Heritage Celebration Archive

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on the invaluable contributions of Hispanic and Latino professionals to the field of transplantation. Not only have members of Hispanic heritage shaped the science and practice of transplantation but have also played a pivotal role in addressing health disparities and improving access to care for ALL underrepresented populations.

At ASTS, we are committed to promoting not only diversity but more importantly the equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work;  I encourage everyone to honor the rich cultural heritage and the inspiring stories of our Hispanic colleagues. Their leadership and dedication continue to drive us all forward, creating a more inclusive and equitable future in transplantation.

In addition to celebrating our colleagues, let us also use this month to recommit addressing the disparities that Hispanic and Latino patients face. Research shows that Hispanic patients experience longer wait times on kidney transplant lists and face higher mortality rates compared to others while waiting for organs. It is our responsibility to ensure equitable access to care for all.

I encourage everyone to act—get involved, promote inclusivity, and support efforts to reduce health disparities in transplantation. Together, we can create a future where every patient, regardless of background, receives the care they deserve.

Henry Randall, MD, MBA, FACS

Dr. Henry Randall specializes in liver, kidney, and pancreas surgery and transplantation. His expertise includes: adult and pediatric live-donor liver transplantation; live-donor and cadaveric kidney transplantation; pediatric liver surgery; complex kidney-pancreas transplantation; complex pancreas surgery for benign and malignancies; kidney transplantation for patients who are HIV positive; and surgical shunts for portal hypertension.  

Research interests include 3-D and 4-D printing of transplantable tissue and organs, and the use of virtual reality in teaching and training, and eventually in the operative theatre. Other interests include outcomes research in transplantation, and establishing human hepatoma cell lines in mice.

Dr. Randall is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Dr. Randall is an avid landscape and architecture photographer. [Source: Saint Louis University]