The 35th Annual Dr. Shamkant Mulgaonkar Transplant Surgeon Designee Symposium:
Celebrating Longevity in Transplant
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 7:00am - 4:15pm
Pines Manor - 2085 Lincoln Highway, Edison, NJ 08817
For Both Initial Transplant Designee Certification and Re-Certification for Nurses and Social Workers
Target Audience: Dialysis Nurses, Social Workes, Patient Care Technicians & Dietitians
This symposium is designed to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for healthcare professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge of renal and pancreas transplantation as a treatment modality for their CKD patients. It is designed for dialysis nurses, patient care technicians, dialysis social workers and dietitians. This symposium will also provide initial and recertification for Transplant Surgeon Designees.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Identify one way the transplant center maintains high quality outcomes for kidney transplant recipients
- Describe two responsibilities of the transplant surgeon designee
- Identify one method the transplant team utilizes to prepare patients for transplant success
- Define DGF (Delayed Graft Function) in kidney transplant recipients
- List one resource for patients to help find a potential living kidney donor
- Describe one method to manage diabetes in the post-transplant patient
- Identify two considerations in the psychosocial evaluation of transplant recipients
- Identify one type of deceased donor kidney that a patient has the option to consider for transplant
ProProgram Agenda
7:00AM Registration Opens
7:55AM WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
Christina Psathas - Manager, Business Development & Outreach
8:00AM NAVIGATING TRANSPLANT SUCCESS: IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
Francis L. Weng, MD, MSCE - Chief, Transplant Division
9:00AM GETTING STARTED: THE ROLE OF THE TRANSPLANT DESIGNEE
Jessica Pak, RN, BSN / Ann Ceide, RN, BSN - Transplant Coordinators
9:45AM BREAK
10:00AM SMART START: PREPARING PATIENTS FOR RENAL TRANSPLANT SUCCESS
Lauryn Weinshank, MSW, LCSW - Manager, Transplant Psychosocial Services
Colleen Dowling, RN, APN.C - Advanced Practice Provider Lead, Post-Transplant Clinic
10:45AM THE SLOW START: UNDERSTANDING & MANAGING DELAYED GRAFT FUNCTION
Homero Paniagua, DNP, APN.C - Advanced Practice Provider Lead, Post-Transplant Services
11:15AM CELEBRATING LONGEVITY IN TRNASPLANT: THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Moderator: Shelly Morningstar, BA - Transplant Outreach Coordinator
12:15AM LUNCH
1:15PM INNOVATIONS IN TRANSPLANT RESEARCH: HOW OUR TRANSPLANT STUDIES CAN
BENEFIT YOUR PATIENTS
Anup Patel, MD - Director, Transplant Research
2:00PM LET’S TALK ABOUT LIVING DONATION – A CONVERSATION WITH
THE EXPERTS
Moderators: Shelly Morningstar, BA / Stefany Castillo, BS, MPH - Transplant
Outreach Coordinators
3:00PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (Choose One)
Nurses & PCTs
UNDERSTANDING THE OFFER: CASE STUDIES ON DECEASED DONOR KIDNEY OFFERS
Francis L. Weng, MD, MSCE
THE EVOLUTION OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION: LESSONS FROM THE PAST, INNOVATIONS
FOR THE FUTURE
Valeria Ripa, MD - Transplant Surgeon
3:00PM Social Workers
PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION – COMPLEX CASE DISCUSSIONS
Moderator: Lauryn Weinshank, MSW, LCSW
Marie Gerace, MSW, LCSW / Erin Forman, LCSW, CCTSW / Mary Bringas, MSW,
LCSW / Rachel Alcada, MSW, LSW
Transplant Social Workers
Adriane Shaw, MSW, LSW - Living Donor Advocate
3:00PM Dietitians
MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY IN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS WITH DIABETES
Meiting Huang, MS, RD, CDCES - Transplant Dietitian & Diabetes Education
Specialist
4:00PM EVALUATIONS & CERTIFICATION
4:15PM MEETING ADJOURNS
Registration Information
Fee: $100 Includes continental breakfast, lunch, transplant certification and contact hours.
Registration Deadline: Friday, April 17, 2026
Contact Hours:
Nursing Contact Hours: This activity has been submitted to the Department of Nursing Education at CBMC to award contact hours. For additional questions, please contact Shelly Morningstar at shelly.morningstar@rwjbh.org or Stefany Castillo at stefany.castillo@rwjbh.org.
Social Work Contact Hours
This course, The 35th Annual Dr. Shamkant Mulgaonkar Transplant Surgeon Designee Symposium: Celebrating Longevity in Transplant, Approval #02092026-105, provided by Lauryn Weinshank, MSW, LCSW is approved for continuing education by the New Jersey Social Work Continuing Education Approval Collaborative, which is administered by NASW-NJ. CE Approval Collaborative Approval Period: Monday, February 9, 2026 through August 31, 2026. New Jersey social workers will receive 7 CE credits for participating in this course.
Dietitian Contact Hours: This activity has been submitted to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for approval to award contact hours to dietitians.
Patient Care Technician Contact Hours: This activity has been submitted to NANT, National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists for approval to award contact hours to patient care technicians.
Accommodations or Event Inquiries:
If you require accommodations or have any questions about the program, please contact Shelly Morningstar at shelly.morningstar@rwjbh.org or at 973.322.8988 or Stefany Castillo at stefany.castillo@rwjbh.org or 973.322.2652.