Carolyn R. Rogers-Vizena

Dr. Carolyn R. Rogers-Vizena is an Attending Physician in the Department of Plastic & Oral Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. With over a decade of clinical experience since joining Boston Children's Hospital staff in 2013, she specializes in pediatric plastic surgery with a focus on cleft lip and palate, craniofacial anomalies, and adolescent breast surgery across multiple hospital locations in Boston, Waltham, and Weymouth, Massachusetts.

Dr. Rogers-Vizena completed her medical education at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School in 2007, followed by a Plastic Surgery Research Fellowship at the same institution in 2006. She completed her Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in 2012 and a Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital in 2013.

Her research interests center on improving outcomes for cleft lip and palate treatment through innovative approaches including simulation-based education and patient-reported outcome measures. As Associate Clinical Director for Special Effects and Materials Science in the Boston Children's Simulator program (SIMPeds), she developed a high-fidelity cleft lip simulator used for teaching and research. Dr. Rogers-Vizena serves as Scientific Co-Chair for the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement cleft lip and palate benchmarking program and leads Boston Children's prospective cleft outcomes program.

Dr. Rogers-Vizena's publication record demonstrates her commitment to advancing the field through rigorous outcomes research across cleft care, surgical education, and patient-centered approaches. Her work spans clinical outcomes, innovative simulation techniques, and international collaboration with over 50 publications from 2004-2025.

Dr. Rogers-Vizena serves in a leadership role with the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons and has received funding from the Plastic Surgery Foundation for her research on cleft lip simulation for resident education and surgeon competency evaluation. She has been featured in caregiver profiles and the Parentcast Podcast discussing cleft lip and palate care.

She is deeply committed to patient and family-centered care, having been an early adopter of telemedicine to reduce the burden of follow-up visits for families. Her clinical work extends across multiple Boston Children's Hospital locations, and she works closely with specialized programs including the Adolescent Breast Center, Cleft Lip and Palate Program, Cleft and Craniofacial Center, Microtia Program, and Voice and Velopharyngeal Dysfunction Center.