The Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General for Children (MGfC) remains one of the largest of its kind in the world, offering “one-stop” state-of-the-art care for people with Down syndrome, from prenatal care to old age. The multidisciplinary team is now expanding and is delighted to announce these new clinicians.

“Our team’s mission is to provide the best medical care possible for people with Down syndrome,” said Brian Skotko, MD, MPP, director of the Down Syndrome Program. “To achieve that, we work hard to make sure that we have the most talented people on our team. I’m over the moon that Dr. Oreskovic, Dr. Moore, and Dr. Santoro will be joining our already strong group of clinicians.”

The Down Syndrome Program has also received philanthropic support from the Mass General Department of Medicine, which will allow it to re-open its doors to more adult patients with Down syndrome. Health insurance reimbursements cover only a fraction of the multi-disciplinary specialty care provided in the Down Syndrome Program. The bulk of these services are covered through philanthropy.

“We need to fundraise about $400 for every patient visit to cover the expenses not reimbursed by medical insurances,” said Skotko. “I’m so grateful that we have secure some additional funding to meet the expansive needs of adults with Down syndrome.”

The Down Syndrome Program will now accept an additional 40 adults with Down syndrome whose caregivers complete an electronic intake form. Availability will be provided on a first-come basis, as intakes are received. For questions, please contact downsyndrome@partners.org.

Cynthia Moore, PhD

Cynthia "Cindy" Moore, PhD, a clinical psychologist, joined the Down Syndrome Program in February of 2018. As part of the program’s multi-disciplinary team, Moore meets with patients and their families to provide mental health evaluations and consultations.

In her new role, Moore draws on her experience as a psychologist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MGfC and in the MGH Cancer Center’s Marjorie Korff Parenting At a Challenging Time (PACT) program.

“I enjoy working with families to find ways to cope with a variety of challenges and have been impressed by the resilience, flexibility and love in the families I’ve met in the Down Syndrome clinic over the past few months,” said Moore. She hopes that families will leave the clinic with a better understanding of any mental health issues and new ideas for managing concerns.

Moore earned her doctoral degree from the University of Virginia and her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. She also completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Nicolas Oreskovic, MD, MPH

Nicolas Oreskovic, MD, MPH, joined the Down Syndrome Program in February 2018 as a physician for adults with Down syndrome. His role on a multidisciplinary care team provides a unique opportunity to collaborate and care for patients and their caregivers.

“At Mass General, we offer a team-based approach to care, which is unique,” said Oreskovic. “When working with patients and caregivers in the Down syndrome community, you can see just how much people care for them. The multidisciplinary approach to care here is a complement to that.”

As a health services researcher at Mass General, Oreskovic is looking forward to learning more about the Down syndrome community, identifying barriers they might face with health care and figuring out ways to overcome those barriers. He is also interested in researching the health behaviors of people with Down syndrome, particularly physical activity levels and how they affect obesity rates.

In addition to his role in the Down Syndrome Program, Oreskovic is also the medical director of the Integrated Care Management Program at Mass General and an internist and pediatrician at MGH Revere HealthCare Center. He earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, completed his residency at Mount Sinai School Hospital in New York, and earned his master’s in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Stephanie Santoro, MD

Stephanie Santoro, MD, will join the Down Syndrome Program team in July 2018. On the team, Santoro will serve as the director of Quality Improvement Research. She will also care for pediatric and adult patients with Down syndrome and patients in Medical Genetics at MGfC and Mass General.

In the past, Santoro has collaborated with the Down Syndrome Program at MGfC and Mass General through her effort in creating the Columbus Down Syndrome Patient Database. In her previous role in the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at Ohio State University Nisonger Center, she also helped re-launched a multidisciplinary clinic for adults with Down syndrome. She also brought genetic counseling services to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Down Syndrome Clinic.

“As I met patients with Down syndrome, counseled new parents and met families through patient resource groups, I became part of the community,” said Santoro. “I have been driven to ensure that all people with Down syndrome receive the best medical care possible.”

Santoro earned her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her residency at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

 

Meet other members of the Down Syndrome Program team.

Type

Centers and Departments