Our Team
At Bridgewater Pediatrics, our team consists of experienced, compassionate pediatricians and health care professionals, as well as friendly, nurturing staff members who take great joy in giving our young patients the personalized pediatric care that they deserve. All of our clinicians are highly educated professionals who have undergone advanced medical training in pediatrics. We are lifelong learners who continually pursue ongoing education in order to provide the most up-to-date care for our patients and their families. We have a genuine love and respect for children, and we strive to meet the comprehensive needs of each child that we see. We look forward to building a relationship with you and your family.
Fred Kern, MD, FAAP
Pediatrician
Dr. Kern has enjoyed serving children, parents, and families as a general pediatrician for over twenty years. He is board certified in pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Kern founded Bridgewater Pediatrics in 2000, after serving in a medical group for 13 years. His founding vision has been to provide high quality medical care in a caring and compassionate environment. His desire is for Bridgewater Pediatrics to be a comprehensive medical home for children and their families – a practice which nurtures the physical, emotional, academic, and spiritual health of all.
Dr. Kern received his medical degree from McGill University and completed his internship and pediatric residency at Duke University Medical Center. He graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Biology, cum laude. In 1998, he was awarded the Brockton Community Service Award for establishing a pediatric AIDS clinic.
Dr. Kern and his wife, Lisa, live in Bridgewater with their five children, Lydia, Ben, Emily, Jacqueline, and Alison. He enjoys his busy family life, running, skiing, and photography. He serves on the board of directors of Keeping Pace with Multiple Miracles, a local ministry serving multiple birth families. He worships at South Shore Community Church and serves on the board of directors.
Katherine Forbes-Smith, MS, APRN, BC
Family Nurse Practitioner
Katherine is a board certified family nurse practitioner who joined our practice in 2001. She received an undergraduate degree from Gordon College and a Master of Science degree in nursing from Boston College in 2001, magna cum laude. She is a clinical instructor for nurse practitioners at Boston College and Northeastern University and is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society for nurses. Katherine has a special interest in adolescent medicine with expertise in the areas of gynecology and mental health. She gives numerous presentations and lectures to youth and families on issues related to adolescent health.
Katherine and her husband, Karl, live in Bridgewater with their three daughters. They are active members of South Shore Community Church. Katherine also serves on the board of directors of Shore to Shore Mission Network and as the Executive Director of The Well, A Center for Hope and Healing. In her free time, she enjoys downhill skiing, running and spending time with her girls.
Debra A. Picerno, MD, FAAP
Pediatrician
Dr. Debra Picerno joined Bridgewater Pediatrics in 2006. She received her medical and undergraduate degrees from Boston University and completed her pediatric residency at the Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine in 2004. She is board certified in pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Picerno served in the United States Navy as a general medical officer for five years after graduating medical school. She completed a pediatric internship at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and then served two years in Yokosuka, Japan where she served in the emergency department. Dr. Picerno then completed her naval service in New London, CT in 2002 and was thrilled to devote herself to the full-time practice of pediatrics.
Dr. Picerno and her husband, Mathew, live in Bristol, Rhode Island with their daughter Sophia and pug, Maggie.
Krisztina Bukur-Doczy, MD, FAAP
Pediatrician
Dr. Krisztina Bukur-Doczy completed her pediatric residency at the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center in 1999. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Lund University School of Medicine in Lund, Sweden. Dr. Bukur-Doczy has practiced general pediatrics for ten years. She practiced in upstate New York before coming to Boston and joining the staff of Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Prior to her clinical work, she was involved in medical research at both Boston University School of Medicine and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Bukur-Doczy is board certified in Pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Massachusetts Medical Society.
Dr. Bukur-Doczy and her husband, Viktor, have three children. She is very involved in the after school parent's group. She is fluent in English, Swedish, and Hungarian and is accepting new patients. Dr. Bukur-Doczy also directs the Travel Clinic at Bridgewater Pediatrics.
Elizabeth Melville Klements, MS, PNP-BC, AE-C
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Beth received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Nursing from Boston College. She is a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Asthma Educator and an active member of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). She is also a member of the Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society for nurses.
Beth joined Bridgewater Pediatrics in 2002. She also serves at Children’s Hospital Boston as the Asthma Clinical Nurse Specialist. Beth has served on the faculty of Simmons College and Boston College. She speaks regularly on topics of asthma and other pediatric issues at local, national, and international nursing conferences.
Beth is the proud mother of four adult children.
Jaime Ippolito, MS, CPNP
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Jaime Ippolito is a Certified Pediatric Nurser Practitioner who joined our practice in 2012. She studied Biology and Health Sciences at Stonehill College, where she graduated cum laude in 2008. She went on to earn a degree in Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions where she specialized in Pediatrics and graduated in 2011, summa cum laude . Before coming to Bridgewater Pediatrics, Jaime served as an RN at Framingham Pediatrics, as a teacher's assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital, and as a Nurse Practitioner at Dr. Bain's Pediatric Primary Care office in Lowell. In her spare time, Jaime enjoys community service projects, softball, snowboarding, running, and spending time with her dog, Larry.
Bernadette Sircar, RN, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant
Bernadette received her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing at Boston University in 1983. She worked as a nurse at Women and Infants Hospital for fourteen years, serving in the emergency room, labor and delivery, high risk obstetrics, and maternity. For the past seven years, Bernadette worked in labor and delivery and maternity at Good Samaritan Medical Center, where she is currently a lactation consultant and the Prenatal Breastfeeding Educator for expecting moms, teaching classes at least once a month. She became a Certified Lactation Consultant and 2008 and a Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2009.
Bernadette and her family live in Bridgewater, and she and her husband, Nobo, are proud parents of three adult children: Jessica, Rebecca, and Joshua. She is an avid golfer. Bernadette and her family attend the Christian Fellowship in Easton. She is excited to be a member of the Bridgewater Pediatrics team.
Christina Larson, RD, LDN
Nutritionist
Tina Larson joined our practice in 2011. She received her dietetics degree at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and interned at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. She provides nutrition education to patients and families, and offers grocery tours, weight loss
counseling and nutrition wellness evaluations.
Tina and her husband live in Bridgewater and are the parents of three daughters. Tina is an exercise enthusiast, enjoying cycling, yoga and fitness.
Deborah Penn
Patient Care Coordinator
Deborah joined Bridgewater Pediatrics in November of 2000. She attended LaSalle Junior College and the University of Massachusetts, earning a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology. After teaching for ten years, Deborah joined Bridgewater Pediatrics as a medical secretary, and she has been our Patient Care Coordinator since June of 2010. She enjoys serving our patients and their families as they navigate their way through our complex healthcare system. Deborah serves on the Board of Directors for The Well, A Center for Hope and Healing and on the Board of Trustees at The Village at Wildflower Green. She is an active member of South Shore Community Church.
Deborah and her husband live in Raynham. They enjoy kayaking, sailing, cycling, hiking and sunsets on the beach. They have two grown children and one grandchild.
Colleen Hammond
Office Manager
Colleen has over 25 years of practice management experience in various medical specialties. She began working with Dr. Kern in 1987 when he began his career. Colleen has served as office manager of Bridgewater Pediatrics since 2000. She has successfully overseen the change from paper to electronic records, the affiliation with Children’s Hospital Boston, and the growth of Bridgewater Pediatrics. She has served on numerous committees throughout her career and directs our medical home project. Colleen supervises our staff and is always available to help parents. Colleen attended Burdett College in Boston where she received her medical secretary certificate.
Colleen lives in Halifax with her husband, Mark, and is the proud mother of two adult children.