Trinity Health Michigan Recruits Top Hepatobiliary Surgeons to Expand Advanced Care in Southeast Michigan
May 27, 2026
Photo: L to R: Vandad Raofi, M.D.; Lavanya Yohanathan, M.D.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Von Lozon
Pager: (248) 725-2400
von.lozon@trinity-health.org
PONTIAC, Mich. (May 27, 2026) – Trinity Health Michigan announced the hiring of two leading hepatobiliary surgeons, Vandad Raofi, M.D. and Lavanya Yohanathan, M.D., strengthening the health system’s ability to diagnose and treat complex diseases of the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. Their clinical focus includes patients living with pancreatic cancer as well as complex benign conditions of the liver, pancreas, and bile ducts.
The addition of these physicians to Trinity Health IHA Medical Group enhances the already strong surgical expertise of the health system’s multidisciplinary hepatobiliary program, expanding a regional team of experts that includes Edward Kreske, M.D., a general and hepatobiliary surgeon at the Trinity Health Ann Arbor campus, and bringing coordinated, high-acuity care to patients across southeast Michigan.
Drs. Raofi and Yohanathan will primarily practice at Trinity Health Oakland with additional medical staff privileges at Trinity Health Ann Arbor and Trinity Health Livonia. Outpatient locations in Ann Arbor, Livonia, Pontiac, Rochester Hills and Clarkston will further expand access to advanced hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical care for patients across the region.
“Dr. Raofi and Dr. Yohanathan are transformative additions to our medical team,” said Fabian Fregoli, M.D., chief medical officer and president of Trinity Health Oakland. “They are among the very best in Michigan at treating complex liver, pancreas, and biliary cases, and their expertise will broaden the scope of care we can provide, allowing more patients to receive highly specialized treatment close to home. This represents a meaningful step forward for the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”
Vandad Raofi, M.D., is a board-certified general surgeon with advanced fellowship training in hepatobiliary, pancreatic, transplant, and complex gastrointestinal surgery, specializing in the management of liver, pancreas, upper gastrointestinal, and retroperitoneal diseases. He completed medical school and general surgery residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago, followed by fellowship training in transplant and hepatobiliary surgery at Baylor University Medical Center and Emory University, as well as an advanced subspecialty year at Georgetown University Hospital focused on small bowel transplantation and tumors of the base of the mesentery. Dr. Raofi joined then Beaumont Hospital in 2010, where he helped establish the liver transplant program and expand hepatobiliary surgical services, before joining Michigan Healthcare Professionals in 2016. His clinical interests include complex hepatobiliary and pancreatic tumors, upper gastrointestinal malignancies, retroperitoneal disease, and the evaluation and management of incidental liver and pancreatic masses.
Lavanya Yohanathan, M.D., is a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon with advanced fellowship training in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery and abdominal transplantation, specializing in complex benign and malignant diseases of the liver, pancreas, and biliary system. She completed her general surgery residency at the University of Toronto, followed by four years of advanced training at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.) in hepatobiliary surgery and multi-organ abdominal transplantation, with a focus on transplant oncology. Her clinical interests include advanced and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and colorectal liver metastases, with additional expertise in sarcoma and gastric cancer. Dr. Yohanathan is dedicated to multidisciplinary, evidence-based care, is active in national surgical oncology organizations, and leads clinical trials focused on improving outcomes for patients with complex hepatobiliary malignancies.
“Our medical team could not be more excited to welcome these two accomplished surgeons and the depth of experience they bring to help treat our patients,” said Katie Beekman, M.D., medical director of oncology services at Trinity Health Michigan. “Having this level of hepatobiliary and oncologic surgical expertise based in Oakland County, and available across the region, significantly enhances access to advanced care and ensures more patients can receive complex, lifesaving treatment close to home.”
To learn more about cancer care at Trinity Health Michigan, please visit https://www.trinityhealthmichigan.org/services/cancer-care.
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About Trinity Health Michigan
Trinity Health Michigan is a leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. With more than 24,000 full-time employees serving 29 counties, Trinity Health Michigan is composed of nine hospitals located in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Howell, Livonia, Muskegon, Oakland and Shelby, and two medical groups. The health system has 2,314 beds and 5,446 physicians and advanced practice providers. With operating revenues of $4.16 billion, Trinity Health Michigan returns $184 million back to their local communities each year. Together with numerous ambulatory care locations, home health and hospice agencies and 23 senior living communities owned and/or operated by Trinity Health, Trinity Health Michigan provides the full continuum of care for Michigan residents.