Suni Kaiser, MD, MSc

The goal of my research program is to improve care quality and health outcomes for hospitalized children. Our focus areas include: 1) accelerating the pace at which evidence is broadly implemented into care, 2) advancing the methods and impacts of equity-focused quality improvement, and 3) growing the evidence base around care of common diagnoses among hospitalized children. We seek to achieve these goals by conducting rigorous research with diverse, multidisciplinary research teams and by partnering with families, clinician stakeholders, and national organizations in all phases of this research (design, conduct, and dissemination). I am currently supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and private foundations. I also Chair the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings Network and help steer the AAP's Pediatric Acute & Critical Care Quality Network.
Education
MSc, 2014 - Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto
MD, 2008 - School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
BA, 2004 - Public Health Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Honors and Awards
  • Benioff UCSF Professorship in Children’s Health, University of California, San Francisco, 2022
  • FLAG Fellowship Mentoring Award, University of California, San Francisco, 2020
  • National Pediatric Hospital Medicine Quality and Safety Award, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019
  • Innovation Award, American Lung Association, 2019
  • Society for Pediatric Research Inductee, Society for Pediatric Research, 2017
  • Young Investigator Award, Academic Pediatric Association, 2016
  • Resident Research Award, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009
  • Alpha Omega Alpha, Washington University in St. Louis, 2008
  • Phi Beta Kappa, The Johns Hopkins University, 2004

  1. Gill PJ, Kaiser SV, Ullman AJ, Cathie K, Auger KA, McNab S, McGee R, Pollock L, Roland D, Buchanan F, Mahant S, International Network for Pediatric Inpatient Research and Excellence (INSPIRE). International Networks for Pediatric Inpatient Research and Excellence (INSPIRE): A global initiative in pediatric hospital medicine. Journal of hospital medicine 2024. PMID: 39439042


  2. Shapiro DJ, Coon ER, Kaiser SV, Grupp-Phelan J, Hersh AL, Bardach NS. Trends in dexamethasone treatment for asthma in U.S. emergency departments. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2024. PMID: 39180231


  3. Edwards Y, Yang N, Auerbach AD, Gonzales R, McCulloch CE, Howell EE, Goldstein J, Thompson S, Kaiser SV. Simultaneously implementing pathways for improving asthma, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis care for hospitalized children: Protocol for a hybrid effectiveness-implementation, cluster-randomized trial. Journal of hospital medicine 2024. PMID: 39139049


  4. Schechter SB, Bowles A, Ding L, Nkoy F, Tieder J, Lion KC, Meyer D, Kaiser SV. Hospital-Based Pediatric Quality Improvement Interventions and Health Disparities: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Pediatrics 2024. PMID: 38666310


  5. Coon ER, McDaniel CE, Paciorkowski N, Grimshaw M, Frakes E, Ambroggio L, Auger KA, Cohen E, Garber M, Gill PJ, Jennings R, Joshi NS, Leyenaar JK, McCulloh R, Pantell MS, Sauers-Ford HS, Schroeder AR, Srivastava R, Wang ME, Wilson KM, Kaiser SV, RCT conference series group. Prioritization of Randomized Clinical Trial Questions for Children Hospitalized With Common Conditions: A Consensus Statement. JAMA network open 2024. PMID: 38748429


  6. Parikh K, Hall M, Tieder JS, Dixon G, Ward MC, Hinds PS, Goyal MK, Rangel SJ, Flores G, Kaiser SV. Disparities in Racial, Ethnic, and Payer Groups for Pediatric Safety Events in US Hospitals. Pediatrics 2024. PMID: 38343330


  7. Parikh K, Lopez MA, Hall M, Bettenhausen J, Sills MR, Hoffmann J, Morse R, Shah SS, Noelke C, Kaiser SV. Child Opportunity Index and Rehospitalization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions at US Children's Hospitals. Hospital pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37823239


  8. Outram SM, Rooholamini SN, Desai M, Edwards Y, Ja C, Morton K, Vaughan JH, Shaw JS, Gonzales R, Kaiser SV. Barriers and Facilitators of High-Efficiency Clinical Pathway Implementation in Community Hospitals. Hospital pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37697946


  9. Reyes MA, Etinger V, Hronek C, Hall M, Davidson A, Mangione-Smith R, Kaiser SV, Parikh K. Pediatric Respiratory Illnesses: An Update on Achievable Benchmarks of Care. Pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37403624


  10. Ding L, Rodean J, Leyenaar JK, Coon ER, Mahant S, Gill PJ, Cabana MD, Kaiser SV. Characterization of Birth Hospitalizations in the United States. Hospital pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37013702


  11. Kaiser SV, Hall M, Bettenhausen JL, Sills MR, Hoffmann JA, Noelke C, Morse RB, Lopez MA, Parikh K. Neighborhood Child Opportunity and Emergency Department Utilization. Pediatrics 2022. PMID: 36052604


  12. Coon ER, Bonafide C, Cohen E, Heath A, McDaniel CE, Schroeder AR, Kaiser SV. HEROIC Trials to Answer Pragmatic Questions for Hospitalized Children. Hospital pediatrics 2022. PMID: 35989332


  13. Fritz CQ, Fleegler EW, DeSouza H, Richardson T, Kaiser SV, Sills MR, Cooper JN, Parikh K, Puls HT, DeLaroche AM, Hogan AH, Pantell MS, Kornblith AE, Heller KR, Bigham MT, Goyal M. Child Opportunity Index and Changes in Pediatric Acute Care Utilization in the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022. PMID: 35233618


  14. Bakel LA, Richardson T, De Souza HG, Kaiser SV, Mahant S, Treasure JD, Waynik IY, Winer JC, Bajaj L. Hospital's observed specific standard practice: A novel measure of variation in care for common inpatient pediatric conditions. 2022. PMID: 35535935


  15. Kaiser SV, Rodean J, Coon ER, Mahant S, Gill PJ, Leyenaar JK. Common Diagnoses and Costs in Pediatric Hospitalization in the US. 2021. PMID: 34962555


  16. Kaiser SV, Schroeder AR, Coon ER. Pediatric Hospital Medicine Needs More Randomized Controlled Trials. 2022. PMID: 35190804


  17. Rooholamini SN, Jennings B, Zhou C, Kaiser SV, Garber MD, Tchou MJ, Ralston SL. Effect of a Quality Improvement Bundle to Standardize the Use of Intravenous Fluids for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients: A Stepped-Wedge, Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. 2021. PMID: 34779837


  18. De Angulo NR, Penwill N, Pathak PR, Ja C, Elster MJ, Hochreiter D, Newton JM, Wilson KM, Kaiser SV. Quality and Safety in Hospital Pediatrics During COVID-19: A National Qualitative Study. 2021. PMID: 34939112


  19. Penwill NY, Roessler De Angulo N, Pathak PR, Ja C, Elster MJ, Hochreiter D, Newton JM, Wilson KM, Kaiser SV. Changes in pediatric hospital care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national qualitative study. BMC health services research 2021. PMID: 34511079


  20. Jaladanki S, Schechter SB, Genies MC, Cabana MD, Rehm RS, Howell E, Kaiser SV. Strategies for sustaining high-quality pediatric asthma care in community hospitals. Health services research 2021. PMID: 34382224


  21. Elster MJ, O'Sullivan PS, Muller-Juge V, Sheu L, Kaiser SV, Hauer KE. Does being a coach benefit clinician-educators? A mixed methods study of faculty self-efficacy, job satisfaction and burnout. Perspectives on medical education 2021. PMID: 34406613


  22. Parikh K, Hall M, Kaiser SV, Hogan AH, Bettenhausen JL, Lopez MA, Sills MR. Development of a Health Disparities Index: Proof of Concept with Chest Radiography in Asthma. The Journal of pediatrics 2021. PMID: 34284032


  23. Gill PJ, Anwar MR, Thavam T, Hall M, Rodean J, Kaiser SV, Srivastava R, Keren R, Mahant S, Pediatric Research in Inpatient Setting (PRIS) Network. Identifying Conditions With High Prevalence, Cost, and Variation in Cost in US Children's Hospitals. JAMA network open 2021. PMID: 34309667


  24. Kaiser SV, Watson A, Dogan B, Karmur A, Warren K, Wang P, Camano Sosa M, Olarte A, Dorsey S, Su M, Brown L, Sachdev D, Bardach NS. Preventing COVID-19 Transmission in Education Settings. Pediatrics 2021. PMID: 34112660


  25. Masonbrink AR, Harris M, Hall M, Kaiser S, Hogan AH, Parikh K, Clark NA, Rangel S. Safety Events in Children's Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Hospital pediatrics 2021. PMID: 33958441


  26. Kerns E, McCulloh R, Fouquet S, McDaniel C, Ken L, Liu P, Kaiser S. Utilization and effects of mobile electronic clinical decision support on pediatric asthma care quality in the emergency department and inpatient setting. JAMIA Open 2021. PMID: 33898935


  27. Nordstrom M, Landman G, Pfaff N, Kaiser SV. Improving Isotonic Maintenance Intravenous Fluid Use at a Tertiary Children's Hospital. Hospital pediatrics 2021. PMID: 33785518


  28. Schechter SB, Pantell MS, Parikh K, Nkoy F, McCulloh R, Fassl B, Kaiser SV. Impact of a National Quality Collaborative on Pediatric Asthma Care Quality by Insurance Status. Academic pediatrics 2021. PMID: 33607330


  29. Pfaff N, Pantell MS, Kaiser SV. High-risk Behavior Screening and Interventions in Hospitalized Adolescents. Hospital pediatrics 2021. PMID: 33568420


  30. Schechter S, Jaladanki S, Rodean J, Jennings B, Genies M, Cabana MD, Kaiser SV. Sustainability of paediatric asthma care quality in community hospitals after ending a national quality improvement collaborative. BMJ quality & safety 2021. PMID: 33468549


  31. Kaiser SV, Kornblith AE, Richardson T, Pantell MS, Fleegler EW, Fritz CQ, Parikh K, Zagel A, Sills MR, Souza HG, Goyal MK, Hogan AH, Heller KR, DeLaroche AM, Cooper JN, Puls HT. Emergency Visits and Hospitalizations for Child Abuse During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Pediatrics 2020. PMID: 33380432


  32. Kaiser S, Gupta N, Mendoza J, Azzarone G, Parikh K, Nazif J, Cattamanchi A. Predictors of Quality Improvement in Pediatric Asthma Care. Hospital pediatrics 2020. PMID: 33257318


  33. Desai M, Caldwell K, Gupta N, Bekmezian A, Cabana MD, Auerbach AD, Kaiser SV. Effectiveness of Pediatric Asthma Pathways in Community Hospitals: A Multisite Quality Improvement Study. Pediatric quality & safety 2020. PMID: 33134758


  34. Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA, Teach SJ, Sampayo EM, Dudley NC, Zorc JJ. Pathways to Improve Pediatric Asthma Care: A Multisite, National Study of Emergency Department Asthma Pathway Implementation. The Journal of pediatrics 2020. PMID: 32409021


  35. Kaiser SV, Jennings B, Rodean J, Cabana MD, Garber MD, Ralston SL, Fassl B, Quinonez R, Mendoza JC, McCulloch CE, Parikh K. Pathways for Improving Inpatient Pediatric Asthma Care (PIPA): A Multicenter, National Study. Pediatrics 2020. PMID: 32376727


  36. Gupta N, Cattamanchi A, Cabana MD, Jennings B, Parikh K, Kaiser SV. Implementing pediatric inpatient asthma pathways. The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma 2020. PMID: 32160068


  37. Ravid NL, Zamora K, Rehm R, Okumura M, Takayama J, Kaiser S. Implementation of a multidisciplinary discharge videoconference for children with medical complexity: a pilot study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2020. PMID: 32099662


  38. Pantell MS, Kaiser SV, Torres JM, Gottlieb LM, Adler NE. Associations Between Social Factor Documentation and Hospital Length of Stay and Readmission Among Children. Hospital pediatrics 2020. PMID: 31888952


  39. Kaiser SV, Shadman KA, Biondi EA, McCulloh RJ. Feasible Strategies for Sustaining Guideline Adherence: Cross-sectional Analysis of a National Collaborative. Hospital pediatrics 2019. PMID: 31604794


  40. McDaniel CE, Jeske M, Sampayo EM, Liu P, Walls TA, Kaiser SV. Implementing Pediatric Asthma Pathways in Community Hospitals: A National Qualitative Study. Journal of hospital medicine 2019. PMID: 31532746


  41. Kaiser SV, Lam R, Cabana MD, Bekmezian A, Bardach NS, Auerbach A, Rehm RS, Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) Network. Best practices in implementing inpatient pediatric asthma pathways: a qualitative study. The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma 2019. PMID: 31020879


  42. Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB, McCulloch C, Hsia RY, Cabana MD, Bardach NS. Limitations of Using Pediatric Respiratory Illness Readmissions to Compare Hospital Performance. Journal of hospital medicine 2018. PMID: 30484778


  43. Kaiser SV, Garber MD. Using Quality Improvement to Tackle Unwarranted Practice Variation. Hospital pediatrics 2018. PMID: 29764910


  44. Kaiser SV, Rodean J, Bekmezian A, Hall M, Shah SS, Mahant S, Parikh K, Auerbach AD, Morse R, Puls HT, McCulloch CE, Cabana MD, Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) Network. Effectiveness of Pediatric Asthma Pathways for Hospitalized Children: A Multicenter, National Analysis. The Journal of pediatrics 2018. PMID: 29571931


  45. Kaiser SV, Rodean J, Bekmezian A, Hall M, Shah SS, Mahant S, Parikh K, Morse R, Puls H, Cabana MD, Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) Network. Rising utilization of inpatient pediatric asthma pathways. The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma 2017. PMID: 28521558


  46. Kaiser SV, Sundaram V, Cohen E, Shulman R, Guan J, Sanders L, Guttmann A. Health care for children with diabetes mellitus from low-income families in Ontario and California: a population-based cohort study. CMAJ open 2016. PMID: 28018888


  47. Kaiser SV, Huynh T, Bacharier LB, Rosenthal JL, Bakel LA, Parkin PC, Cabana MD. Preventing Exacerbations in Preschoolers With Recurrent Wheeze: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2016. PMID: 27230765


  48. Rosenthal JL, Hilton JF, Teufel RJ, Romano PS, Kaiser SV, Okumura MJ. Profiling Interfacility Transfers for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients. Hospital pediatrics 2016. PMID: 27150111


  49. Morgan MC, Kumar GS, Kaiser SV, Seetharam S, Ruel TD. Implementation of a neonatal transcutaneous bilirubin screening programme in rural India. Paediatrics and international child health 2016. PMID: 25844503


  50. Kaiser SV, Bakel LA, Okumura MJ, Auerbach AD, Rosenthal J, Cabana MD. Risk Factors for Prolonged Length of Stay or Complications During Pediatric Respiratory Hospitalizations. Hospital pediatrics 2015. PMID: 26330245


  51. Kaiser SV, Asteria-Penaloza R, Vittinghoff E, Rosenbluth G, Cabana MD, Bardach NS. National patterns of codeine prescriptions for children in the emergency department. Pediatrics 2014. PMID: 24753533


  52. Morgan MC, Ruel TD, Kumar GS, Sabnis AJ, Kaiser SV.. Predictors of Neonatal Sepsis in Rural Karnataka, India Asian Journal of Clinical Pediatrics and Neonatology 2013. PMID:


  53. Vemula S, Kerr S, Pancharoen C, Siripong A, Kosalaraksa P, Engchanil C, Chuamchaitrakool A, Intasan J, Lumbiganond P, Phanuphak P, Ananworanich J. Incidence and risk factors for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI)-related rash in Thai children with HIV infection. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet 2007. PMID: 18181332