About Us

Quality Initiatives

The Department of Pediatrics is committed to continuous improvement in all domains and focuses on the Institute of Medicine's six domains of healthcare quality. We perform, support and train in improvement science and partner with Northwestern University for more comprehensive training. We will consider our program a success when we view everything as an opportunity for improvement.

Healthcare quality and safety initiatives are critical to providing optimal healthcare as well as reducing variations of care that will facilitate greater learning in all forms of research. Faculty involved in these initiatives help train medical students, residents and fellows in quality and safety.

The Department of Pediatrics is looking to expand the number of faculty members with healthcare quality and safety expertise. We offer several opportunities for faculty to expand their expertise in these areas:

Certificate Course for Improvement Scholars

This six-month course involves multidisciplinary faculty and participants including physicians. Scholars learn in didactic sessions and initiate an improvement project in their microsystem to accelerate their learning.

Journal Writing Club

We have initiated an Improvement Writers group that will advance optimal utilization of SQUIRE guidelines in September 2018. Graduates of this program are expected to submit healthcare quality and safety manuscripts, help teach the ensuing session and serve as mentors for other colleagues working in these areas.

Value in Healthcare

Faculty involved in quality and safety initiatives are currently developing a method for quantifying value in healthcare. This will enable the institution to prioritize work based on metrics that matter most to our patients and their families.

Zachary E Pittsenbarger

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine)

After joining the department of pediatrics in 2013, Dr. Pittsenbarger has been involved in projects inspired by his clinical work in pediatric emergency medicine and with the goal of improving the care provided for all children presenting to emergency departments anywhere in the globe. He has dedicated his time to study health service outcomes with a hope to identify areas for improving the systems that provide care and training the next generation of physicians.

Elizabeth R Alpern

Professor of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine)

Elizabeth Alpern is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Center for Healthcare Studies of the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is both a pediatric emergency physician and clinical epidemiologist Her research interests include the use of large databases within research networks to improve the quality of emergent care delivered to children through application of evidence-based work. Dr. Alpern has been a member of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), the first federally funded national network...

Lacey L Kruse

Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Dermatology) and Dermatology

I practice general pediatric dermatology with a special interest in pediatric pigmented lesions and pediatric skin cancer. I also have clinical interests in atopic dermatitis, birthmarks, hair and nail disorders, inflammatory skin disorders, papulosquamous disorders, psoriasis, skin infections and exanthems.

Alexandra A Ryan

Instructor of Pediatrics (Advanced General Pediatrics and Primary Care)

I am primarily interested in research involving the optimization of care for children with special health care needs.

Carolynn L Price

Instructor of Pediatrics (Hospital-Based Medicine)

Dr. Price is a pediatric hospitalist in the Division of Hospital Based Medicine as well as an Instructor of Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed a Chief Residency year in which she had experiences on hospital administration committees focused on patient safety and quality improvement. She has an interest in both undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Katelyn E Burgess

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Hospital-Based Medicine)

My clinical work focuses on the care of hospitalized children, from the observation unit to the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. I also supervise pediatric residents at the Lincoln Park continuity clinic. My interests include advocacy, global health, injury prevention, and the clinical education of medical students and residents.

Naomi R Fogel

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Endocrinology)

I am a clinical pediatric endocrinologist with a focus on the care of children with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. I work as part of a multidisciplinary team that aims to provide comprehensive care to support families living with diabetes. I also care for children with thyroid disorders, growth disorders, PCOS and disorders of puberty.

Jeffrey B Brown

Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition)

My primary clinical and research interest is IBD (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis)where we are working to understand and develop a non-invasive marker of disease activity/prognosis examing nail fold caprilloscopy. I am the medical director of the IBD program, which now includes physician/APN/PA specialists, nurse clinicians, dieticians, and a dedicated social worker. We are an active participant on the international IBD quality improvement and research consortium, Improve Care Now and a participating site in 3 clinical trials.

Jennifer Jao

Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases)

Dual certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Jao is an Associate Professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the Departments of Pediatric and Adult Infectious Diseases whose research focus is HIV maternal child health. She obtained her MD at the Medical College of Georgia and completed a Medicine/Pediatrics residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She trained in Infectious Diseases and obtained her MPH degree at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Leena Bhattacharya Mithal

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases)

I am a Pediatric Infectious Diseases specialist at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, with a particular academic interest and clinical expertise in infections affecting newborns and infants. I am passionate about improving accurate diagnosis of sepsis and appropriate antibiotic use in infants through research and education.