PARTNERS IN CARE - Key Persons
Ashley Lucke, MD, is a board-certified neonatologist in the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She specializes in coordinating fetal-to-neonatal care for complex fetal conditions. Additionally, Dr. Lucke is an assistant professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Lucke earned her bachelor's degree in nutrition from the University of Florida and her medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. She completed both a residency and chief residency in pediatrics at Children's Medical Center Dallas/The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, a fellowship in neonatology at Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, and a second fellowship in fetal neurology and transitional medicine at Children's National Hospital.
Dr. Lucke serves as the Legislative and Policy Lead to the Dell Children's Medical Center Pediatric Advocacy Committee and as the Associate Program Director for the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program at Dell Children's. Her clinical and research interest include fetal and neonatal neurology. She is a staunch maternal and child health advocate and is passionate about uniting research and advocacy interests to advance neonatal care. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, of which she formerly served as both section chairperson and chair of two national advocacy campaigns related to firearm injury prevention and neonatal abstinence syndrome. She is also a member of both the Gold Humanism Honor Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She currently serves in a national leadership position within the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.
Dr. Lucke is a neonatologist with Dell Children's Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director, Kidney Transplant Program, Medical Director, Kidney Transplant Program
Brian K. Lee, MD, is a board-certified transplant nephrologist and the Medical Director of the Kidney Transplant Program within the Abdominal Transplant Center, the clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. He specializes in caring for both adult and young adult patients with end-stage kidney disease who may benefit from a kidney transplant. Additionally, Dr. Lee is a professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Lee earned his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He completed both an internship and residency in internal medicine as well as a fellowship in nephrology/hypertension at MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University. He also completed a fellowship in transplant nephrology at the University of California, San Francisco and a fellowship in integrative medicine at The University of Arizona to inform patients on the use of complementary and alternative medicine during the kidney transplant process.
Dr. Lee previously served as the Medical Director of the Living Kidney Donor Program at the University of California, San Francisco, where his team performed evaluations to get patients added to the kidney transplant wait list, evaluated prospective living donors, and ensured compatibility between donors and recipients. In his current role, in addition to helping complete presurgical workups, he provides care for patients after surgery and follows up with patients to manage immunosuppression and any other complications that may occur. If a patient's kidneys fail after surgery, he helps evaluate the patient for a second transplant. His research focuses on living donation, and he studies the barriers to donation, the outcomes of transplants from living donors, and ways to optimize kidney function and longevity following living donor transplantation. He also studies how to desensitize recipients (lower antibody levels) to lower their risk of a rapid, severe rejection of the transplanted organ. He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Transplantation, and the National Kidney Registry.
Dr. Lee is a transplant nephrologist with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Nurse Practitioner
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Navigator, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Calyn Hughes, MSN, RN, is a licensed registered nurse and nurse navigator in the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin.
Calyn Hughes earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio and her master's in nursing from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Calyn Hughes has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in Central Texas for close to 10 years during which she provided primary and acute care for children. Throughout her career, she has worked extensively with children who have complex medical needs.
Calyn Hughes is a registered nurse with Ascension Medical Group Seton Women's Health.
Jeny Ghartey, DO, is a fellowship-trained maternal-fetal medicine specialist in both Women's Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin, and the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She performs prenatal diagnosis, level II ultrasound examinations, and high-risk obstetric consultations in the outpatient and inpatient setting. Additionally, Dr. Ghartey is an associate professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Women's Health.
Dr. Jeny Ghartey earned her medical degree from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ghartey serves as the Maternal Medical Director for Seton Medical Center Austin.
Dr. Ghartey is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with Ascension Medical Group Seton Women's Health.
Job Titles:
- Registered Nurse
- Research Nurse, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Emily Hutson, MSN, RN, is a licensed registered nurse and the Research Nurse for the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. With more than 15 years of experience in clinical bedside and leadership nursing involving labor and delivery, nursery, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and postpartum settings, she specializes in supporting growing families through some of the most challenging aspects of pregnancy.
Emily Hutson earned both her master's in nursing and her bachelor's in kinesiology with a concentration in women's studies from The University of Texas at Austin.
Emily Hutson has a passion for patient education and advocacy and most recently worked to enhance the experience and continuity of care for patients facing NICU admission and the multidisciplinary teams caring for them. She is also a member the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Emily Hutson is a registered nurse with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Transplant Surgeon, Abdominal Transplant Center
Joel T. Adler, MD, MPH, is a board-certified abdominal transplant surgeon in the Abdominal Transplant Center, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. He specializes in kidney and pancreas transplantation. Additionally, Dr. Adler is an assistant professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care.
Dr. Adler earned his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and his master's in public health from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. He completed a residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in abdominal transplantation at the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Adler's clinical interests include both abdominal and pediatric kidney and pancreas transplantation as well as peritoneal dialysis access and compilations. His research interests focus on increasing access to care for historically vulnerable populations through the use of technology as well as novel and innovative ways to improve the evaluation and waitlisting process associated with transplantation.
Dr. Adler is an abdominal transplant surgeon with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Chief of the Division of Neonatology for Dell Children 's Hospital
John Loyd, MD, MPH, is a board-certified neonatologist in the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. He specializes in coordinating fetal-to-neonatal care for complex fetal conditions. Additionally, Dr. Loyd is an assistance professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Loyd earned his medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and his master's degree in public health with a focus in epidemiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and a fellowship in neonatology at Northwestern University.
Dr. Loyd serves as the Chief of the Division of Neonatology for Dell Children's Hospital. His clinical career is dedicated to the medical care of infants with complicated medical and surgical issues and advancing the care of infants across the state through participation and leadership in statewide quality collaboratives, such as the Texas Collaborative for Mothers and Babies and the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) Perinatal Care Region (PCR) Alliance. He supports the Department of State Health Services' neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) verification efforts by serving as a unit surveyor with the American Academy of Pediatrics NICU verification program. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, of which he is also an active participant of the Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, serving as his region's representative to the executive committee.
Dr. Loyd is a neonatologist with Dell Children's Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Manager, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center / Nurse Navigator, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Karen Moise, RN, is a licensed registered nurse and serves as both a Nurse Navigator and the Nurse Manager for the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. With more than 30 years of experience, she specializes in informing patients about their fetal condition and providing support where needed.
Karen Moise earned her associate's degree in nursing from Wake Technical Community College/Rex Hospital School of Nursing. She also earned her inpatient obstetric nursing certification for her knowledge and experience in providing care to hospitalized pregnant women during the antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum and newborn periods. She is certified in radio frequency ablation and a certified laser technician.
Karen Moise's clinical interests include education and providing support for families that have been given less than ideal information regarding their unborn child. She is a contributor to The Bump, an online blog that feature expert articles on fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and babies, and the author of Contemporary Management of Complicated Monochorionic Twins, which was published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing.
Karen Moise is a registered nurse with Dell Children's Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Anesthesiologist, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
- Chief of Anesthesiology for Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin
Katherine Kohls, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist in the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She specializes in administering anesthesia for pregnant mothers undergoing complex fetal surgery. Additionally, Dr. Kohls is an affiliate faculty member in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care.
Dr. Kohls earned her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed a residency in anesthesiology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she served as chief resident during her final year.
Dr. Kohls serves as the Assistant Chief of Anesthesiology for Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, where she also serves on the Ambulatory Medicine and Critical Care Peer Review Council, the Maternal Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Program, the Perinatal Safety Committee, the Women's Health and Perinatal Profession Practice Evaluation Committee, and the Women's Health Enhanced Recovery Protocol Committee. She has participated in multiple clinical and quality committees involving obstetrics and more and serves on the Central Texas Clinical Governance Board, the Clinical Quality Committee, and the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Advisory Committee for U.S. Anesthesia Partners. She is an adjunct assistant professor at Texas A&M School of Medicine.
Dr. Kohls is an anesthesiologist with Dell Children's Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Director, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Job Titles:
- Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatrist, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Lisa Boyars, MD, is a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist in both Women's Reproductive Mental Health of Texas within UT Health Austin's Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences and the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She specializes in the diagnosis and management of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.
Dr. Boyars earned her medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed both an internship and a residency in psychiatry as well as a fellowship in perinatal and reproductive psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dr. Boyars is an enthusiastic educator, researcher, and presenter on perinatal and reproductive behavioral health regionally, nationally, and internationally. She has been an investigator on several grant-sponsored research studies and initiatives that provide novel and better care to women with maternal mental health conditions.
Dr. Boyars is a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Director of Maternal - Fetal Medicine, Women 's Health
Lorie M. Harper, MD, MSCI, is a fellowship-trained maternal-fetal medicine specialist in both Women's Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin, and the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She also serves as the Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine for Women's Health. Additionally, Dr. Harper is an associate professor and serves as both the Division Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Fellowship Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine for the Dell Medical School Department of Women's Health.
Dr. Harper graduated summa cum laude from The University of Texas with simultaneous bachelor's degrees in biology and chemistry. She earned both her medical degree and her master's in clinical investigation from Washington University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology as well as a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Harper's clinical career is dedicated to caring for women with medically complicated pregnancies and advancing women's health through innovative research. In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic, she has recently expanded her clinical reach to include the management of substance use disorders in pregnancy. She is also a member of several nationally recognized organizations, such as the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the American Heart Association, and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Dr. Harper is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Navigator, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Mandy Allen, BSN, RN, is a licensed registered nurse and serves as a Nurse Navigator for the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin.
Mandy Allen graduated magna cum laude from Sam Houston State University with her bachelor's degree in health education. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Nursing.
Mandy Allen has over 10 years of nursing experience across a variety of settings, including couplet care, newborn nursery and delivery, oncology, wound care, post-acute care, palliative care and hospice, hospital case management and utilization management, and the emergency department. She also has extensive experience as a nursing team leader and has held various leadership and administrative positions in the clinical setting. Her prior clinical nursing experience in academia resulted in a collaborative publication following extensive research on the crisis in access to health care in rural communities across the nation.
Mandy Allen is a registered nurse with Ascension Medical Group Seton Women's Health.
Job Titles:
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Navigator, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Martha Mai, BSN, RN, is a licensed registered nurse and serves as a Nurse Navigator in the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin.
Martha Mai earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from The University of Texas at Austin. She is also S.T.A.B.L.E. certified through the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program. S.T.A.B.L.E. stands for the six assessment and care modules in the program: Sugar/Safe care (establishing intravenous access and monitoring and normalizing blood sugar/safe, quality patient care and preventing and eliminating preventable adverse events), Temperature (prevention of cold stress and hypothermia), Airway (supporting ventilation and maintaining a normal acid-base balance), Blood pressure (identification and treatment of hypovolemic, cardiogenic, and septic shock), Lab work (identification and treatment of neonatal infection and performing lab investigations), and Emotional support (the crisis of NICU hospitalization and how to offer emotional support to the family).
Martha Mai has served as a registered nurse in both pediatric critical care and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While in the NICU, she provided services as a delivery nurse and a preceptor lead and was involved in various committees. She is passionate about supporting families of children with complex medical needs. She is also an active member of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses and an active alumna of Texas 4000 for Cancer.
Martha Mai is a registered nurse with Ascension Medical Group Seton Women's Health.
Job Titles:
- Outstanding Anesthesia Resident Award
Job Titles:
- Fetal Medicine Specialist, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Michael Bebbington, MD, MHSc, is a board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. With more than 20 years of experience, he specializes in fetal medicine and using specialized diagnostic imaging and intrauterine interventions in the management of complex pregnancies. Additionally, Dr. Bebbington is a professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Women's Health.
Dr. Bebbington earned his medical degree from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada and his master's in health science from The University of British Columbia. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at The University of British Columbia, and a second fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Bebbington is an internationally recognized expert in fetal care. He formerly served as the Director of the Fetal Care Center at both Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital and was a professor in the Washington University School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Bebbington clinical and research interests include all aspects of fetal care and intervention. He is a current member of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Fetal Therapy Think Tank, and the North American Fetal Therapy Network.
Dr. Bebbington is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Obstetrician - Gynecologist, Women 's Health
Michael Nix, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in both Women's Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin, and the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. He specializes in complex obstetrics. Additionally, Dr. Nix is an assistant professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Women's Health.
Dr. Nix earned his bachelor's degree in zoology from Texas Tech University and his medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Nix serves the Director of the Specialized Labor and Delivery Unit at Dell Children's Medical Center and a is member of the national Perinatal Steering Committee for Ascension Health. He is also the immediate past Chair of the Ascension Texas Council for Women's Health and Neonatal Clinical Care. His clinical and research interests focus on patient safety, and he uses simulation technology to teach clinical teams how to improve their responses during obstetrical emergencies. He has published several articles and lectured at regional and national levels.
Dr. Nix is an obstetrician-gynecologist with Ascension Medical Group Seton Women's Health.
Job Titles:
- Director of Neonatology, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
- Medical Director of Neonatal Transport at Dell Children 's Medical Center
Natalie Frost, MD, is a board-certified neonatologist and serves as the Director of Neonatology for the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She specializes in coordinating fetal-to-neonatal care for complex fetal conditions. Additionally, Dr. Frost is an associate professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Frost earned her bachelor's degree from Hardin-Simmons University and her medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She completed a residency in general pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She has completed additional training in perinatal palliative care.
Dr. Frost is the Medical Director of Neonatal Transport at Dell Children's Medical Center, where she specializes in the transport of critically ill babies by land or air, both regionally and out-of-state. Her most recent research includes correlating prenatal diagnostic findings with postnatal outcomes. She enjoys training future pediatricians and neonatologists in prenatal consultation and complex delivery and postnatal care planning, delivery room management, including neonatal resuscitation, and neonatal care. Her favorite aspects of her work include the deep relationships she forms with her patient-families, walking hand-in-hand with them through the most difficult of decisions and the most beautiful of moments. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal Perinatal Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Transport Medicine. She also serves on the Women in Neonatology task force, advising the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as on the Obstetrics and Perinatal Ethics Committee for the Ascension Texas Hospitals.
Dr. Frost is a neonatologist with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Abdominal Transplant Surgery at Dell Seton Medical Center
- Transplant Director, Abdominal Transplant Center
Nicole Turgeon, MD, FACS, is a board-certified abdominal transplant surgeon and serves as the Transplant Director for the Abdominal Transplant Center, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. She specializes in kidney and pancreas transplantation. Additionally, Dr. Turgeon is a professor and serves as the Chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery for the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care.
Dr. Turgeon earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Brown University and her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and a fellowship in multi-organ abdominal transplant surgery at the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Turgeon currently serves as Chief of Abdominal Transplant Surgery at Dell Seton Medical Center. She joined the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin to initiate and build an abdominal transplant program. In her previous role as a member of the Emory University faculty, she was an active kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon, researcher, teacher, and mentor to undergraduates, medical students, residents, and fellows. She served as Director of the Living Donor Program, which included the development of Emory's nationally prominent role in the National Kidney Registry paired donor exchange program. She was also the Surgical Director of the Kidney Transplant Program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She has been actively engaged in organ donation efforts and served as an Assistant Medical Director at Lifelink of Georgia Organ Procurement Organization. She has a strong commitment to serving the transplant community through the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) regional and national committee participation and has been a member of the UNOS Kidney Committee for more than 8 years, recently completing her tenure as Chair. She is currently Vice Chair of the UNOS Policy Oversight Committee and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Transplantation. She has also served as an investigator and principal investigator on numerous grants funded by the NIH and other organizations. Her academic interests include organ donation and utilization, adult and pediatric renal transplantation, pancreatic transplantation, and HIV transplantation.
Dr. Turgeon is a kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon with UT Health Austin.
Job Titles:
- Counselor With UT Health Austin
Rosemary Rogers is a genetic counselor with UT Health Austin.