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ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS

Dr. Kimberlee E. Fish Chatson
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award
2012

Since graduating from North Attleboro High School in 1980, Dr. Kimberlee E. Fish Chatson has distinguished herself within the medical community as an accomplished clinician, researcher, teacher and administrator at some of the most prestigious medical facilities in the country.

Kim's intense interest in the sciences began in her high school advanced chemistry class under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Faxon, a "very professional and academically rigorous" teacher. She also cites Mrs. Elizabeth Graass, her guidance counselor, as being a great influence as she made choices for college and for her career.

Dr. Kim's professional education began at Duke University, Durham, NC, where she earned her B.S.N. (magna cum laude) in 1984 before serving as a pediatric nurse at the Duke University Medical Center and later at the Brenner Children's Hospital, Winston/Salem, NC. She earned her M.D. from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, in 1989.

From 1989-92, Dr. Chatson served her residency at Children's Hospital National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; and at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, MD. She also served as a Clinical and Research Fellow, Joint Program in Neonatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. It was at the D.C. Children's Hospital that Dr. Chatson was honored to be selected by one of her young cancer patients to accompany him to realize his special wish to meet then president George HW Bush.

Her next stint was as a Clinical Fellow in Pediatrics, Joint Program in Neonatology, Harvard Medical School, before becoming an instructor in the same program. Since 1992, Dr. Chatson has served as a Fellow in Medicine, Clinical Fellow and Staff Neonatologist at some of the Boston area's best known hospitals: Children's Hospital in Boston, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital as well as Winchester Hospital, the Anna Jaques Hospital and the Caritas Holy Family Hospital.

As her career progressed, Dr. Chatson realized the importance of "having empathy towards the many varied needs of newborn patients and their families." She also grew to understand the value of perseverance and "the importance of building consensus within a medical team that is working together to come up with a treatment plan for a given patient."

Dr. Chatson's clinical success has allowed her to assume several administrative responsibilities throughout her career. She currently serves as Associate Director of Neonatology at Winchester Hospital, where she supervises neonatal care in a 16-bed Level II nursery and attends high-risk deliveries in a 2200 birth per year hospital. In addition, as Chair/Founder of Maternal Child Health Family Advisory Council, Dr. Chatson assembled/recruited a multidisciplinary hospital based team and provides an educational foundation with live webinar links with the Institute for Family Centered Care. Since 2003, Dr. Chatson has served as sponsor/founder of a yearly CME lectureship targeted as an educational and networking opportunity for community neonatologists, obstetricians, pediatricians and nurses.

In her spare time, since 2000, Dr. Chatson has managed to serve on several committees, including the Credentials Committee, where she attends monthly meetings to review applicants for hospital privileges, as well as other committees that review research protocols as well as high-risk hospital cases.

Dr. Chatson has also distinguished herself as a presenter and panelist at several national conferences. Her presentations have ranged from pediatric research to neonatal/perinatal care and organ transplantation breakthroughs. In addition, she has co-authored original publications and written chapters, reviews and abstracts on cutting-edge medical research.

Dr. Chatson and her husband, George, a plastic surgeon, make their home in North Andover, MA with their three children: Emma (12), David (10) and Nicole (4).