The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program Team
Physicians
Kenneth Meehan, MD
Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program
Dr. Kenneth Meehan is the Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant and Hematology
Program. Dr. Meehan graduated from Georgetown University Medical School and
performed his residency training at Georgetown. He completed his fellowship in
both Hematology and Oncology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and remained
on faculty at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for 2 years. In 1994, he
returned to Georgetown Medical Center and worked in the Bone Marrow Transplant
Program. He recently returned to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Dr.
Meehan is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and
Hematology. His research interests include immunotherapy following
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
John Hill Jr., MD
Director of Allogenic Transplantation
Dr. Hill is the Director of the Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Dartmouth, having come to us from the Walter Reed Transplant Program and National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD. One outgrowth of his interest in more tolerable approaches to adoptive immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies has been the "mini-allogeneic" (nonmyeloablative) stem cell transplant protocol at DHMC. This allows older patients and those with additional medical problems to be candidates for potentially curative transplant therapy.
Dr. Bengtson has been a member of the Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant
Team since 2000. She received her Bachelor of Science from College of William
and Mary in Virginia and her medical degree from Ohio State University. She
completed a medical residency at Boston City Hospital where she also served as
Chief Resident. She came to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in 1997 and
completed her fellowship training in Hematology and Medical Oncology. Dr.
Bengtson is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Hematology. Her
interests include treating patients with Lymphoma and Myelodysplasia. She is
also interested in caring for patients receiving Hematopoietic Cell
Transplantation.
Dr. Cornell joined the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School as a Hematologist in
1975 following completion of a Fellowship in Hematology. He was Director of
the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group from 1975 to 1987. He has also
directed the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Hemophilia Center since 1975.
His areas of clinical and research interest are Coagulation and Thrombosis
problems as well as Myloproliferative Disorders. He is also active in areas of
Hematologic Malignancies and benign Hematologic diseases. He is currently the
chairman of the Executive Board of the New England Hemophilia Consortium.
Dr. Gautier joined the Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Team in July of
1999. He received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School and
completed his Internal Medicine residency training at Columbia Presbyterian
Medical Center. He performed his Fellowship training in Hematology and Medical
Oncology at Duke University Medical Center where he remained on faculty until
1999. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and
Hematology. He is particularly interested in older patients with malignant
hematologic disorders.
Dr. Christopher Lowrey joined the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant team in 1993 after completing his Fellowship in Hematology at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD. He received his M.D. from Boston University and performed his residency in Internal Medicine at Tuft's New England Medical Center. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology. Dr. Lowrey's research program includes projects focused on hematopoiesis, gene therapy, the myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemia.
Clinical Resource Coordinators
Lynn Root, RN. Nurse Coordinator
Lynn Root is a Blood and Marrow Transplant Nurse Coordinator for the Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Hematology Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Lynn graduated from Mary Hitchcock Memorial School of Nursing in 1977 and completed her Bachelor of Science in General Studies in 1986. During her nursing career, Lynn has worked as a staff nurse and clinical coordinator in surgery, Hematology / Oncology, and the Renal unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Lynn joined the Section of Hematology / Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program in 2002.
Idalina Williams, RN, ADN BSW
Idalina Williams is a Blood and Marrow Transplant Nurse Coordinator who joined the Blood and Marrow Transplant team in March of 2007. Idalina graduated from Rhode Island College in 1997 with a Bachelor degree in Social Work. She lived in RI and worked as a Medical Social Worker and Discharge Planner in the Sub Acute Setting. She also served as a Director of Social Work at the facility where she worked until she decided to pursue a nursing degree. She continued her work as a social worker, while attending a nursing program full time at the Community College of RI and earned her Associate Degree in Nursing in May of 2005. Idalina worked on a Medical Hematology Oncology unit at the Miriam Hospital in RI until she and her family relocated to the Upper Valley in January 2006 to work as a Blood and Marrow transplant RN at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Idalina has always had an interest in working with Hematology Oncology Patient's and their families.
Nurse Practitioners
Elizabeth Kimtis , ARNP
Elizabeth Kimtis is a Family Nurse Practitioner in the Hematology and Blood and Marrow
Transplant Program. Elizabeth Kimtis joined the section of Hematology/Oncology
at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in 1990. She received her undergraduate
degree in Nursing from Colby Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire in
1990. She worked on the inpatient Hematology/Oncology Special Care Unit
specializing in the care of adult Leukemia and Bone Marrow/Peripheral Stem Cell
Transplant patients. In 1997 she joined the Hitchcock Clinic, after completing
her Master's of Science in Nursing degree through the University of New
Hampshire in 1996. She became certified as an adult Nurse Practitioner in
1997, and a Family Nurse Practitioner in 1999. Her research interest has been
in the area of Quality of Life. She currently serves on the Northeast Regional
Oncology Nursing Committee.
Anna Schaal is a Family Nurse Practitioner who joined the team in 2004. She received her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Alberta in 1992, and her graduate degree from the University of Vermont in 1999. She has worked on a number of different BMT units as a staff nurse, including DHMC, Tulane University, University of Utah and Indiana University of Perdue. She also brings 5 years' experience as a family practice nurse practitioner work to our team. Her special interests include quality of life and integrative therapies.
Diane Stearns is currently a Nurse Practitioner in the Hematology and Blood and
Marrow Transplant Program. She joined the Section of Hematology and Blood and
Marrow Transplant at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in 1986 as a graduate
nurse after completing her Bachelor's in Nursing from St. Anselm College in
Manchester, NH. In 1989, she transitioned into a leadership role as clinical
coordinator of the Hematology Special Care Unit specializing in the care of
adult Leukemia and Blood and Marrow Transplant patients. In 1992, she joined the
Hitchcock Clinic as a Nurse Clinician in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and
completed her Master's of Nursing through the University of New Hampshire in
1995. Since that time, her clinical interests have focused on patients with
Lymphoma and Leukemia. Her research interests have been in the area of quality
of life and advanced practice. She has served on many regional and national
committees and panels including the Oncology Nursing Forum editorial board and
American Cancer Society.
Patricia Huber, ARNP
Patricia Huber, Adult Nurse Practitioner, is the newest addition (2007) to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Hematology and Marrow transplant team. She obtained her undergraduate degree in nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno. She went on to spend 25 years on active duty in the Army Nurse Corps and retired in 1993 as a Colonel and the last Chief Nurse of Fort Devens, Massachusetts. She received her MSN as a nurse practitioner from the University of Texas Health Science Center in 1980, and completed a post-graduate year at Boston College in 2002. She comes to the program from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where she worked in breast oncology. Her interests include bone health, nutrition and end-of-life care.
HSCU Unit Leader
Virginia Bayliss RN, BSN, OCN
Virginia Bayliss is the Unit Leader of the Hematology/Oncology Special Care Unit. She graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 1975 with a BS in Psychology, Adirondack Community College in 1979 with an AAS in Nursing, and University of New Hampshire in 1992 with a BS in Nursing. She has worked on the inpatient Hematology/Oncology unit since 1984, and the Special Care Unit since its inception in 1992.
Practice Manager
Susan M.Webber, MS, MT(ASCP)BB
Susan Webber is the Practice Manager for the Hematology / Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. Susan has recently completed a Master of Science Degree in Hospital Administration from New England College. In 1982 Susan began her career at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in the Clinical Pathology Laboratory working as a Medical Technologist. Susan has extensive experience in Transfusion Medicine, donor collection, therapeutic apheresis, and Cellular Therapy. She is an active member of the International Society of Cellular Therapy (ISCT) and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT). Additionally, Sue performs as a FACT inspector. Her special interests include regulatory and quality management, process improvement, and novel advances in the treatment of cancer.
Academic Assistant, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program
Connie Goodrich (Administration)
Connie Goodrich is the Academic Assistant to Dr. Kenneth Meehan, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, and Susan M. Webber, MS, MT(ASCP)BB, Practice Manager, Hematology/Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, and also assists the Blood and Marrow Transplant Team. Connie joined the Section of Hematology / Oncology at Dartmouth Hitchcock in August 2006.
Social Worker
Robert W. Tichner, MSW, LICSW
Robert Tichner has been a Clinical Social Worker with the Office of Care Management at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center since 1997. Provides psycho-social support, counseling, assessment and resource assistance for the adult Hematology/Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Programs. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston University, College of Liberal Arts and received his Master's of Social Work from Simmons College, Boston, in 1994. Prior to joining DHMC he provided Clinical Social Work Services at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and at the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, Greensboro, NC for Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular, Nephrology, Pediatric, Neurology and Medical Hematology/Oncology Services. Mr. Tichner is licensed in social work by the State of New Hampshire.
Robert W. Tichner, Clinical Social Worker
Office of Care Management
(603) 650-6753
Other Members
Dermatology
- Kathy A. Zug, MD
Infectious Disease (Transplant)
Pathology
- James P. Aubuchon, MD
- Norman B. Levy, MD
Radiology
- Petra J. Lewis, MD
Outpatient Nursing
- Angela Gibbs, RN
Inpatient Nursing
- Virginia Bayliss, RN (HSCU Unit Leader)
- Lori L. Profota, RN,MS, NP-C (Director of Nursing)
Patient Scheduling
- Wendy Poitras
Transfusion Medicine Service
- Zbigniew M. Szczpiorkowski, MD, PhD
Director, Transfusion Medicine Service
- Linda Cooper, MT (ASCP)
Section Supervisor, Transfusion Medicine Service
- Karen Klinker, MT (ASCP), SBB
Assistant Supervisor, Blood Donor Program
- April Permont, MLT (ASCP)
Cellular Therapy Center
Director, Molecular Pathology:
- Gregory J. Tsongalis, Ph.D
Insurance Contracting
- Tuesday M. Griffin – Coordinator
- Patrick O’Bryan - Contracting
Pharmacy
- Lillian Baier, RPh
Social Work
- Robert Tichner, MSW
Clinical Research Office
- Marc Pipas – Medical Director
- Lisa Bundy – Administrative Director
- Michelle Layton – Data Manager
