Hand Transplant Program | Meet our Team
The Hand Transplant Program consists of a multidisciplinary team that combines the expertise and experience of the hospital's Pediatric Transplant Center, the Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery Program and a care team that ensures your child's needs and those of your family are being met before, during and after surgery and throughout the rehabilitation process.
Directors and Surgeons
Amir Taghinia, MD
Principal Investigator
Surgical Director
Brian Labow, MD
Co-Investigator
Surgeon
Peter Waters, MD
Co-Investigator
Surgeon
Donald Bae, MD
Co-Investigator
Surgeon
Heung Bae Kim, MD
Co-Investigator
Surgeon
Specialists
Infectious Disease Specialists
Sandra K. Burchett, MD, MSc
Infectious Disease Specialist
Julia R. Koehler, MD
Infectious Disease Specialist
Catherine S. Lachenauer, MD
Infectious Disease Specialist
Grace M. Lee, MD, MPH
Infectious Disease Specialist
Ofer Levy, MD, PhD
Infectious Disease Specialist
Tanvi S. Sharma, MD
Infectious Disease Specialist
Lynne Lewis, RN, MS, CPNP
Infectious Disease Specialist
Birgitta Schmidt, MD
Pathologist
Care team
Maureen Pimentel, CPNP
Nurse Coordinator
Catherine D'Arpino
Social Worker
Roberta Hoffman
Social Worker
Austin Michalski, RD, LDN
Dietician
Annette Correia
Occupational Therapist
Patricia Ibeziako
Psychologist
Kristine McKenna, PhD
Psychologist
Katharine Thomson
Psychologist
Jennifer Gilarde
Pharmacist
Kirsten Getchell, MS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
LaKeisha Garcia
Child Life Specialist
Robin Snyder
Child Life Specialist
Angela Perry
Financial Coordinator
Caregiver roles
Our transplant candidates and recipients benefit from the many specialties and services Boston Children's has to offer, such as:
Child Life Services
Child life specialists enhance our transplant patients’ emotional, social and cognitive growth during their hospital stay, giving special consideration to each child’s family, culture and stage of development. Our professionals are trained to work in the areas of child development, special education or recreation therapy.
Infectious diseases
Boston Children’s has an Immunocompromised Host Service (within the Division of Infectious Diseases) that focuses on infectious disease issues affecting transplant recipients. The infectious disease nurse practitioner or physician meets with each transplant candidate.
Perioperative transplant team
This group of professionals is dedicated to the care of patients having a transplant. Transplant physicians, hand surgeons, operating room nursing staff, and anesthesiologists work together to provide individualized care to each patient. We are with your child from the time you arrive in the pre-operative waiting area until your child is safely in the intensive care unit.
Pharmacy
Our pharmacists and technicians are well trained in the unique needs of young transplant patients, and they work closely with surgeons, physicians and the rest of the multidisciplinary team to develop a medication plan specific to each child.
Because medication is such an important part of life after transplant, a transplant pharmacist personally meets with each transplant candidate.
Psychiatry and psychology
Due to the drastic life changes that are part of the transplant process, many patients who have received transplants benefit from the care of a mental health professional. Long-term continuity of mental health care is critical.
Psychiatrists and psychologists at Boston Children’s work with our families right at the outset of the process and as the patient grows toward adulthood, these professionals can assist in the transition of your child’s mental health to an adult care provider.
Social work
Each transplant program has a social worker who provides a wide range of services to support the care of patients and families before, during and after the transplant.
Nutrition
The Clinical Nutrition Service at Boston Children’s provides comprehensive nutrition consultation for patients of all ages. Using innovative diagnostic and evaluation techniques, our staff develops appropriate nutrition plans for many of our patients, including transplant specific education.
