Jennifer E. deSante-Bertkau, MD, MBE

As a pediatric hospitalist, I care for children admitted to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. I work as a frontline clinician, a supervising doctor and a pediatric consultant to the surgical services.

I think it's important for medical clinicians to partner with patients and families in making medical decisions. We each bring different areas of expertise to the process. We have an opportunity to work together and learn from each other while providing care to children.

I grew up working with children who had special healthcare needs. My experiences inspired me to use medical knowledge to improve the lives of patients and families. My love of working with children on a regular basis led me to pediatrics.

My research focuses on improving medical ethics education for clinicians.

I’ve written descriptive and standardizing accounts of the parent-child relationship in families with young adults with special needs. This work includes principles to guide resource allocation within the family of a child with special healthcare needs.

When I’m not at work, I love spending time with my two children and learning about children from a parent's perspective.