The Team
Marilyn Augustyn, MD – Division Director, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD MPH – Hospitalist, Pediatrics
Shari Krauss, MA MPH – Program Director, The Autism Program
Lauren Bartolotti Busa, MA – Associate Program Director, The Autism Program
Alexander Friedman, MPH – Project Coordinator, The Autism Friendly Initiative
Belinda O’Hagan, MA – Research Coordinator, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Jacqueline McKendry, MS, BCBA, LABA - Autism Resource Specialist, The Autism Program
Elizabeth Ferriero, BA, CEIS - Autism Resource Specialist, The Autism Program
TEACH
TEACH (Teens Educating, Advocating, and Collaborating in Healthcare) is comprised of youth with ASD who convene quarterly to share critical insights on healthcare experiences to inform the work of the Autism Friendly Initiative.
- Gavin Zhang
- Tris Wideman
- Declan Woodring
- Olivia Gaffney
- Will Palmucci
- and our other incredible TEACH members!
QI Board
The Autism Friendly Initiative’s Quality Improvement Board provides guidance, support, and insight to ensure that interventions are driven by best practice.
- Pam Palmucci – PLAN Parent & Steering Committee Member
- Molly Ann Duggan, MS, CCLS – Child Life Manager, Child Life, Boston Medical Center
- Emily Hickey, PhD – Assistant Research Scientist, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison
- Erika Crable, MPH – Post-Doctoral Scholar, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego
- Lauren Betancourt, MPH – Program Manager, Quality & Performance Improvement, Boston University
Steering Committee
The Autism Friendly Initiative's Steering Committee is a multidisciplinary group of hospital and community leaders that assists with strategic planning, decision-making, and overall optimization of the Initiative.
- Soukaina Adolphe, MD – Pediatrician, Pediatrics
- Lauren Betancourt, MPH – Program Manager, Quality & Performance Improvement
- Eileen Costello, MD – Chief of Ambulatory Pediatrics, Medical Director, Pediatric Primary Care
- Laurie Douglass, MD - Section Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurology; Director, Pediatric Epilepsy
- Molly Ann Duggan, MS, CCLS – Child Life Manager, Child Life
- Ivys Fernández- Pastrana, JD – Program Manager, Family Navigation Program, Pediatric and Adolescent Primary Care
- Zachary Houston, MS, BCBA, LABA - Assistant Director for ABA, Boston Public Schools
- Elizabeth Hutton, MD – Medical Director, Pediatric Inpatient Unit; Hospitalist, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
- Karen Kames – BMC Board Member
- Sheryl Katzanek – Director, Patient Advocacy
- Kristen Kremer, MPH, MA – Senior Manager of Patient Experience, Accessibility Committee Co-Chair, Accessibility Committee
- Pam Kuzia, RN – Sedation Nurse - Pedi Sedation
- Jack Maypole, MD – Director, Comprehensive Care Program (CCP), Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
- Jonathan McCurry – Senior Project Manager, Planning, Design, and Construction
- Alexander O'Leary – Manager of Public Safety
- Pam Palmucci – PLAN Parent & QI Board Member
- Dana Rubin, MD, MSW – Psychiatrist, Pediatrician, Departments of Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry
- Bob Vinci, MD – Chairman, Pediatrics
- Jodi Wenger, MD – Pediatrician, Comprehensive Care Program, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
- Athanasios Zavras, DMD, DDS, MS, DrMedSc – Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatric Dentistry
- Hillary Hollis, BA – Autism Resource Specialist, The Autism Program
- Audrey Christiansen, MD - Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
- Beth Jerskey, PhD - Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University
- Katie Jordan, LCSW - Clinical Social Worker, Boston Medical Center
- Kristin Long, PhD - Director, Child & Family Health Laboratory, Boston University
- Paul Miller - Office of Development, Boston Medical Center