Ernesto Molmenti

Director & Executive Vice President

Ernesto P. Molmenti, M.D., PH.D. M.B.A. has 25 years of experience in performing successful transplant surgeries and is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life. 

Most recently Molmenti served as System Chief, Surgical Innovation; Vice Chairman, Department of Surgery; Director, Kidney Transplantation; and Professor, Departments of Surgery, Medicine, and Pediatrics at Northwell Health and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. There he established the adult (2007) and pediatric (2016) kidney transplant programs, founded the multi-disciplinary Division of Surgical Innovation across 24 hospitals, and was involved in the development of a new medical school and its merger with an existing health care system. After completing an adult and pediatric abdominal transplant fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, he has led multi-organ transplant efforts at Baylor University Medical Center/Children’s Medical Center of Dallas; The University of Texas Southwestern; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and The University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Molmenti has authored 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts/chapters and written 6 textbooks translated into multiple languages (the most recent one being Molmenti’s Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, 2nd. Edition, McGraw Hill AccessSurgery).  His research interests include interventions to eliminate disparities in transplantation and increase organ donor registration.  At the national level, through his membership in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network /United Network for Organ Sharing OPTN/UNOS National Kidney Transplantation Committee, he contributed to the mandated re-design of the kidney allocation system in the US. At the international level, he published in The Lancet a new approach to directed organ donation and incompatible kidney chains, and in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, a call for equity addressing homelessness, organ donation, and transplantation. He is also a named inventor in multiple patents and has won numerous teaching and research awards.  

Alexander Aussi

Interim Transplant Administrator

Alexander Aussi possesses over 33 years of experience in healthcare, 30 years in organ transplantation. He has extensive experience in transplant administration, new transplant and VAD program setup, marketing, managed care relations, contract management and multiorgan transplant Medicare Acquisition cost centers.
Alexander completed his BSN in 1990 from the Faculty of Medicine at the American University of Beirut. He finalized his Nursing Board certification from the University of the State of New York, Albany in 1994, and continued his MBA at Oklahoma City University from which he graduated with high honors in 1995.
 
Alexander formerly served as Coordinator of Operations at the Oklahoma Transplant Institute at INTEGRIS, Oklahoma City, OK (1994-1999) where he participated in the founding of the liver transplant program. He was one of the founding Directors of the CHRISTUS Transplant Institute at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Healthcare in San Antonio, TX (1999-2006) and played an instrumental role in the program’s certification, growth, and development as a regional South Texas transplant referral center. In 2006, Alexander was recognized by the San Antonio Business Journal as one of the 40 under 40 in San Antonio for his efforts.
 
Alexander joined the University of California San Diego (“UCSD”) Medical Center in the capacity of Service Line Administrator for organ transplantation (all organs), long term mechanical heart assist devices, and clinical Hepatology (2006-2014) and assisted in ensuring that the UCSD transplant programs met all goals for certification, quality, compliance and service. He was instrumental in the development of the UCSD programs as national and international transplant referral centers.
 
Alexander worked on several UNOS committees and workgroups and led peer efforts to create the transplant provider satisfaction survey through Press Ganey in 2010. He also served on the AST-Transplant Administrators Community of Practice (AST- COP) since its inception in 2010 and was elected by peers as Chair of the AST-COP for a two-year term (2013 - 2015).  Alexander frequently presents on relevant transplant topics at UNOS Management Forums and ATC meetings. He has published many abstracts, which he authored with transplant colleagues, and through his work as independent consultant to CMS and many transplant programs in the U.S. and abroad.
 
At the 2014 UNOS Transplant Management Forum, Alexander received the prestigious Heckenkemper Leader in Transplant Administration Award. The peer-driven award is presented annually to an individual for distinguished leadership in transplant administration.
Alexander worked with Guidry & East for several years as a contract employee before joining the firm as Chief Operating Officer/Principal/Owner in 2014 and then as Chief Executive Officer in 2018. He oversees the clinical/operations and transplant finance consulting functions of Guidry & East.

David Mulligan

Faculty Member

David C. Mulligan, MD, is an abdominal organ transplant surgeon performing both living and deceased donor liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants.

He currently serves as Professor of Surgery, Transplantation and Immunology in the Department of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine/Yale New Haven Health System.

His clinical and academic focus surrounds living donor liver transplantation, expanding donation, and working on ways to utilize ex-vivo organ perfusion systems to increase transplantation in the United States.

Dr. Mulligan and his team are testing novel strategies in immunosuppression; improved biomechanical organ preservation methods to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury and promote regeneration; and working in the field of 3D bioprinting to collaborate in finding ways to grow new organs from stem cell precursors.

He has performed more than 250 living donor transplants and has authored more that 180 publications. He also has served on numerous editorial review boards and presented across the U.S. and internationally.

Dr. Mulligan’s leadership in solid organ transplantation across national and international platforms has grown considerably and he now serves as Past President of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)/Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN), Member at-large on the Governing Board of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Past Chair of the Advisory Council on Transplantation (ACOT) to the Secretary of HHS, special government employee for FDA Medical Device Advisory Committee and chair of the Business Practice Committee of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. He also contributes to the oversight and recommendations regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on solid organ transplantation in the U.S. for both the AASLD and the ASTS.

In these visionary roles, he has led major changes in organ allocation and distribution and will hopefully culminate in substantial increases in organ transplants. Passionate about patient-centered care and building more resilient teams, he makes time to share his enjoyment of spending time in nature, especially near the ocean, with his wife and three children.  

Harrison Pollinger

Faculty Member

Dr. Harrison Scott Pollinger, DO, FACS, is a multi-organ abdominal transplant surgeon. He brings several decades of experience in organ donation and transplant surgery to his new position with Nevada Donor Network as Associate Medical Director and Recovery Surgeon. This experience includes more than 17 years of experience leading one of the country’s largest transplant centers. He has performed over 700 liver transplants and thousands of abdominal procurements. 

Joseph Ferreira

Founding Chair

Joe Ferreira began his role as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Nevada Donor Network in April 2012.

Ferreira brings years of experience and expertise in the organ procurement field. He spent 14 years at Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency in Miami, Florida where he served as the Director of Clinical Operations for seven years, and is certified in all aspects of the organ donation and recovery process.

Ferreira has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology and an MBA, with a specialization in Healthcare Administration and Policy, from the University of Miami. He serves as a coach for the Art and Science of Leadership Program at the Wharton School and Fox School of Business.

Ferreira has served as a member-at-large on the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) Executive Committee, and is the President of AOPO (2020-2021). He is a certified member of the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), a certified faculty member of the North American Transplant Coordinators Organization (NATCO), and a past board member of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He has served as the Chairman of the Procurement Council for AOPO and as an at-large representative on four committees for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Ferreira is a published author and speaker on organ donation. He has presented at conferences and meetings around the world. He consults internationally and has provided guidance to several foreign governments on the establishment or improvement of organ donation and transplant systems based on the U.S. model. He was also the recipient of the Kruger Award for 'Outstanding Professional- Transplant Services' by the Transplant Foundation in Miami.

Brian Erling

Inaugural Board Member

Dr. Brian Erling is President and CEO of Renown Health, one of the nation's most innovative and progressive health systems. Brian leads Renown's charitable mission of making a genuine difference in the community's health and well-being.

Renown Health is Nevada’s largest, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. The integrated healthcare system, based in Reno, NV, includes four hospitals, 100 sites for primary, urgent and specialty care; telehealth; an integrated, provider sponsored health plan and accountable care organization serving more than 120,000 members. Most recently, Dr. Erling and his team are working to integrate the University of Nevada’s School of Medicine into Renown Health and have established a Clinically Integrated Network with 600 providers and 100,000 at-risk lives. Renown's more than 7,000 employees and 1,500 physician-providers serve as the regional referral center for patients from 100,000 square miles, from
Sacramento to Salt Lake City.

Renown Regional Medical Center is ranked as the Best Hospital (#1) in Nevada by US News & World Report. No other hospitals in the state met their stringent standards for the 2021 rankings.

With a focus on caring for patients, members, and the community, Brian has brought thought leadership, innovative methods, and a personal passion for caring. He is building and inspiring a team that serves based on the values of caring, integrity, collaboration, and excellence. He has helped to usher in a new lens of transparency around clinical quality and service excellence.

Prior to Renown, Dr. Erling served as CEO of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, which represents the Colorado Springs market for Centura Health. In his prior role with Centura, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer where he was responsible for providing clinical leadership for their 17 hospitals and 21,000 caregivers serving Colorado and western Kansas.

A highly experienced emergency medicine physician, Dr. Erling has long been a leader in quality improvement and has completed a Baldrige Executive Fellowship through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Prior to joining Centura Health, Dr. Erling served as President of the Alliance Group, a subsidiary of Envision Healthcare. He was also a founding partner of the Apex Emergency Group, PC in Denver and has served as the Denver medical director for American Medical Response. Dr. Erling and his wife Jessica have three children and enjoy making the most of the great Colorado outdoors.

Dr. Erling received his Bachelor of Science in biology from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa; his Medical Doctorate from John Hopkins University in Baltimore; and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado in Denver. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Jim DeVolld

Inaugural Board Member

Jim DeVolld is the managing director for First Independent Bank. Mr. DeVolld oversees all operations at First Independent Bank and works alongside an experienced team of banking professionals to serve businesses throughout the Northern Nevada region. 

Mr. DeVolld was one of the Founders of First Independent Bank in 1999 and between 2009 and 2011, Mr. DeVolld served as President and CEO of First Independent Bank, prior to Western Alliance Bank's acquisition of the division. Mr. DeVolld has more than 40 years of banking experience. 

He is very active in the community serving as Chairman of the Board from 2019 to 2021 for Renown Health Systems, an 8,000 employee health care system headquartered in Reno, Nevada and past Chairman of the Board of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Nevada.   Mr. DeVolld currently serves on the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts Board as their Chairman.  Jim also served as the Chairman of the Nevada Tax Commission from 2012-2022, appointed by Governor Sandoval and reappointed by Governor Sisolak. 

Mr. DeVolld is a proud graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School and the National School of Real Estate Finance. 

Thiago Beduschi

Inaugural Board Member

I am chief of the University of Florida Division of Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery and director of the UF Health Abdominal Transplant Program. Under my guidance, the Abdominal Transplant Program has become one of the busiest programs in the world and one of the lowest mortality rates for individuals waiting on a liver transplant. Here at UF, we take some of the most acute cases, often transferred from other transplant facilities, and those whose prognoses are poor – such as patients already in the ICU and on life support.

I attended medical school and completed a general surgery residency at the Lutheran University of Brazil in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul. Thereafter, I relocated to San Paulo to complete a liver transplant fellowship in the liver unit at Albert Einstein Hospital and then to Indianapolis to pursue additional training in transplantation, completing an abdominal multi-organ transplant surgery fellowship at the Indiana University School of Medicine. During my time at Indiana University, I also completed an advanced fellowship in intestinal and multivisceral transplantation and studied genetically modified pigs in the IU Xenotransplantation Research Lab.

Prior to joining UF Health, I served as director of the living donor liver transplant program and transplant critical care fellowship program at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. There, I developed the hospital’s intestinal rehabilitation program and played a pivotal role in the development of the Miami Transplant Institute’s intestinal and multivisceral transplant program.