hellenga, Pharm D, is the Clinical Pharmacist, Renal Transplant & Special Projects. Sh received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, New York and completed a residency in pharmacy practice at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Since August 2002, she has been working as a clinical pharmacist at Christiana Hospital and joined the Kidney Transplant Team in August 2006.  She serves on several hospital committees, is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, is a past-president and current board member of the Delaware Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and is a board member on the Delaware Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.

Karyn Scout is the financial coordinator for the program after spending the past five years in the finance office here at Christiana Care. Karyn is a lifelong Delaware resident with extensive experience in the specialized area of insurance payors and reimbursement.

Carlene Bowen has been appointed the renal transplant dietician. She received her bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics from Immaculata University in 1999, and has since obtained extensive experience caring for renal patients at various institutions. She completed her dietetic internship at NIH, which included organ transplant patients, and joined the Christiana Care team in 2004. 

Grace Franceschini has accepted the responsibility of Administrative Assistant for the Kidney Transplant Team.  Employed by the Christiana Care Health System for more than seven years, Grace has applied her extraordinary organizational skills to the transplant process, assisting patients through the various phases of care.  As the first point of contact for the program, on the telephone or in person, Grace is our representative to the world.

Gail Eastman RN, BSN - 28 years as a registered nurse caring for patients with chronic kidney disease. 15 years managing acute and chronic dialysis facilities. 3 years working in southeast Asia as a nephrology clinical consultant teaching health care workers proper dialysis policies and techniques. 5 years as kidney transplant coordinator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Currently working towards completion of MSN and eligibility to become licensed as Nurse Practitioner by Fall ’08.

Jessica Terranova, R.D., Transplant Dietitian - Jessica attended the University of Delaware, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Dietetics/Nutrition, minor in Biology, and focus in Fitness Management. After graduating from the University, she went on to complete the dietetic internship and became eligible to sit for the registration exam. After successful completion of the internship and exam, she obtained her registration as a Dietitian, certified to provide medical nutrition therapy. She became a part of the Christiana Care Health Care team in July 2007, and joined the Renal Transplant Program shortly after.

Her experience includes working as a clinical dietitian in the hospital, completing nutrition assessments, providing recommendations and diet education as needed. She also worked as an Apex fitness professional, where she obtained experience with weight loss counseling and exercise prescription. As she defines her role as a member of the transplant team, she continues to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition research. Her current role involves assessing dietary compliance of pre-transplant patients and donors, providing diet education/intervention where needed; and providing post transplant nutrition care.

Terina Williams is a graduate of Neumann College in Aston, PA where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also has a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Millersville University and has a certification in nephrology nursing. She has been a Christiana Care employee since 1997. Prior to becoming a transplant coordinator in April of 2007, she has worked as a staff nurse at Wilmington on the step down unit and ICU. Her most recent position was as a RNII in hemodialysis. Her experience in these areas has helped her tremendously to adapt to her new role as transplant coordinator. She is responsible for both pre and post transplant patients with a primary focus in post transplant.

We can be reached at 302-623-3866 and fax 302-623-3864 for referrals or any questions regarding the program. 

Velma P. Scantlebury, M.D.,  comes to Christiana Care from the University of South Alabama’s Regional Transplant Center, where she has served as a professor of surgery, assistant dean for community education and directory of transplantation. She has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors.Com and she has served as a national spokesperson for Linkages to Life, an initiative to address the shortage of African- American organ donors. In her career, she has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants. She became the nation’s first African-American female transplant surgeon in 1989. Dr. Scantlebury earned her medical degree from Columbia University, followed by an internship and residency in general surgery at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. She completed her fellowship training in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as an assistant professor of surgery in 1989. She rose  to the rank of associate professor prior to her appointment at the University of Southern Alabama. Dr. Scantlebury has a special interest in outcomes research in the area of donation and transplantation in African Americans; increasing organ donation in the African-American community through education and awareness; increasing the incidence of living donor transplantation by education; and in treating viral infections in kidneys.

Aline Stant is a graduate of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden, NJ and earned her BSN and MSN at Wilmington College, in New Castle, DE. She has cared for renal patients in many roles for close to three decades, most of those years at Christiana Care, and holds certification in nephrology nursing.  She was the patient and staff educator in the Hemodialysis Unit at Christiana Care for ten years and the nurse manager for four years prior to accepting the position of Transplant Coordinator.

Eileen Edge, MSW, LSW comes to us with many years of experience as a transplant social worker. She earned her Masters Degree for University of Pennsylvania, and began her transplant experience in 1992 with renal transplant patients at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. As a Senior Social Worker she developed the social work position for the lung and liver transplant programs and has followed hundreds of patients and their families through the continuum of care. In addition to patient assessment and care, Eileen plans to organize a patient support group here at Christiana and continue her active participation  with the Delaware Valley Transplant Social Workers group, the Society for Transplant Social Workers, Gift of Life Donor Program and the National Kidney Foundation.

Nadia Hellenga, Pharm D, is the Clinical Pharmacist, Renal Transplant & Special Projects. Sh received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, New York and completed a residency in pharmacy practice at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Since August 2002, she has been working as a clinical pharmacist at Christiana Hospital and joined the Kidney Transplant Team in August 2006.  She serves on several hospital committees, is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, is a past-president and current board member of the Delaware Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and is a board member on the Delaware Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.

Karyn Scout is the financial coordinator for the program after spending the past five years in the finance office here at Christiana Care. Karyn is a lifelong Delaware resident with extensive experience in the specialized area of insurance payors and reimbursement.

Carlene Bowen has been appointed the renal transplant dietician. She received her bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics from Immaculata University in 1999, and has since obtained extensive experience caring for renal patients at various institutions. She completed her dietetic internship at NIH, which included organ transplant patients, and joined the Christiana Care team in 2004. 

Grace Franceschini has accepted the responsibility of Administrative Assistant for the Kidney Transplant Team.  Employed by the Christiana Care Health System for more than seven years, Grace has applied her extraordinary organizational skills to the transplant process, assisting patients through the various phases of care.  As the first point of contact for the program, on the telephone or in person, Grace is our representative to the world.

Gail Eastman RN, BSN - 28 years as a registered nurse caring for patients with chronic kidney disease. 15 years managing acute and chronic dialysis facilities. 3 years working in southeast Asia as a nephrology clinical consultant teaching health care workers proper dialysis policies and techniques. 5 years as kidney transplant coordinator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Currently working towards completion of MSN and eligibility to become licensed as Nurse Practitioner by Fall ’08.

Jessica Terranova, R.D., Transplant Dietitian - Jessica attended the University of Delaware, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Dietetics/Nutrition, minor in Biology, and focus in Fitness Management. After graduating from the University, she went on to complete the dietetic internship and became eligible to sit for the registration exam. After successful completion of the internship and exam, she obtained her registration as a Dietitian, certified to provide medical nutrition therapy. She became a part of the Christiana Care Health Care team in July 2007, and joined the Renal Transplant Program shortly after.

Her experience includes working as a clinical dietitian in the hospital, completing nutrition assessments, providing recommendations and diet education as needed. She also worked as an Apex fitness professional, where she obtained experience with weight loss counseling and exercise prescription. As she defines her role as a member of the transplant team, she continues to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition research. Her current role involves assessing dietary compliance of pre-transplant patients and donors, providing diet education/intervention where needed; and providing post transplant nutrition care.

Terina Williams is a graduate of Neumann College in Aston, PA where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also has a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Millersville University and has a certification in nephrology nursing. She has been a Christiana Care employee since 1997. Prior to becoming a transplant coordinator in April of 2007, she has worked as a staff nurse at Wilmington on the step down unit and ICU. Her most recent position was as a RNII in hemodialysis. Her experience in these areas has helped her tremendously to adapt to her new role as transplant coordinator. She is responsible for both pre and post transplant patients with a primary focus in post transplant.

We can be reached at 302-623-3866 and fax 302-623-3864 for referrals or any questions regarding the program. 

Velma P. Scantlebury, M.D.,  comes to Christiana Care from the University of South Alabama’s Regional Transplant Center, where she has served as a professor of surgery, assistant dean for community education and directory of transplantation. She has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors.Com and she has served as a national spokesperson for Linkages to Life, an initiative to address the shortage of African- American organ donors. In her career, she has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants. She became the nation’s first African-American female transplant surgeon in 1989. Dr. Scantlebury earned her medical degree from Columbia University, followed by an internship and residency in general surgery at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. She completed her fellowship training in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as an assistant professor of surgery in 1989. She rose  to the rank of associate professor prior to her appointment at the University of Southern Alabama. Dr. Scantlebury has a special interest in outcomes research in the area of donation and transplantation in African Americans; increasing organ donation in the African-American community through education and awareness; increasing the incidence of living donor transplantation by education; and in treating viral infections in kidneys.

Aline Stant is a graduate of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden, NJ and earned her BSN and MSN at Wilmington College, in New Castle, DE. She has cared for renal patients in many roles for close to three decades, most of those years at Christiana Care, and holds certification in nephrology nursing.  She was the patient and staff educator in the Hemodialysis Unit at Christiana Care for ten years and the nurse manager for four years prior to accepting the position of Transplant Coordinator.

Eileen Edge, MSW, LSW comes to us with many years of experience as a transplant social worker. She earned her Masters Degree for University of Pennsylvania, and began her transplant experience in 1992 with renal transplant patients at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. As a Senior Social Worker she developed the social work position for the lung and liver transplant programs and has followed hundreds of patients and their families through the continuum of care. In addition to patient assessment and care, Eileen plans to organize a patient support group here at Christiana and continue her active participation  with the Delaware Valley Transplant Social Workers group, the Society for Transplant Social Workers, Gift of Life Donor Program and the National Kidney Foundation.

Nadia Hellenga, Pharm D, is the Clinical Pharmacist, Renal Transplant & Special Projects. Sh received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, New York and completed a residency in pharmacy practice at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Since August 2002, she has been working as a clinical pharmacist at Christiana Hospital and joined the Kidney Transplant Team in August 2006.  She serves on several hospital committees, is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, is a past-president and current board member of the Delaware Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and is a board member on the Delaware Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.

Karyn Scout is the financial coordinator for the program after spending the past five years in the finance office here at Christiana Care. Karyn is a lifelong Delaware resident with extensive experience in the specialized area of insurance payors and reimbursement.

Carlene Bowen has been appointed the renal transplant dietician. She received her bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics from Immaculata University in 1999, and has since obtained extensive experience caring for renal patients at various institutions. She completed her dietetic internship at NIH, which included organ transplant patients, and joined the Christiana Care team in 2004. 

Grace Franceschini has accepted the responsibility of Administrative Assistant for the Kidney Transplant Team.  Employed by the Christiana Care Health System for more than seven years, Grace has applied her extraordinary organizational skills to the transplant process, assisting patients through the various phases of care.  As the first point of contact for the program, on the telephone or in person, Grace is our representative to the world.

Gail Eastman RN, BSN - 28 years as a registered nurse caring for patients with chronic kidney disease. 15 years managing acute and chronic dialysis facilities. 3 years working in southeast Asia as a nephrology clinical consultant teaching health care workers proper dialysis policies and techniques. 5 years as kidney transplant coordinator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Currently working towards completion of MSN and eligibility to become licensed as Nurse Practitioner by Fall ’08.

Jessica Terranova, R.D., Transplant Dietitian - Jessica attended the University of Delaware, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Dietetics/Nutrition, minor in Biology, and focus in Fitness Management. After graduating from the University, she went on to complete the dietetic internship and became eligible to sit for the registration exam. After successful completion of the internship and exam, she obtained her registration as a Dietitian, certified to provide medical nutrition therapy. She became a part of the Christiana Care Health Care team in July 2007, and joined the Renal Transplant Program shortly after.

Her experience includes working as a clinical dietitian in the hospital, completing nutrition assessments, providing recommendations and diet education as needed. She also worked as an Apex fitness professional, where she obtained experience with weight loss counseling and exercise prescription. As she defines her role as a member of the transplant team, she continues to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition research. Her current role involves assessing dietary compliance of pre-transplant patients and donors, providing diet education/intervention where needed; and providing post transplant nutrition care.

Terina Williams is a graduate of Neumann College in Aston, PA where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also has a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Millersville University and has a certification in nephrology nursing. She has been a Christiana Care employee since 1997. Prior to becoming a transplant coordinator in April of 2007, she has worked as a staff nurse at Wilmington on the step down unit and ICU. Her most recent position was as a RNII in hemodialysis. Her experience in these areas has helped her tremendously to adapt to her new role as transplant coordinator. She is responsible for both pre and post transplant patients with a primary focus in post transplant.

We can be reached at 302-623-3866 and fax 302-623-3864 for referrals or any questions regarding the program. 

Velma P. Scantlebury, M.D.,  comes to Christiana Care from the University of South Alabama’s Regional Transplant Center, where she has served as a professor of surgery, assistant dean for community education and directory of transplantation. She has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors.Com and she has served as a national spokesperson for Linkages to Life, an initiative to address the shortage of African- American organ donors. In her career, she has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants. She became the nation’s first African-American female transplant surgeon in 1989. Dr. Scantlebury earned her medical degree from Columbia University, followed by an internship and residency in general surgery at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. She completed her fellowship training in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as an assistant professor of surgery in 1989. She rose  to the rank of associate professor prior to her appointment at the University of Southern Alabama. Dr. Scantlebury has a special interest in outcomes research in the area of donation and transplantation in African Americans; increasing organ donation in the African-American community through education and awareness; increasing the incidence of living donor transplantation by education; and in treating viral infections in kidneys.

Aline Stant is a graduate of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden, NJ and earned her BSN and MSN at Wilmington College, in New Castle, DE. She has cared for renal patients in many roles for close to three decades, most of those years at Christiana Care, and holds certification in nephrology nursing.  She was the patient and staff educator in the Hemodialysis Unit at Christiana Care for ten years and the nurse manager for four years prior to accepting the position of Transplant Coordinator.

Eileen Edge, MSW, LSW comes to us with many years of experience as a transplant social worker. She earned her Masters Degree for University of Pennsylvania, and began her transplant experience in 1992 with renal transplant patients at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. As a Senior Social Worker she developed the social work position for the lung and liver transplant programs and has followed hundreds of patients and their families through the continuum of care. In addition to patient assessment and care, Eileen plans to organize a patient support group here at Christiana and continue her active participation  with the Delaware Valley Transplant Social Workers group, the Society for Transplant Social Workers, Gift of Life Donor Program and the National Kidney Foundation.

Nadia Hellenga, Pharm D, is the Clinical Pharmacist, Renal Transplant & Special Projects. Sh received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, New York and completed a residency in pharmacy practice at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Since August 2002, she has been working as a clinical pharmacist at Christiana Hospital and joined the Kidney Transplant Team in August 2006.  She serves on several hospital committees, is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, is a past-president and current board member of the Delaware Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and is a board member on the Delaware Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.

Karyn Scout is the financial coordinator for the program after spending the past five years in the finance office here at Christiana Care. Karyn is a lifelong Delaware resident with extensive experience in the specialized area of insurance payors and reimbursement.

Carlene Bowen has been appointed the renal transplant dietician. She received her bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics from Immaculata University in 1999, and has since obtained extensive experience caring for renal patients at various institutions. She completed her dietetic internship at NIH, which included organ transplant patients, and joined the Christiana Care team in 2004. 

Grace Franceschini has accepted the responsibility of Administrative Assistant for the Kidney Transplant Team.  Employed by the Christiana Care Health System for more than seven years, Grace has applied her extraordinary organizational skills to the transplant process, assisting patients through the various phases of care.  As the first point of contact for the program, on the telephone or in person, Grace is our representative to the world.

Gail Eastman RN, BSN - 28 years as a registered nurse caring for patients with chronic kidney disease. 15 years managing acute and chronic dialysis facilities. 3 years working in southeast Asia as a nephrology clinical consultant teaching health care workers proper dialysis policies and techniques. 5 years as kidney transplant coordinator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Currently working towards completion of MSN and eligibility to become licensed as Nurse Practitioner by Fall ’08.

Jessica Terranova, R.D., Transplant Dietitian - Jessica attended the University of Delaware, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Dietetics/Nutrition, minor in Biology, and focus in Fitness Management. After graduating from the University, she went on to complete the dietetic internship and became eligible to sit for the registration exam. After successful completion of the internship and exam, she obtained her registration as a Dietitian, certified to provide medical nutrition therapy. She became a part of the Christiana Care Health Care team in July 2007, and joined the Renal Transplant Program shortly after.

Her experience includes working as a clinical dietitian in the hospital, completing nutrition assessments, providing recommendations and diet education as needed. She also worked as an Apex fitness professional, where she obtained experience with weight loss counseling and exercise prescription. As she defines her role as a member of the transplant team, she continues to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition research. Her current role involves assessing dietary compliance of pre-transplant patients and donors, providing diet education/intervention where needed; and providing post transplant nutrition care.

Terina Williams is a graduate of Neumann College in Aston, PA where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also has a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Millersville University and has a certification in nephrology nursing. She has been a Christiana Care employee since 1997. Prior to becoming a transplant coordinator in April of 2007, she has worked as a staff nurse at Wilmington on the step down unit and ICU. Her most recent position was as a RNII in hemodialysis. Her experience in these areas has helped her tremendously to adapt to her new role as transplant coordinator. She is responsible for both pre and post transplant patients with a primary focus in post transplant.

We can be reached at 302-623-3866 and fax 302-623-3864 for referrals or any questions regarding the program. 

Velma P. Scantlebury, M.D.,  comes to Christiana Care from the University of South Alabama’s Regional Transplant Center, where she has served as a professor of surgery, assistant dean for community education and directory of transplantation. She has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors.Com and she has served as a national spokesperson for Linkages to Life, an initiative to address the shortage of African- American organ donors. In her career, she has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants. She became the nation’s first African-American female transplant surgeon in 1989. Dr. Scantlebury earned her medical degree from Columbia University, followed by an internship and residency in general surgery at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. She completed her fellowship training in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as an assistant professor of surgery in 1989. She rose  to the rank of associate professor prior to her appointment at the University of Southern Alabama. Dr. Scantlebury has a special interest in outcomes research in the area of donation and transplantation in African Americans; increasing organ donation in the African-American community through education and awareness; increasing the incidence of living donor transplantation by education; and in treating viral infections in kidneys.

Aline Stant is a graduate of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden, NJ and earned her BSN and MSN at Wilmington College, in New Castle, DE. She has cared for renal patients in many roles for close to three decades, most of those years at Christiana Care, and holds certification in nephrology nursing.  She was the patient and staff educator in the Hemodialysis Unit at Christiana Care for ten years and the nurse manager for four years prior to accepting the position of Transplant Coordinator.

Eileen Edge, MSW, LSW comes to us with many years of experience as a transplant social worker. She earned her Masters Degree for University of Pennsylvania, and began her transplant experience in 1992 with renal transplant patients at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. As a Senior Social Worker she developed the social work position for the lung and liver transplant programs and has followed hundreds of patients and their families through the continuum of care. In addition to patient assessment and care, Eileen plans to organize a patient support group here at Christiana and continue her active participation  with the Delaware Valley Transplant Social Workers group, the Society for Transplant Social Workers, Gift of Life Donor Program and the National Kidney Foundation.

Nadia Hellenga, Pharm D, is the Clinical Pharmacist, Renal Transplant & Special Projects. Sh received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, New York and completed a residency in pharmacy practice at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Since August 2002, she has been working as a clinical pharmacist at Christiana Hospital and joined the Kidney Transplant Team in August 2006.  She serves on several hospital committees, is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, is a past-president and current board member of the Delaware Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and is a board member on the Delaware Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.

Karyn Scout is the financial coordinator for the program after spending the past five years in the finance office here at Christiana Care. Karyn is a lifelong Delaware resident with extensive experience in the specialized area of insurance payors and reimbursement.

Carlene Bowen has been appointed the renal transplant dietician. She received her bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics from Immaculata University in 1999, and has since obtained extensive experience caring for renal patients at various institutions. She completed her dietetic internship at NIH, which included organ transplant patients, and joined the Christiana Care team in 2004. 

Grace Franceschini has accepted the responsibility of Administrative Assistant for the Kidney Transplant Team.  Employed by the Christiana Care Health System for more than seven years, Grace has applied her extraordinary organizational skills to the transplant process, assisting patients through the various phases of care.  As the first point of contact for the program, on the telephone or in person, Grace is our representative to the world.

Gail Eastman RN, BSN - 28 years as a registered nurse caring for patients with chronic kidney disease. 15 years managing acute and chronic dialysis facilities. 3 years working in southeast Asia as a nephrology clinical consultant teaching health care workers proper dialysis policies and techniques. 5 years as kidney transplant coordinator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Currently working towards completion of MSN and eligibility to become licensed as Nurse Practitioner by Fall ’08.

Jessica Terranova, R.D., Transplant Dietitian - Jessica attended the University of Delaware, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Dietetics/Nutrition, minor in Biology, and focus in Fitness Management. After graduating from the University, she went on to complete the dietetic internship and became eligible to sit for the registration exam. After successful completion of the internship and exam, she obtained her registration as a Dietitian, certified to provide medical nutrition therapy. She became a part of the Christiana Care Health Care team in July 2007, and joined the Renal Transplant Program shortly after.

Her experience includes working as a clinical dietitian in the hospital, completing nutrition assessments, providing recommendations and diet education as needed. She also worked as an Apex fitness professional, where she obtained experience with weight loss counseling and exercise prescription. As she defines her role as a member of the transplant team, she continues to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition research. Her current role involves assessing dietary compliance of pre-transplant patients and donors, providing diet education/intervention where needed; and providing post transplant nutrition care.

Terina Williams is a graduate of Neumann College in Aston, PA where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also has a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Millersville University and has a certification in nephrology nursing. She has been a Christiana Care employee since 1997. Prior to becoming a transplant coordinator in April of 2007, she has worked as a staff nurse at Wilmington on the step down unit and ICU. Her most recent position was as a RNII in hemodialysis. Her experience in these areas has helped her tremendously to adapt to her new role as transplant coordinator. She is responsible for both pre and post transplant patients with a primary focus in post transplant.

We can be reached at 302-623-3866 and fax 302-623-3864 for referrals or any questions regarding the program.