Jilda N. Vargus-Adams, MD, MSc

I am a pediatric rehabilitation doctor who specializes in cerebral palsy. I’m board certified in pediatrics and in physical medicine and rehabilitation. I also hold a certificate in pediatric rehabilitation medicine.

I believe that every child, including those with cerebral palsy, should get to live the biggest life possible. We can’t cure cerebral palsy, but we can listen to kids and their families and help them find ways to reach their potential and be happy.

I have always enjoyed spending time with children, and from the time I was a teenager I planned to be a pediatrician. While in medical school, I discovered how rewarding it was to work with children with special needs. I was drawn to pediatric rehabilitation medicine because it lets me have long-term relationships with my patients and their families, and I can help ensure that they meet their goals.

At Cincinnati Children’s, our interdisciplinary cerebral palsy team clinics are unique. We have truly specialized providers from across the medical center who work together with families in real time so that kids have their issues identified and addressed in an ideal and efficient fashion. We offer virtually every treatment that is shown to benefit children with cerebral palsy, and we provide all these benefits to every child we see.

Working with children with disabilities, especially as director of our Cerebral Palsy Clinic, has given me the opportunity to witness incredible achievements and to appreciate the little victories as well. I believe that our interdisciplinary care models really do work better for our patients and that together we can do so much more than we can individually. Cincinnati Children's has built an amazing team of providers that really does enable kids with cerebral palsy to live their biggest lives.

In 2019, I was honored to be the president of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. In 2020, I will assume a position on the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee for the Council on Children with Disabilities. I am also a member of the Board of Directors for Stepping Stones, a Cincinnati advocacy group providing services for people with disabilities.

In addition to helping patients, I’m involved in research that explores new methods for identifying cerebral palsy early and providing the best possible treatments at the right time. My colleagues and I are also seeking to learn which treatments work best, for which kids and when.

In my spare time, I have two teenage daughters who keep me busy and entertained with their many endeavors. I like to cook, knit and run, and I also enjoy traveling, particularly when it allows me to indulge my love of historic architecture.