Barry Friedman attended Southern Illinois University; he graduated with a bachelor in nursing in 1984 and MBA studies with a minor in health care administration in 1998. He has over 38 years of clinical/administrative experience in health care.
His civilian career in Critical Care, End Stage Organ Failure, and Organ Transplantation began in 1984 as an ICU Staff Nurse in St Louis, Missouri. His military career began in 1976 as a medic then he became a commissioned officer in 1985 as an Aeromedical Flight Nurse. In 1986 he assisted in the opening of and became an Organ Procurement Coordinator with Mid America Transplant. In 1991 he became a Pediatric Clinical Transplant Coordinator at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital at St Louis University and in 1994 became the Administrative Director. In 2004 he became the Administrative Director for Solid Organ Transplant at Children’s Medical Center, Dallas and in 2006 until 2014 was the Senior Administrative Director, Organ Transplantation, Adult and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.
During his tenure at Minnesota he became Chief of Clinical Global Services for Minnesota International Medicine from 2012 -2016 he consulted in seven countries and two continents including adult and pediatric critical care, organ transplant and procurement and healthcare administration.
Most recently(2016-2023) he served as the Executive Director at Florida Hospital (AdventHealth) Transplant Institute where he provided administrative, regulatory, and fiscal oversight which included chronic and adult and pediatric end stage organ failure, organ transplant, and the mechanical circulatory support programs.
Mr. Friedman has been an active member of the United States Air Force Reserves and has served most recently from February 2003 through August 2003 in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom as Director of Operations for Aeromedical Services. He was decorated with an Air Combat Medal in January 2004. He retired from the United States Air Force Reserves in July of 2006 after 30 years of military service.
Mr. Friedman has been an active member of the transplant community. He is a Fellow (FAST) and a member of the American Society of Transplantation and has been active with the membership committee and was the Chairperson of Membership for the AST. He is a past President of the North American Transplant Coordinators Organization, NATCO. He has served on various committees including the Board of Directors of UNOS, and the Eastern Missouri National Kidney Foundation. He also has served as the Transplant Coordinator representative for Studies in Pediatric Liver Transplant, SPLIT. Most recently he was chair of the UNOS Ad Hoc International Relations Committee and he has been instrumental with HRSA and OPTN assisting in the modernization of the United States Organ Transplant system.
Mr. Friedman has authored and co-authored several articles. He has organized and participated in several local and national and international transplant conferences. He has been a dedicated and servant leader and he continues to lead the administrative and clinical advancement of end stage organ failure and transplantation.