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Casey Wollenberg, MSN, RN, a nurse practitioner and lung transplant coordinator with the USC Transplant Institute, part of ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, assists patients from the moment they get evaluated for lung transplant and throughout their post-transplant lives.

What does your job entail?

I help patients during their transplant evaluation process, pre-transplant and after transplant. Before transplant, I monitor the progression of their disease and readiness for transplant, helping them optimize any issues that might affect their success.

After transplant, I help the patient with the protocol for immunosuppression and any complications that may arise. I also make medication adjustments and order and review diagnostic tests.

What excites you about your work?

The complexity of the medicine and the patients. Throughout my career, I have felt incredibly privileged to be one of the people who witnesses patients at their most vulnerable, and many times, at their most successful.

Patient care needs to be patient-centered. We can’t make anything algorithmic because each patient and their experience is unique, including their medical issues, disease characteristics, support system and psychosocial needs. As a nurse practitioner, I can take more time to answer a patient’s questions and give thorough education to ensure their success.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

When I’m not taking care of people, I’m taking care of animals. I have a lot of pets. I also love learning. I like to study different languages and my ethnic heritage and background. I read anything I can get my hands on.

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Mollie Barnes

Mollie Barnes is a senior writer for ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø.

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