Child & Adolescent Health

“Kids have so much potential. How can we optimize their health?”

Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPH
Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation
Executive Director of Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute Senior Investigator

 

Research overview

Babies, children, and teens have specific health needs. Research and evaluation at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) covers family health from pregnancy through childhood and early adulthood.

KPWHRI research and evaluation topics in child and adolescent health include:

  • drug safety during pregnancy
  • pediatric care quality in health systems
  • quality of care for respiratory illnesses
  • care and transitions for hospitalized children
  • implementation of screening for adverse childhood experiences
  • quality of youth mental health care
  • programs to support trauma and resilience-informed care for youth
  • impact of social determinants of health
  • disease prevention through vaccines

“We’re working with families, helping them make healthy eating, exercise, and preventive care part of their busy daily lives,” says Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, Washington Permanente Medical Group associate medical director for research and translation, KPWHRI senior investigator, and Washington Permanente Medical Group pediatrician.​​​​​​

Recent publications on Child & Adolescent Health

Riggs KR, Lozano P, Mohelnitzky A, Rudnick S, Richards J. An adaptation of family-based behavioral pediatric obesity treatment for a primary care setting: Group Health’s Family Wellness Program pilot. Perm J. 2014 Summer;18(3):4-10. doi: 10.7812/TPP/13-144. Epub 2014 Jun 9. PubMed

Jackson ML, Henrikson NB, Grossman DC. Evaluating Washington State’s Immunization Information System as a research tool. Academ Pediatr. 2014 Jan 1;14(1):71-6. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2013.10.002.

Hacker KA, Penfold R, Arsenault L, Zhang F, Murphy M, Wissow L. Screening for behavioral health issues in children enrolled in Massachusetts Medicaid. Pediatrics. 2014 Jan;133(1):46-54. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-1180. Epub 2013 Dec 2. PubMed

Lu CY, Zhang F, Lakoma MD, Madden JM, Rusinak D, Penfold RB, Simon G, Ahmedani BK, Clarke G, Hunkeler EM, Waitzfelder B, Owen-Smith A, Raebel MA, Rossom R, Coleman KJ, Copeland LA, Soumerai SB. Changes in antidepressant use by young people and suicidal behavior after FDA warnings and media coverage: quasi-experimental study.  BMJ. 2014 Jun 18;348:g3596. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g3596.  PubMed

Austin SB, Penfold RB, Johnson RL, Haines J, Forman S. Clinician identification of youth abusing over-the-counter products for weight control in a large US integrated health system. J Eat Disord. 2013; 1:40.

Researchers in Child & Adolescent Health

Paula Lozano, MD, MPH

Senior Investigator; Director, ACT Center
206-287-2113
Paula.Lozano@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPH

Senior Investigator
Lisa.A.Jackson@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD

Senior Investigator
206-287-2870
Sascha.Dublin@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPH

Executive Director and Senior Investigator, KPWHRI; Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington
206-287-2988
Rita.M.Mangione-Smith@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Robert Penfold, PhD

Senior Investigator
206-287-2232
Robert.B.Penfold@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Rosemary Meza, PhD, MS

Collaborative Scientist
Rosemary.X1.Meza@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Annie Hoopes, MD, MPH

Acting Assistant Investigator
Andrea.J1.Hoopes@kp.org

Curriculum vitae (CV)



adjunct and Affiliate researchers

John Dunn, MD, MPH
Pediatrician
Washington Permanente Medical Group
Medical Director of Preventive Care
Kaiser Permanente Washington

Gina Sucato, MD, MPH
Director of Adolescent Health Services
Washington Permanente Medical Group

Doug Opel, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics 
University of Washington

Laura P. Richardson, MD, MPH
Adolescent Medicine
Seattle Children's Hospital
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Washington