Learn more about our team:
Physicians
Nurse Practitioners
Nursing Staff
Support Staff
Administrative Staff

We have a strong tradition of offering superb supportive care to our patients with cancer and their families. We continue to strive to be leaders in this regard every year by improving our cancer support program. Our cancer support program is most regarded for its family assistance program and the calling on comfort program that uses self-hypnosis to empower the child to face the challenges of having cancer.

In addition to cancer care, we also provide comprehensive care to children and adolescents with blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, spherocytosis, anemia, neurtopenia, thrombocytopenia, hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, platelet disorders, as well as thrombotic disorders and hypercoagulable states.

Nursing care is central to the care of our patients. Our nurses are the most experienced and best trained in the region. The complexity and scope of treatments we provide demand expertise nursing and patient education, as well as care coordination.

The Physicians
J. Nathan Hagstrom, MD
Director and Division Head

Arnold J. Altman, MD
Eileen R. Gillan, MD
Michael S. Isakoff, MD
Andrea Orsey, MD
Nehal S Parikh, MD  

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The Nurse Practitioners
Emily Peluso-Lemire, APRN
Katherine Steven, APRN  

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The Nursing Staff
The nurses in the hematology/oncology outpatient clinic at CCMC are a group of highly motivated, energetic, and knowledgeable individuals who are committed to providing patients and their families with the highest quality nursing care possible.  They offer the best possible care to children and families, providing education and treatments in a comforting  manner, while attending to the psychosocial needs of the child.   Because our patients are cared for in a variety of settings, the nurses work with a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care to every patient and their family.  They have a strong desire to further their own education, and we now have ten nurses who are certified by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation as Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurses.  The clinic was recognized nationally by the ONCC in January of 2007 for having greater than 50% (actually greater than 80%) of their nurses certified to care for children in the specialty area of pediatric cancer.

Education is a key component of the care we provide to our patients and families. Our team of physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse educator, nurses, and social support staff work with children and families to provide information in a developmentally-appropriate and caring manner. This information, which  includes the medical diagnosis, treatment, side effects, care at home, and recognizing when it is important to seek medical attention, is provided in a variety of ways on an ongoing basis, to meet the needs of each patient and family. 

Barbara Cohen, RN
Mary F. Conway, RN Melissa Ferrigno, RN
Leigh Hart, RN
Courtney King, RN
Stephanie Knight, RN
Sarah Matney, RN
Eileen Maunsell, RN
Karina Newinsky, RN
Sarah J. Stevens, RN
Karen Underwood, RN
Jeanne Walczak, RN

Kristine Nicholls, Medical Assistant  

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The Support Staff
Nancy Caperino, MSW
Mary Laliberte, MSW
Deana Phillips-Soper, MSW

The Administrative Staff
Lidet Mekuria
Elizabeth Mora
Stephanie Thain
Karen Zeppa
Ruby Valentin
Sally Ann Derench, Practice Manager

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