Irfan M. Rahim, MD, FAAP

Irfan Rahim is the founder and medical director of Start Line Pediatrics.  After getting his B.A. in Chemistry from California State University, Fresno, and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he entered the United States Air Force and completed his residency at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, California.  He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1998.  Dr. Rahim is a Veteran of the United States Air Force.  After serving military families for seven years, he spent 17 years working in private practice in Suburban Boston and the Boston Metrowest.  Opening Start Line Pediatrics in 2018 was the next step for Dr. Rahim in providing quality medical care that aligns with his own set of core values, namely, be approachable, be accountable, be flexible.

Dr. Rahim enjoys teaching and has trained medical students, pediatric residents and nurse practitioner students throughout his career.  He is a member of the Community Medical Staff of Boston Children’s Hospital as well as the Active Medical Staff at Metrowest Medical Center.

Dr. Rahim is married and is the father of a daughter who is an Athletic Trainer for a D1 college baseball team and of another daughter currently in college, studying Mechanical Engineering.  He has a breadth of personal experience with many of the issues and dilemmas that his patients face which fully complements his professional experience and qualifications. Dr. Rahim speaks Farsi, is an avid sports fan, enjoys family time, his dog Franklin, traveling, the beach and any competitive board or card game!

Hallie Pearl, MD, FAAP

Dr. Hallie Pearl hails originally from Potomac, Maryland. Dr. Pearl received her B.S. in Biology with a Physiology and Neurobiology specialization from the University of Maryland, College Park. From there, she continued on to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, graduating in 2018. Dr. Pearl completed her Pediatric residency at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center. She is a member of the Community Medical Staff of Boston Children’s Hospital, certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

As a pediatrician, she enjoys building longitudinal relationships with her patients and their families, focusing on preventative care and creating healthy habits. Her special interests clinically include pediatric asthma care, hearing loss, and nutrition. She views herself as both a lifelong learner and as a teacher, educating her patients about their health.

Rachel Tay, Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Rachel Tay is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.  She received a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University in 2014 and then worked in pharmacogenomics clinical research at the University of Florida – studying the role of patient genetics in drug response.  Knowing that her final goal was always to work in pediatric primary care, she moved to Boston and obtained a Master of Science in Nursing from Boston College, specializing in pediatrics, in 2018.  Rachel worked as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at two busy clinics in the greater Boston area before coming to Start Line Pediatrics.

Rachel is passionate about partnering with patients and families to develop easier ways to manage their heath. As the oldest of four siblings, caring for one sibling with Crohn’s disease and another on the Autism Spectrum, she understands firsthand the challenges that families face when dealing with chronic diseases, behavioral and psychological issues. Perhaps because of her experiences, she strives to develop treatment plans that are manageable and most likely to lead to successful outcomes.  Rachel prioritizes relationships and making her patients feel comfortable at any age – whether that is by having light up toys on her stethoscope for the little ones or by spending extra time listening to home or school problems with the adolescents.

Rachel currently lives in Boston with her significant other and and their dog, Roxie. In her spare time, she enjoys running, playing intramural sports, kayaking, skiing, and game nights. She is also an avid University of Florida sports fan and loves to visit her family in Florida to cheer on The Gators!

 Lisa Casey, LMHC

Lisa Casey is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 25 years of experience working with diverse populations and in a variety of clinical settings. She received her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Massachusetts. She has solid experience with children and adolescents and their families, and is very comfortable with a broad range of diagnoses, including anxiety, PTSD, depression, ADHD and behavioral issues.  Before coming to Start Line Pediatrics, Lisa worked for the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) in varied roles including Outpatient Therapy, In-Home Behavior Services, Clinical Supervisor roles, and more recently as Clinical Director.  Prior to this, Lisa worked in Residential Treatment for 10 years where she was a Clinical Supervisor and Clinician and worked in the Firesetting Treatment Program.  Lisa also has experience in therapeutic day schools, Community Based Acute Treatment and dual diagnosis treatment, working with children with autism. After years in supervisory roles, Lisa has returned to the direct care that she has missed. In addition to her days at Start Line, Lisa is also working for South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) as a Clinician.

Lisa loves spending time with family and friends. She loves animals and nature, stand up comedy, music and concerts and game night!

Lisa is passionate about children. ” They’re fun. I’ve dedicated my career to them. That’s where my passion is.”