Down Syndrome Program - Team Members

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

CO-DIRECTOR: Allie Schwartz, MD, is an internist and pediatrician who
is passionate about improving the lives of individuals with special health
care needs. She serves on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council of
the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress. She completed a combined
residency in the Harvard Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program,
where she presided as an ambulatory chief resident in the Department of
Medicine. Dr. Schwartz obtained degrees in both child development and
medicine from Tufts University and has served as a residential coordinator at
a school for children and adolescents with autism and traumatic brain injury.
She is interested in transitions of care and is dedicated to creating a smoother
transition process for patients and their families as they move from pediatric
care to adult care. In addition to her roles at the MassGeneral Down Syndrome
Program, Dr. Schwartz spends time as a primary care physician at MGH Everett
Family Care where she cares for both adults and children..

CO-DIRECTOR: Brian G. Skotko, MD, MPP, a board certified medical
geneticist, has dedicated his professional energies toward children with
cognitive and developmental disabilities. In 2001, he co-authored the national
award-winning book, Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome and,
most recently, Fasten Your Seatbelt: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers
and Sisters. He is a graduate of Duke University, Harvard Medical School and
Harvard Kennedy School. Dr. Skotko received the Christian Pueschel Memorial
Research Award for his pioneering research on how physicians deliver a
diagnosis of Down syndrome to new and expectant parents. He has been
featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post,
The L.A. Times, NPR’s “On Point” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Dr. Skotko serves as chair of the Medical and Science Advisory Council for
the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and the Professional Advisory
Committee for the National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Down Syndrome
Resources. He has a sister, Kristin, who has Down syndrome.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Tomi L. Toler, MS, CGC, is a certified and licensed
genetic counselor who began working at Massachusetts General Hospital in
2010. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in
psychology and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) with a
Master of Science in genetic counseling. During her time at UNCG, she had the
opportunity to volunteer with a few organizations including the Down Syndrome
Network of Greater Greensboro. Professionally, as a genetic counselor, she has
interacted with patients in both prenatal and pediatric/adult genetics settings
and has helped family members navigate complicated medical systems to
obtain the best care for their relatives with Down syndrome. She is a member
of both the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down
Syndrome Congress and serves on the Massachusetts Board of Registration
of Genetic Counselors. Personally, she has been a volunteer with the Special
Olympics in both Missouri and Massachusetts for many years, and has been
coaching soccer and basketball in MA since 2009.

PHYSICIAN: Jose C. Florez, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of medicine at
Harvard Medical School, an associate member at the Broad Institute and a board
certified internist/endocrinologist who founded the Down Syndrome Program
at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his residency and fellowship
at Mass General and has additional training in neurology. He is a past member
of the Board of Directors of the National Down Syndrome Congress and the
Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress. He was the 2001 recipient of the
National Down Syndrome Congress Christian Pueschel Memorial Award. He
conducts active research on the genetics of type 2 diabetes, for which President
Obama awarded him the 2010 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists
and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on
science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent
research careers. His sister, Miriam, who lives in Spain and was herself the winner
of the 2008 National Down Syndrome Congress Christian Pueschel Memorial
Citizen Award, has Down syndrome.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

PHYSICIAN: Jessica McCannon, MD, is board certified in internal medicine,
and in her final year of Harvard's Clinical and Research Fellowship in Pulmonary
and Critical Care Medicine. After completing her internal medicine residency
training at Massachusetts General Hospital she began providing care to adults
with Down syndrome at the Mass General Down Syndrome Program. Her
interest in, and passion for, caring for individuals with Down syndrome stems
from her relationship with a beloved aunt with Down syndrome.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

PSYCHOLOGIST: Kay Seligsohn, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and pediatric
neuropsychologist who has spent the last 20 years helping evaluate children
with developmental challenges and helping families access appropriate services.
She first started working with children as an undergraduate at the University
of Rochester, which prompted graduate school at the California School of
Professional Psychology where she specialized in child and family treatment. It
was during her APA child clinical internship at Franciscan Children’s Hospital that
she developed her skills evaluating and treating children with neurodevelopmental
disorders. She went on to complete a pediatric psychology fellowship at the
Boston Children’s Hospital Developmental Medicine Center. Dr. Seligsohn
remained on staff at Boston Children’s Hospital through 2008. She specialized
in the neuropsychological and psychodiagnostics of children with a wide array of
developmental, social and emotional disorders including intellectual impairment,
autism and learning disorders. In 2008, she joined the Psychology Assessment
Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, where her expertise in children with
developmental challenges made her an integral member of the team. Her interests
in children with complex neurodevelopmental profiles are a natural fit for the
Down Syndrome Program.

PSYCHOLOGIST: Gretchen Timmel, MEd, is a licensed educational psychologist
and certified teacher, performing the role of an educational specialist at
Massachusetts General Hospital. Gretchen obtained her undergraduate degree
at Regis College in Weston, MA, and then obtained her master’s of education
degree at the University of Massachusetts, majoring in psychology and education.
Gretchen began her career as a school psychologist in a Boston urban setting and
then taught eighth grade and math in a suburban elementary school. She began her
professional career at Mass General performing educational evaluations through
the Learning Disorders Unit. After joining the MGH Psychology Assessment Center,
she became their educational liaison/advocate and, more recently, has begun to
perform this role for patients with autism spectrum disorders at the Lurie Center
for Autism. In her capacity as an educational specialist for our Down Syndrome
Program, Gretchen provides educational consultation with families, observes in
classroom settings, attends TEAM meetings, designs educational programming
and advocates for our patients and their families.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

SOCIAL WORKER: Helen Weiner, LICSW, grew up in Montreal and
came to Boston to pursue a graduate program in Social Work at Simmons
College. Helen actually started her social work career as a clinician at
Massachusetts General Hospital. Her interests have included work with
adults, children and their parents, bereavement work and running groups
for individuals diagnosed with AIDS. She has worked as an admissions
officer at a private school, loving the work with early teens and their
families. Helen is also a sibling of a younger sister who was born with
Down syndrome at a time when there were few medical treatments
in place with even fewer supports for parents and siblings. As Helen
has said, “I woke up one morning and realized this is the population I
wanted to work with.” She shadowed in the Down Syndrome Program
at Children’s Hospital Boston and, more recently, volunteered there as
their Patient Liaison, reaching out to families and visiting parents while
their children were hospitalized. She found this experience incredibly
meaningful and realized that it felt “so right.” She brings a warmth,
inherent sensitivity and passion to the field. Helen is a member of the
Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down
Syndrome Congress. She has been an active volunteer for as long as
she can remember. She cherishes her time spent raising her two sons
with her husband and more recently starting a new journey together as
grandparents to a 3 and 1/2 year old.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST: Michele Donlon, MS, CCC-SLP,
joined the Mass General outpatient team in 2006 and serves ages birth to
three, preschool and school-age children in the areas of pediatric speech-
language delays and disorders, learning disabilities, social communication
disorders, and reading and writing disorders. In addition to her role on the
Down Syndrome Infant Toddler Clinic as part of the Pediatric Therapy Team,
she is a member of the Pediatric Outpatient Team and the Developmental
Neuropediatric Clinic. Prior to joining Mass General, Michele worked at a
collaborative school program and provided speech and language services to
students with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome,
severe to profound language delays, apraxia, dysarthria, global developmental
delays and auditory processing disorders. The scope of clinical services
included evaluating and developing low- and high-tech alternative and
augmentative communication systems for nonverbal students, providing
modifications to academic curriculum and supporting language needs in the
classroom, and building functional and independent communication skills. In
addition, Michele worked in a private practice where she evaluated and treated
speech and language deficits in school-age clients within the home and school
environment and consulted parents on carryover of treatment. Michele is a
graduate of Emerson College in Boston, MA.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Caitlin Woglom, RD, LDN, is a dietitian who
graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in
dietetics. While in Delaware, she worked with a local children’s hospital
on implementation of a statewide grant to help families of children with
developmental or behavioral concerns connect with community resources.
She moved to Boston to complete her dietetic internship through Simmons
College. During her training, she participated in the ARC of Massachusetts’
Operation House Call Program and completed rotations in clinical nutrition,
community health, counseling and education, and health promotion. Caitlin
has an aunt and uncle with Down syndrome who have been her motivation to
make advocating for health and happiness for individuals with Down syndrome
a cornerstone of her career as a dietitian. She is grateful for them, and the life
lessons they taught her that she never could have learned in school.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

PHYSICAL THERAPIST: Patricia Anne Chastain, PT, DPT, PCS, is a physical
therapist certified by the American Physical Therapy Association as a pediatric
clinical specialist. Anne came to Mass General in 2003, bringing with her a
wealth of experience in a variety of pediatric practice settings that have given
her a broad perspective of the challenges and barriers facing children with
disabilities. Anne has worked in the public schools, special education facilities
and early intervention. She is certified through the MA Department of Public
Health as an early intervention specialist, and she earned her clinical doctorate
in pediatric physical therapy at the Rocky Mountain University of Health
Professions. In addition to her role on the Down Syndrome Infant Toddler Clinic
as part of the Pediatric Therapy Team, Anne is also a member of the Pediatric
Coordinated Care Clinic and the Developmental Neuropediatric Clinic. She also
serves as a consultant to the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic and the Pediatric
MS Clinic. In her position as a clinical specialist in the Outpatient PT/OT
service here at Mass General, she mentors staff in the care and management
of pediatric clients who have developmental, neurological and orthopedic
diagnoses. Her practice includes children from birth through adolescence.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST: Joy Orpin PT, DPT, NCS, joined Mass General in
2007. Since that time she has become an invaluable member of the Physical
Therapy (PT) Department, as she has knowledge and expertise treating a wide
range of pediatric and neurologic diagnoses. Joy’s interest in pediatric physical
therapy began when she was very young and witnessed the importance of
a PT in the life of her cousin who has CP. She enjoys treating patients across
the lifespan and works with both the adult as well as pediatric neurological
population. In 2010, Joy helped establish PT care for children at MGH Chelsea
HealthCare. She continues to practice there one day per week in addition to
her practice at the main campus. As a contributing member of the Pediatric
Therapy Team, Joy has seen children in the Developmental Neuropediatric
Clinic as well as the Down Syndrome Clinic. In 2014, Joy became board
certified by the APTA as a neurological clinical specialist.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST: Sharon P. Serinsky, MS, OTR/L, joined Mass
General in 2004 with extensive experience working with the birth-to-3 and
school-aged populations. Sharon is a registered and licensed occupational
therapist and an advanced clinician through the Clinical Recognition Program
at Mass General. Prior to joining Mass General, Sharon worked in early
intervention, special education collaboratives, and the public school system
and pediatric feeding teams. She is certified in SIPT (Sensory Integration and
Praxis Tests), interactive metronome and has completed the comprehensive
Wilbarger Sensory Defensiveness course. Sharon has presented on sensory
processing and sensory modulation and the role of the pediatric occupational
therapist. She has mentored early intervention professionals and was an
associate in pediatrics, Medical School Faculty Appointment, University of
Massachusetts Medical Center. In addition to her role in the Down Syndrome
Infant Toddler Clinic, Sharon provides direct outpatient treatment, and she
is a member of the PTT (Pediatric Therapy Team), the DNP (Developmental
NeuroPediatric Team) and MGH Feeding Clinic.

SENIOR CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATOR: Mary Ellen McDonough, RN,
trained at Boston City Hospital School of Nursing. She has been a pediatric
nurse for over 40 years. Clinically, her focus has been providing direct care for
newborns and up to and including 24-year-olds, who are acutely or critically
ill, including children with various disabilities. She has a brother, Chip, who
has cerebral palsy. She has also been a clinical research nurse responsible
for coordinating clinical trials. Currently she is coordinating clinical drug
trials for individuals with Down syndrome, assisting in recruitment efforts
for a national Down syndrome database, and coordinating research aimed
to develop a predictive model for obstructive sleep apnea in this population.
She has volunteered her time as a photographer for the Massachusetts Down
Syndrome Congress (MDSC).

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

RESEARCH ASSISTANT: Christianne Sharr, BA, is a research assistant
who coordinates the National Down Syndrome Patient Database, a research
collaboration among five Down syndrome clinics. Through this network, the
team studies the care provided on a day-to-day basis in clinic, in order to
improve future medical care for all people with Down syndrome. Mass General
leads the charge on this project and Christianne keeps the larger group
organized so they can learn from researchers across the country how best to
support people with Down syndrome in living healthy, happy lives!

Christianne came to Boston for her undergraduate studies at Boston College
and made plans to stay, thanks to the vibrant medical community she found
here. Prior to joining the Down Syndrome Program, Christianne coordinated
studies at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. During that time, she began
volunteering with the Miracle League of Massachusetts, a baseball league
for children with disabilities, which sparked her interest in working with
people with Down syndrome. Christianne is inspired by the program’s patients
with Down syndrome who are often so interested to hear about research. She
values her conversations with patients about the motivations behind research
and how research studies could impact their medical care in the future,
because it allows Christianne to see the program’s research in action and meet
some truly remarkable families. After hours, Christianne enjoys spending time
outdoors or coaching soccer in Cambridge, MA.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome

Down Syndrome Program
Team Members

RESOURCE SPECIALIST: Benjamin Majewski has been with the MassGeneral
Down Syndrome Program since July 2012. He completed the Transitional Scholars
program at MassBay Community College in May 2014 as well as the Community
Connections transition program of the Newton Public Schools in 2012. He has
been employed at O’Hara’s restaurant in Newton as a busperson since November
2009 and has been a seasonal employee on the grounds crew of the Boston Red
Sox since 2011. At Rosie’s Place, Boston, he is a regular dining room volunteer.
From January 2010 to December 2011, he was employed at Children’s Hospital
Boston as a resource specialist with their Down Syndrome Program. Ben is a
member of the Self-Advocate Advisory Council of the Massachusetts Down
Syndrome Congress (MDSC) and has previously been a part of the MDSC’s
Advocates in Motion (AIM) program. Ben has had numerous public speaking
engagements, most recently at the United Nations, New York City for the World
Down Syndrome Day Conference in March 2014. He has competed in the Special
Olympics as an alpine skier, basketball player and golfer.

OFFICE ASSISTANT: Sandy Massalski serves as the patient service
coordinator for Medical Genetics and has nearly 13 years of experience
in working in the Department of Medical Genetics at Massachusetts
General Hospital. For our Down Syndrome Program, Sandy will help families
schedule their appointments and will help ensure that their day runs smoothly.
Following the clinic visit, she will also assist families in scheduling any follow-
up appointments that they might need with specialty services. She is a real
advocate for people with Down syndrome and their families.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-643-8912 or email downsyndrome@partners.org.
For more information, visit massgeneral.org/downsyndrome