Medical Advisory Board
Expert guidance for patient-focused content
Our Medical Advisory Board helps ensure that the information we provide to patients and caregivers is accurate, current, and presented in a way that's helpful and not misleading.
Board Members
The Friends of the National Liver Waiting List Medical Advisory Board is composed of practicing transplant hepatologists and transplant surgeons at leading U.S. liver transplant programs. Members provide topical review of patient-facing content on this site, with each piece tagged by the reviewer whose clinical area it falls within. Source links on this page point to each member's official institutional profile.
James F. Trotter, MD
Interim Medical Director of Liver Transplant and Hepatology, Intermountain Medical Center.
Board-certified in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology. Earned his MD from Emory University School of Medicine (1989), completed internal medicine residency at UT Southwestern, and fellowships in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology at Duke. Former Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at the University of Colorado. Co-author of the textbooks Medical Care of the Liver Transplant Patient and Liver Transplantation: Challenging Controversies and Topics. Has published extensively on living donor liver transplantation, organ allocation, and waitlist outcomes, and serves as principal investigator on ongoing liver disease clinical trials. Over 35 years of clinical experience.
Sources: Intermountain Health profile ↗
Jean F. Botha, MBBS
Medical Director, Intermountain Health Transplant Program; Program and Surgical Director of Abdominal Transplant Services, Intermountain Medical Center.
Board-certified in surgery. Earned his MBBS at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, completed general surgery residency at Witwatersrand (1997), and a transplantation medicine fellowship at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine (2002). Built one of the highest-volume living donor liver transplant programs in South Africa before relocating to Salt Lake City. Heads the Intermountain Abdominal Transplant Fellowship. Under his leadership, Intermountain became the only U.S. program in 2025 with both liver and kidney programs ranked in the top five nationally by SRTR, and surpassed 500 organ transplants in a single year — a Utah first. Active in pediatric transplant policy, including IPTA position work on deceased donor allocation.
Source: Intermountain Health profile ↗
Brian J. Cook, MD
Transplant Surgeon, Intermountain Health Transplant Program; Canyon Surgical Associates, Salt Lake City.
Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery. Earned his undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara, his MD at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (2015), and completed both his general surgery residency and abdominal transplant surgery fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. Practices the full range of abdominal transplantation including kidney and liver transplant, hepatobiliary, and general surgery, with particular volume in renal transplant. A vocal advocate for organ donation awareness and living donation through Intermountain's outreach efforts.
Source: Intermountain Health profile ↗
Joseph S. Redman, MD, PhD
Transplant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist, Intermountain Health (Intermountain Medical Center, LDS Hospital, St. George Regional, and Ogden).
Triple board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology. Earned his PhD (2012) and MD (2014) at the University of Utah School of Medicine, completed internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine (2017), gastroenterology fellowship (2019), and transplant hepatology fellowship (2020). Published peer-reviewed work on pre-transplant sarcopenia and frailty in NASH and alcoholic liver disease, hepatology provider training in alcohol use disorder screening, and HCV treatment in underserved populations. Clinical focus includes cirrhosis, ascites, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and the management of patients on the liver transplant waitlist.
Source: Intermountain Health profile ↗
Robert S. Rahimi, MD, MSCR
Transplant Hepatologist, Baylor Scott & White Liver Consultants of Texas; Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas.
Triple board-certified in transplant hepatology, gastroenterology, and internal medicine. Holds an MS in Applied Physiology from Finch University of Health Sciences, an MD from Chicago Medical School, and a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) earned during his internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia. Completed gastroenterology fellowship at UT Southwestern and transplant hepatology fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center. Clinical and research expertise spans hepatic encephalopathy, gastrointestinal bleeding and esophageal varices, viral and autoimmune hepatitis, MASH/NASH, frailty in liver transplant candidates, and portal hypertension. Active investigator on the SHUNT-V varices study and a contributing author to the multicenter Functional Assessment in Liver Transplantation (FrAILT) work. Recognized with the AASLD/ALF Resident Scholar Travel Award and the UT Southwestern Distinguished Fellowship Research Award.
Source: Baylor Scott & White profile ↗
Our Approach to Medical Information
We are committed to providing accurate, helpful information for liver transplant patients and caregivers. Our approach includes:
- Using official data sources — We base our center comparisons on SRTR and UNOS/OPTN public data
- Plain language — We translate complex medical concepts into accessible explanations
- Clear disclaimers — We always clarify that our content is not medical advice
- Regular updates — We update our content as new data becomes available
- Expert consultation — We consult with healthcare professionals on content accuracy
Content Review Process
Our educational content goes through a review process to ensure accuracy:
- Research — We research topics using authoritative sources (OPTN, SRTR, medical literature)
- Drafting — Content is written in plain language for patient accessibility
- Review — Medical professionals review content for accuracy
- Publication — Content is published with clear "last updated" dates
- Updates — Content is reviewed and updated as needed
E-E-A-T Commitment
We follow E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for health content:
Experience
We incorporate feedback from patients and caregivers who have navigated the transplant journey.
Expertise
We consult with healthcare professionals to ensure medical accuracy.
Authority
We cite official sources like SRTR, UNOS, and OPTN for all data.
Important Disclaimer
This website provides general information only. It is not medical advice.
While we work to ensure accuracy, the information on this site should never replace advice from your healthcare team. Every patient's situation is unique. Always consult your doctors, transplant coordinators, and medical professionals for decisions about your care.
Our Medical Advisory Board helps guide our content, but this site is not a medical practice and does not provide individual medical recommendations.