Karen E. Jerardi, MD, MEd

I’ve always loved medicine, and during medical school I discovered that working with children and their families was a true joy. During my residency, I was drawn to the hospital setting rather than the office setting, because I enjoyed the faster pace and the task of diagnosing and managing pediatric illnesses.

I’m now a pediatrician who cares for children admitted to the hospital. I provide support to children and their families during this very stressful time.

My clinical practice is influenced by my experience as a mother. It is very important to me that every child and parent feels safe and involved in decisions that are made about their care. I don't want my patients to have to undergo tests or studies that they do not need. I do want them to feel listened to, cared for and valued. Therefore, I always try to balance the importance of information gathering to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan with the desire to protect children and their families them from discomforts associated with unneeded tests.

In addition to my clinical roles, I serve as the fellowship director for the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) and as the vice chair of the national PHM fellowship directors. I was the first author for the curricular framework for PHM fellowships nationwide. For these and other contributions to teaching, I received the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Faculty Award for Educational Achievement in 2017. In 2018, I received the national Pediatric Hospital Medicine Award for Educational Excellence for my work in developing a nationwide standard training program for pediatric hospital medicine doctors. These awards make me proud as they highlight how I am doing my part to educate future doctors.

In my research, I focus on finding the best ways to train future pediatricians and future pediatric hospital medicine doctors to provide the highest quality, safest care to children admitted to the hospital.

In my free time, I love to be with my two kids, my husband, who is also a pediatrician, and our dog. We like to play outside, bake and travel together, and we want to see as many national parks as possible.