-Dr. Larry Easterling Joins at Associate Medical Director-
(March 19, 2018) – LifeGift, the federally-designated organ and tissue recovery agency, which offers hope to individuals needing transplants in 109 Texas counties in Southeast, North and West Texas, today announced that it has added a full-time pediatric intensivist to its staff to provide guidance and expertise in work with pediatric donors and their families. Dr. Larry Easterling has officially joined LifeGift as associate medical director and will work out of LifeGift’s Fort Worth office.
“We are expanding our medical staff under the direction of our chief medical officer, R. Patrick Wood, MD, FACS, to continue our quest for clinical excellence and focused efforts on pediatric donation and transplantation,” said Kevin Myer, president and CEO of LifeGift.
Dr. Easterling, who retired from Cook Children’s Medical Center in September 2017, with 25 years of experience as a pediatric intensivist, says he gained exposure and appreciation for organ and tissue donation throughout his career.
“Even when donation is done well, opportunities still exist to do it better,” said Easterling. “Listening opens the doors to opportunities to improve processes and outcomes and that is what I hope to do for LifeGift.”
Dr. Easterling was an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama-Birmingham/Children’s Hospital of Alabama and completed his pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Chicago. He attended Louisiana State University for his chief and pediatric residencies and his doctorate of medicine and earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeast Louisiana University.
“Larry is the perfect fit for associate medical director,” said Dr. Wood. “His ability to connect with pediatricians will help us make inroads with our donor hospitals and transplant centers. I look forward to his contribution and collaboration.”
For more information on LifeGift, visit www.LifeGift.org. To register as a lifesaving organ, eye and tissue donor, visit www.donatelifetexas.org.