Sara Toomey, MD, MPhil, MPH, MSc
Chief Safety and Quality Officer, SVP, Boston Children's Hospital; Chief Experience Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital; Director/PI, Center of Excellence for Pediatric Quality Measurement, Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
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Sara Toomey, MD, MPhil, MPH, MSc
Chief Safety and Quality Officer, SVP, Boston Children's Hospital; Chief Experience Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital; Director/PI, Center of Excellence for Pediatric Quality Measurement, Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Medical Services
Languages
English
Education
Undergraduate School
Holy Cross College
1993
Worcester
MA
Graduate School
Oxford University
1996
Oxford
England
Medical School
Harvard Medical School
2000
Boston
MA
Internship
Boston Children's Hospital/Boston Medical Center
2001
Boston
MA
Residency
Boston Children's Hospital/Boston Medical Center
2002
Boston
MA
Residency
Pediatrics
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2003
Philadelphia
PA
Graduate School
MPH
Harvard School of Public Health
2008
Boston
MA
Fellowship
Harvard-wide Pediatric Health Services Research Fellowship
2009
Boston
MA
Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics (General)
Professional History
Dr. Toomey is Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, the Director/PI of the federally-funded Center of Excellence for Pediatric Quality Measurement (CEPQM), and Chief Experience Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. In her role as Director/PI of CEPQM, she has been integral to the development of multiple nationally-recognized pediatric quality measures and has continued her health services research. Her research aims to measure the quality of pediatric care, demonstrate the association between quality measures and healthcare outcomes, and develop interventions to improve outcomes. In her role as Chief Experience Officer, she leads the experience efforts at BCH and oversees measurement and improvement activities working broadly on all aspects of experience including patient experience, staff engagement, and organizational culture.
She received her BA from Holy Cross College. As a Rhodes Scholar, she received her MPhil in Social and Cultural Anthropology and MSc in Comparative Social Research from Oxford University. She completed her MD and MPH at Harvard Medical School. She did her pediatric residency in the Boston Combined Residency Program and at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and completed the Harvard-wide Pediatric Health Services Research Fellowship.
Publications
Evaluating Family Safety Reporting Through an Operational and Research Taxonomy. View Abstract
Insurance gaps at age-19 and age-26 health insurance eligibility thresholds by childhood-onset condition severity, Colorado 2014-2018. View Abstract
A Coproduced Family Reporting Intervention to Improve Safety Surveillance and Reduce Disparities. View Abstract
Race, Ethnicity, and Ancestry in Clinical Pathways: A Framework for Evaluation. View Abstract
Impairment Types and Combinations Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Disabilities: Colorado 2014-2018. View Abstract
Improving Use of Antibiotics for Pediatric Pneumonia in Community Hospital Emergency Departments. View Abstract
Predictors of Subspecialty Appointment Scheduling and Completion for Patients Referred From a Pediatric Primary Care Clinic. View Abstract
Evaluation of a protocol for eliciting narrative accounts of pediatric inpatient experiences of care. View Abstract
Patient Experience with Virtual Preoperative Consultations in Pediatric Surgical Specialties. View Abstract
Understanding Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Differences in the Ambulatory Care Experience. View Abstract
Randomized Controlled Trial of Health Coaching for Parents of Children With Medical Complexity. View Abstract
Adjusting for Social Risk Factors in Pediatric Quality Measures: Adding to the Evidence Base. View Abstract
Considerations When Aggregating Data to Measure Performance Across Levels of the Health Care System. View Abstract
Understanding Caregiver Perspectives on an Electronic Consultation and Referral System. View Abstract
Pediatric Hospitalizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic. View Abstract
Pediatric Hospital Services Within a One-Hour Drive: A National Study. View Abstract
An Innovative Model for Providing Dermatology Services Within Primary Care. View Abstract
Trends in 30-Day Readmission for Medicaid and Privately Insured Pediatric Patients: 2010-2017. View Abstract
Electronic Consultation: Latest Evidence Regarding the Impact on Referral Patterns, Patient Experience, Cost, and Quality. View Abstract
Suitability of elderly adult hospital readmission rates for profiling readmissions in younger adult and pediatric populations. View Abstract
Factors Associated With Family Experience in Pediatric Inpatient Care. View Abstract
Trends in Pediatric Hospitalizations and Readmissions: 2010-2016. View Abstract
Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Patient Safety Events for Hospitalized Children. View Abstract
Potential Impact of Initial Clinical Data on Adjustment of Pediatric Readmission Rates. View Abstract
Improving Response Rates and Representation of Hard-to-Reach Groups in Family Experience Surveys. View Abstract
Associations of Eczema Severity and Parent Knowledge With Child Quality of Life in a Pediatric Primary Care Population. View Abstract
Adverse Events in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients. View Abstract
Care Quality and Spending Among Commercially Insured Children With Disabilities. View Abstract
Ensuring Timely Connection to Early Intervention for Young Children With Developmental Delays. View Abstract
Shared Care: Using an Electronic Consult Form to Facilitate Primary Care Provider-Specialty Care Coordination. View Abstract
A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Eczema Care Plan. View Abstract
Children and young people's versus parents' responses in an English national inpatient survey. View Abstract
Readmission After Pediatric Mental Health Admissions. View Abstract
Pediatric Readmissions After Hospitalizations for Lower Respiratory Infections. View Abstract
Preparation for Transition to Adult Care Among Medicaid-Insured Adolescents. View Abstract
Impact of an Individual Mandate and Other Health Reforms on Dependent Coverage for Adolescents and Young Adults. View Abstract
Validation of New Quality Measures for Transitions Between Sites of Care. View Abstract
Variation in Family Experience of Pediatric Inpatient Care As Measured by Child HCAHPS. View Abstract
Quality of Primary Care for Children With Disabilities Enrolled in Medicaid. View Abstract
Education on the Brain: A Partnership Between a Pediatric Primary Care Center and Neurology Residency. View Abstract
Chronic Physical Health Conditions and Emotional Problems From Early Adolescence Through Midadolescence. View Abstract
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment. View Abstract
Development and Pilot Testing of Caregiver-Reported Pediatric Quality Measures for Transitions Between Sites of Care. View Abstract
Potentially Preventable 30-Day Hospital Readmissions at a Children's Hospital. View Abstract
Firearm Ownership and Acquisition Among Parents With Risk Factors for Self-Harm or Other Violence. View Abstract
Performance of the Global Assessment of Pediatric Patient Safety (GAPPS) Tool. View Abstract
Relationship Between Adolescent Report of Patient-Centered Care and of Quality of Primary Care. View Abstract
Development of the Children With Disabilities Algorithm. View Abstract
The association between youth violence exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a sample of fifth-graders. View Abstract
Development and Validation of the Adolescent Assessment of Preparation for Transition: A Novel Patient Experience Measure. View Abstract
The Development of a Pediatric Inpatient Experience of Care Measure: Child HCAHPS. View Abstract
Recognizing Differences in Hospital Quality Performance for Pediatric Inpatient Care. View Abstract
Predictors of timing of transfer from pediatric- to adult-focused primary care. View Abstract
Media violence exposure and physical aggression in fifth-grade children. View Abstract
Measuring pediatric hospital readmission rates to drive quality improvement. View Abstract
Prevalence and Correlates of Firearm Ownership in the Homes of Fifth Graders: Birmingham, AL, Houston, TX, and Los Angeles, CA. View Abstract
Merging systems: integrating home visitation and the family-centered medical home. View Abstract
Is obesity associated with reduced health-related quality of life in Latino, Black and White children in the community? View Abstract
Pediatric readmission prevalence and variability across hospitals. View Abstract
Disparities in unmet need for care coordination: the national survey of children's health. View Abstract
Home visiting and the family-centered medical home: synergistic services to promote child health. View Abstract
Why do children with ADHD discontinue their medication? View Abstract
The influence of task environment and health literacy on the quality of parent-reported ADHD data. View Abstract
The patient-centered medical home, practice patterns, and functional outcomes for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. View Abstract
Association of externalizing behavior disorder symptoms and injury among fifth graders. View Abstract
Self-control as a protective factor against overweight status in the transition from childhood to adolescence. View Abstract
Comparing medical homes for children with ADHD and asthma. View Abstract
Does connection to primary care matter for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? View Abstract
Does connection to primary care matter for children with ADHD? View Abstract
Sudden infant death syndrome. View Abstract
Child abuse and neglect: prevention and intervention. View Abstract
Working parents: what factors are involved in their ability to take time off from work when their children are sick? View Abstract
Working parents: What can they do when their children become sick? View Abstract
Increased expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein gene in relapsed acute leukemia. View Abstract