Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program

About the Program

The Transplant Program at Massachusetts General Hospital is a major referral center for organ transplants. Our pediatric kidney transplant team is at the forefront of organ transplantation and works to ensure optimal treatment before, during and after kidney transplant. We are one of the few pediatric transplant centers that offers multi-organ transplantation to children.

• We champion a multidisciplinary and family friendly approach to optimize and individualize the care of each child who needs an organ transplant.
• Our program is uniquely equipped to facilitate adult-to-child living donation with adult and pediatric operating teams working in adjacent operating spaces.
• Children in need can also get a new kidney from the national United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which manages the distribution of organs nationwide.
• Our pediatric transplant program is the foundation of a lifelong transplant community providing seamless medical and surgical care from infancy through adolescence into adulthood at the Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center.

Family-Centered Care

At Mass General for Children, we know that the time of your child's diagnosis and treatment is a very stressful one and we strive to provide an open, welcoming environment. We believe that no one knows a child as well as the parent does: parents, along with primary care providers, become our partners in a child's care and have an active voice in all treatment plans.

Transitions and Peer Mentoring Programs

Maturing from childhood to adulthood can be challenging, especially for children with chronic health conditions. Due to their medical issues, many adolescents and young adults with kidney transplants have had limited opportunities to "practice independence". The challenges they face as they go out into the world can be daunting.

As pioneers in the transplant field, we are among the first to recognize the specific needs of adolescent and young adult transplant patients and develop a Transplant Transitions Program. Our multi-disciplinary program leaders work with each patient to educate, coach and provide support tailored to each individual.

Our Peer Mentoring Program is a key component of the Transitions Program, pairing teens and young adults with peers a little further along in their transplant journey to share experiences, understand challenges and celebrate accomplishments with “inside knowledge”.

Successful transition can happen when pediatric patients understand their medical situation (know their diagnoses, medications, care providers, pharmacies and insurance providers) and learn how to advocate for their medical needs with employers and educational institutions.

When the time is right, and in partnership with local providers, we coordinate their transition from the MGH pediatric to adult care teams.

The Transitions Program at MassGeneral Hospital for Children also welcomes transplant patients from any pediatric center who are ready to begin their own transition to adult transplant care at MGH.

Emphasis on Teaching and Research

As the largest kidney transplant center in New England, our transplant clinicians and scientists are at the forefront of transplant research, including development of novel approaches to minimize immunosuppression after kidney transplantation and minimally invasive transplantation innovations such as islet transplantation, in addition to pancreas and liver transplantation.

As Harvard Medical School teaching institution, we are training the next generations of transplant specialists in all areas of medicine and surgery, bringing fresh perspectives to the care of our patients and improving the care of transplant recipients worldwide. Our unique portfolio of basic and clinical research, education and clinical expertise benefits each patient receiving care at the Transplant Center.

Pediatric Kidney Transplant Team

At Mass General for Children, your child will be cared for by a team of specialists expert in pediatric transplantation, including pioneers in the field. Our multidisciplinary staff includes pediatric transplant nephrologists, transplant surgeons, infectious disease specialists, urologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, case managers, financial coordinators, and nutritionists, as well as a full breadth of consultants from every pediatric subspecialty.

Transplant Coordinators

• Rachel Ritter, MSN, RN—Pre-Transplant Coordinator
• Linda Mazzola, BSN, RN—Post-Transplant Coordinator

Nephrologists

• Elahna Paul, MD, PhD
• Amita Sharma, MD
• Wei Tan, MD
• Paul Fadakar, MD
• Lockie Milner, MD

Surgeons

• Heidi Yeh, MD
• Leigh Anne Dageforde, MD, MPH
• Nahel Elias, MD
• Tatsuo Kawai MD, PhD
• Shoko Kimura, MD, PhD
• James Markmann, MD, PhD

Psychiatrist

• Eric Hazen, MD

Infectious Disease

• Ann Murray, MD

Social Worker

• Barb Luby, BA, MM, MSW

Nutritionist

• Jessica Witchey, RD-AP, LDN, CNSC

Financial coordinators

• Nicole Giaquinto
• Anish Modi