Meet the kidney transplant team

William Harmon, MD
Medical Director
Harmon's specialties include end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and kidney transplantation and his research interests involve the pathophysiology and treatment of end-stage renal disease in children. He was one of the earliest members of the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) and developed the studies and protocols that were subsequently used as the basis for the development of the Cooperative Clinical Trials in Pediatric Transplantation (CCTPT). Harmon is a Past President of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and is President of NAPRTCS. In addition to holding his Academic Appointment as Professor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, he serves on the Boards of Directors of the International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Heung Bae Kim, MD
Surgical Director
Dr. Kim serves as the director of the Pediatric Transplant Center and surgical director of the Kidney, Liver and Intestine and Multivisceral Transplant Programs. He is currently the only pediatric transplant surgeon in New England who is fellowship-trained in both pediatric surgery and liver transplantation.

Dr. Kim and his colleagues performed the first successful multivisceral transplant in New England and the world’s smallest multivisceral transplant in a 7 lb baby. He also developed the Serial Transverse Enteroplasty (STEP) procedure for short bowel syndrome. He holds an Academic Appointment as Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School.

Transplant surgeons

Craig Lillehei, MD
Dr. Lillehei serves as a Transplant Surgeon for the Lung, Liver, Intestine & Multivisceral and Kidney Transplant Programs. In addition to transplantation, Dr. Lillehei specializes in Thoracic and General Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. He is a faculty member of the Center for Childhood Liver Diseases. Dr. Lillehei holds an academic appointment as Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and was recently appointed Region 1 Councilor for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Khashayar Vakili, MD
Dr. Vakili serves as a Transplant Surgeon for the Liver, Intestine and Kidney Transplant Programs. In addition to transplantation, he specializes in Hepatobiliary and General Surgery. Dr. Vakili holds an academic appointment as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Transplant Nephrologists and Urologists

Joseph G. Borer, MD, FAAP
Urologist
Dr. Borer is the Director of Neurourology and an Assistant in Urology as well as the Co-Director of the Center for Robotic Surgery. He holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor in Surgery (Urology) at Harvard Medical School.

Michael A. Ferguson, MD
Nephrologist
Dr. Ferguson has been with Boston Children's Hospital since 2008. In addition to his role on the kidney transplant team, he is involved with the End-Stage Renal Disease Program, Fanconi Anemia/Bone Marrow Failure Program, General Renal Program and Hypertension Program.

Hiep T. Nguyen, MD
Urologist
Dr. Nguyen specializes in Pediatric Urology and Robotic Surgery. He is Co-Director of the Center for Robotic Surgery and Director of Robotic Surgery Research and Training. He also holds an academic appointment as an Associate Professor of Surgery (Urology) at Harvard Medical School.

Nancy E. Rodig, MD
Nephrologist
Dr. Rodig has been with Boston Children's Hospital since 1999. She holds an academic appointment as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. She is also part of the General Renal Program and End-Stage Renal Disease Program teams.

Michael J. Somers, MD
Nephrologist
Dr. Somers is a Director of Clinical Services in Division of Nephrology and an Assistant in Medicine. He is board certified in both pediatrics and pediatric nephrology.

Richard Yu, MD
Urologist
Dr. Yu is an Assistant in Urology at Boston Children's and an Instructor in Surgery (Urology) at Harvard Medical School. His specialties include pediatric urology and robotic surgery.

Nurse Managers, Practitioners and Coordinators

Theresa Pak, RN, MPH
Nurse Manager, Renal Programs
Theresa Pak received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1991. She spent 13 years as a Clinical Nurse in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology before joining Children’s Kidney Transplant Team in 2005. Theresa achieved her Master of Public Health from Columbia University in 2003.

Rachel Blumenthal, RN, BSN, CNN
Kidney Transplant Coordinator

Courtney Loper, RN, MSN, CPNP
Kidney Transplant Coordinator/Nurse Practitioner
Courtney Loper, RN, MSN, CPNP, joined the Renal Transplant Team in July, 2010. She earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts and completed her PNP education at Northeastern University. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. Courtney has nearly a decade of pediatric acute and critical care nursing experience in some of the top hospitals in the country and has several advanced nursing certifications.

Caroline Walsh, RN, BSN

Pharmacists

Jennifer Gilarde, PharmD
Jennifer received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Auburn University School of Pharmacy and completed both a pharmacy practice residency and pediatric specialty residency at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Jennifer joined Children’s in 2005, where she worked as a Staff Pharmacist II and supported our transplant programs in her spare time. Jennifer became a full-time member of the Pediatric Transplant Team in 2007.

Tsing Yi Koh-Pham, PharmD
Tsing received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Pharmacy and completed a pharmacy practice residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she worked closely with the transplant team. She joined Boston Children's Hospital in 2008 as a Staff Pharmacist II and joined the transplant team in 2009. Tsing is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Dietitian

Nancy Spinozzi, RD, LDN
Nancy has been with Boston Children's Hospital since 1974 as a renal program dietitian. She graduated from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology and interned at Massachusetts General Hospital. Nancy is very active with the National Kidney Foundation’s Council on Renal Nutrition as well as the American Dietetic Association's Renal Dietitian Practice Group.

Child Life Specialists

Kirsten Getchell, MS, CCLS
Intestine & Multivisceral, Liver and Lung Transplant Programs
Kirsten started in 2003, bringing more than five years of child life experience to Children’s. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development with a concentration in Child Life from Wheelock College. There she continued her studies and received a Master of Science degree in Family Centered Care. She is a certified and active member through the Child Life Council.

LaKeisha Garcia, MS, CCLS
Kidney Transplant and DialysisLaKeisha Garcia started at Children’s in 2005 in Surgical Programs and in July of 2011 transitioned to the Dialysis Unit. She received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Child Development from Tufts University. She then went on to receive a Masters of Science degree in Child Life and Family Centered Care form Wheelock College. She is a certified Child Life Specialist and a member of the Child Life Council.

Psychiatrists and Psychologists

Patricia Ibeziako, MD
Pediatric Psychiatrist
Dr. Ibeziako completed her residency at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, New York and fellowship here at Children’s. Dr. Ibeziako is currently an attending in the Department of Psychiatry.

Kristine McKenna, PhD
Pediatric Psychologist
Dr. Kristine McKenna joined the Pediatric Transplant Center in the role of Transplant Psychologist in 2011. She completed her post-doctoral psychology fellowship at Nationwide Children's Hospital (formerly Columbus Children's Hospital) in 2007 and is currently an Assistant in Psychology at Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. McKenna is responsible for teaching and supervising psychology interns and fellows, as well as psychiatry fellows, as part of her academic appointment. Her research focuses on quality of life, adherence issues, and pain management for children, adolescents and young adults.

Melisa Oliva, PsyD
Pediatric Psychologist
Dr. Oliva joined the Pediatric Transplant Center in the role of Transplant Psychologist in 2008 after completing her post doctoral fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. She has an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, where she is responsible for teaching and supervising psychology interns and fellows as well as psychiatry fellows. Dr. Oliva is involved with research on transplant adjustment, quality of life, adherence, and transitioning to adult transplant centers.

Social worker

Catherine Clark, MSW, LICSW

Roberta Hoffman, MSW, LICSW
Roberta has been at Children’s for almost 20 years, bringing extensive clinical, training and supervisory experience in Social Work. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University and Master of Social Work degree from Boston University School of Social Work. Roberta Hoffman is the co-facilitator of Social Work Didactic Seminar for MSW trainees and fellows and an active member of the National Association of Social Work, Council of Nephrology Social Work and New England Area Renal Social Workers.

Research coordinator

Leslie Spaneas, RN, MPH

Financial Coordinator

Kelbe Osborne

Kelbe has been a part of the Pediatric Transplant Center since January 2007, and with Children’s for the past three years. Kelbe brings 17 years of health care experience, with the past six years working directly in patient finance.

Infectious disease team

Sandra K. Burchett, MD, MSc
Pediatric Transplant Center Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Burchett completed her residency at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas and MSc at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She completed her fellowship at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. She currently serves as the Clinical Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases.

Lynne Lewis, RN, MS, CPNP
Pediatric Transplant Center Infectious Disease Nurse Practitioner
Lynne Lewis received her Master of Science degree as a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, as well as completed the Post Master Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program at the SUNY Health Science Center College of Nursing in Syracuse, New York. She serves as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for both immunocompetent and immunocompromised (HIV/AIDS/transplant recipients) patients in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s.

Julia R. Koehler, MD
Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Koehler completed both her residency and fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, her specialties include fungal infections, infections in immunocompromised children and pediatric infectious diseases. Dr. Koehler’s research activities include studies on Molecular Pathogenesis of Candida Infections.

Catherine S. Lachenauer, MD
Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Lachenauer serves as the Director of the Infectious Diseases Outpatient Practice at Boston Children's Hospital. She completed her internship and residency at Wyler Children's Hospital in Chicago, prior to her fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Lachenauer’s academic appointment is as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Grace M. Lee, MD, MPH
Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Lee completed her internship, residency and fellowship all at Boston Children's Hospital after completing medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. Her specialties include infection control and prevention, infections in immunocompromised children, pediatric health services research, pediatric infectious diseases and vaccine-preventable disease. Dr. Lee also holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Ofer Levy, MD, PhD
Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Levy's clinical specialties include bacterial infections, infections in immunocompromised children, neonatal infections and pediatric infectious diseases. Dr. Levy is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases and holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Tanvi S. Sharma, MD
Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Sharma joined the Infectious Disease team at Boston Children's Hospital in 2007. Her clinical focus is on infections in immunocompromised hosts, and her research is in metabolic complications in children with perinatal HIV infection. Dr. Sharma is also the Program Director for the pediatric infectious diseases fellowship training program. Dr. Sharma attended medical school at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Kidney Transplant Program