UAB Division of Transplantation Professor and Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation Michael J. Hanaway, MD, was named the inaugural recipient of the Martha Robinson Tankersley Endowed Professorship in Transplant Clinical Excellence. A specialist in kidney and pancreas transplantation as well as live-donor surgery, Dr. Hanaway has played a key role in the UAB Division of Transplantation since he joined in February 2005.
Dr. Hanaway oversees all aspects of UAB’s Kidney Transplant Program, with a special emphasis on pre-transplant evaluations. He advocates for equitable organ allocation and has served on committees for the United Network for Organ Sharing, including the Membership and Professional Standards Committee.
In addition to mentoring surgical trainees, Dr. Hanaway also encourages knowledge-sharing and research in the field of transplantation as a reviewer for the American Journal of Transplantation, Transplantation, and The American Journal of Surgery. Over the past 17 years, he has performed many laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, and his research has focused on induction therapy in kidney transplantation.
Dr. Hanaway says he’s proud to receive the professorship established in honor of Martha Tankersley, MSN, RN, and her transformative commitment as the transplant administrator for UAB Medicine.
“Knowing what Martha Tankersley has done to support the field of transplantation, it is a great honor to have received her endowed professorship,” Dr. Hanaway says. “I look forward to representing Martha, UAB Medicine, and the Comprehensive Transplant Institute in this role.”
About Tankersley
Tankersley earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Boston College in 1987 and a Master of Science in nursing from UAB in 2000. She participated in UAB’s RN intern program (1987-1988), and she served as a staff nurse (1988-1991) and as clinical transplant coordinator (1991-2000). Upon completing her graduate studies in 2000, Tankersley served as a nurse practitioner (2000-2006), kidney and pancreas transplant manager (2006-2009), and administrative director of transplantation (2009-2012).
In January 2013, Tankersley accepted the role of associate vice president, transplant administrator with UAB Medicine, where she directs, integrates, and coordinates all activities necessary to support the growth and delivery of high-quality, cost-effective, and timely services within the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute (CTI). To date, the CTI has performed nearly 16,200 organ transplants – currently averaging over 400 transplants annually – and its programs rank among the nation’s leaders, both in the number of transplants performed and in patient outcomes.
Tankersley’s years of experience and her commitment to excellence contributed to a strong foundation that fostered growth and stability for the Institute. She views this named professorship as an honor and an acknowledgment of the importance of the CTI’s administrative and clinical infrastructure, which supports its physicians and surgeons in achieving success.
In addition to helping retain and recruit top transplant surgeons, the endowment will enhance and support the mission and goals of the UAB Department of Surgery and the UAB Heersink School of Medicine – for the ultimate benefit of UAB, the Birmingham community, and patients from across Alabama and beyond.
“We are so grateful to Martha for her incredible impact on transplantation surgery here at UAB and across the nation,” says CTI Director Jayme Locke, MD, MPH. “Her leadership has ensured that the surgeons, nurses, techs, administrators, and other staff in the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute are able to thrive in our clinical mission.”