Melissa D. Klein, MD, MEd

I have wanted to be a pediatrician my entire life. As a teenager and college student, I worked as an assistant teacher and counselor, where my passion for teaching and education grew. I specialize in pediatric primary care, and I work mainly in the Pediatric Primary Care Center (PPCC).

In the PPCC, we have many incredible services and resources to help patients and families. Our clinic food pantry, which includes infant formula, helps families who are experiencing food insecurity. The PPCC is staffed with an attorney or paralegal to help families with civil legal needs and a community resource liaison who can help families connect with important community resources. There are also psychologists, social workers and a dietitian. Collectively, we can help many of our patients and families resolve issues that impact their family’s health.

I enjoy getting to know the entire family through continuity of care, including their strengths and challenges. This approach helps me understand the complexities that we all face and create the right treatment plan for each child and family.

I am fortunate to have received the following awards and honors for doing the work I love:

• Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (2020)
• Senior Faculty Advocacy Achievement Award, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (2020)
• Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Teaching Award for Mid-Level Faculty, presented at Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Baltimore, MD (2016)
• Outstanding Medical-Legal Partnership Award to the Child HeLP team, presented at the National Medical-Legal Partnership meeting, Indianapolis, IN (2016)
• Junior Faculty Mentoring Achievement Award, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (2012)
• Career Year Award for Outstanding Contributions in the area of Medical Education, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (2011)
• Raymond C. Baker Primary Care Teaching Award, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (2010)
• Cincinnati Magazine Best Doctors (2016, 2018, 2019)

Much of my research focuses on education. My goal is to improve the education of medical trainees so they can better care for patients and families. I also spend much of my time mentoring pediatric residents, fellows and junior faculty in educational research. I have created and evaluated curriculum related to the social determinants of health, communication, vaccine hesitancy and behavioral health. More recently, my team has used virtual and augmented reality as our teaching tools.

When I am not at work, I love spending time with my family. I have four children and two dogs, which keeps me very busy. I also enjoy volunteering for organizations like the FreeStore FoodBank, the Academic Pediatric Association and at my children’s’ schools.