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JoAnna K Leyenaar, MD, MPH, PhD

Title(s)
Professor of Health Policy and Clinical Practice
Professor of Pediatrics
Paul Batalden Chair for Clinical Improvement and Professional Development

Additional Titles/Positions/Affiliations
Vice Chair of Research, Department of Pediatrics

Department(s)
Health Policy and Clinical Practice
Pediatrics

Websites
https://sites.dartmouth.edu/leyenaarlab/

Contact Information


Professional Interests

Healthcare quality for hospitalized children
Urban-rural disparities in pediatric healthcare quality
Healthcare delivery for pediatric mental health conditions
Hospital-to-home transitional care

Grant Information

Comparative Effectiveness of Direct Admission & Admission through Emergency Departments for Children (PCORI)

Urban-Rural Disparities in Children with Chronic Illness (NIH - NIMHD)

Biography

A pediatrician and health services researcher, Dr. JoAnna Leyenaar's work is focused on improving the quality of healthcare provided to children, particularly those who are vulnerable and underserved. In her clinical role, Dr. Leyenaar works as a pediatric hospitalist and Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Pediatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Dr. Leyenaar's main areas of research interest include: care coordination for children with chronic illnesses, urban-rural disparities in healthcare quality, hospital-to-home transitions, integration of mental and behavioral healthcare in pediatrics, and care of opioid-exposed infants. She is currently receiving funding from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of direct admission to hospital as an alternative to admission through emergency departments. In addition, she is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to examine urban-rural disparities in healthcare access and outcomes for children with medical complexity. Dr. Leyenaar received her MD from McMaster University (Canada), her MPH from Harvard University, and her PhD from Tufts University.


Selected Publications

 

Sex-Based Differences in Pediatric Mental Health Hospitalizations at US Hospitals-Reply.
Leyenaar JK, Freyleue S
JAMA. 2025 Oct 16; doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.14970. Epub 2025 Oct 16.
PMID: 41100107

Rural-Urban Differences in Emergency Department Choice for Children With Medical Complexity, 2012-2017.
Freyleue SD, Arakelyan M, Schaefer AP, Moen EL, O'Malley AJ, Goodman DC, Leyenaar JK
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2025 Dec 1;41(12):957-964. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000003469. Epub 2025 Sep 8.
PMID: 40908749

Hospitalizations by Children With Medical Complexity From 2009 to 2022.
Leyenaar JK, Freyleue S, Arakelyan M, Schaefer AP
Pediatrics. 2025 Aug 1;156(2) pii: e2025071774. doi: 10.1542/peds.2025-071774.
PMID: 40675610

Sex-Based Differences in Pediatric Mental Health Hospitalizations at US Acute Care Hospitals.
Leyenaar JK, Freyleue S, Arakelyan M, Schaefer AP, O'Malley AJ
JAMA. 2025 Aug 19;334(7):635-638. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.7741.
PMID: 40549404

Identifying Inpatient Pediatric Services Across National Datasets.
McDaniel CE, Ralston Daniel M, Freyleue SD, Seryozhenkov E, Peled A, Amaravadi H, Malla N, Leyenaar JK
JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jun 2;8(6):e2513527. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.13527. Epub 2025 Jun 2.
PMID: 40459891

Qualitative Approaches in Health Services Research: A Methodological Primer.
Sierpe A, Leyenaar JK, Saunders CH
Hosp Pediatr. 2025 May 1;15(5):e222-e226. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2024-007978.
PMID: 40262761

Perceived Quality of Care and Pediatricians' Moral Distress Caring for Children With Mental Health Conditions.
Leyenaar JK, Green CM, Turner A, Leslie LK
Acad Pediatr. 2025 Aug;25(6):102825. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2025.102825. Epub 2025 Apr 7.
PMID: 40204185

Incidence of Medical Complexity in Military-Connected Children.
Leyenaar JK, Lanning J, Romano CJ, Goodman DC, Schaefer AP, Taylor JA, Bukowinski AT, Gumbs GR, Perkins EM, Lutgendorf MA, O'Malley AJ, S Conlin AM, Hall C
Pediatrics. 2025 May 1;155(5) pii: e2024069653. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-069653.
PMID: 40194786

Identifying Pregnant Women With Disabilities and Maternal and Newborn Outcomes.
Dev A, Horner-Johnson W, Schaefer A, Ganduglia-Cazaban C, Stukel TA, Goodman DC, Leyenaar JK
JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Mar 3;8(3):e252159. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2159. Epub 2025 Mar 3.
PMID: 40146109

Neonatal Intensive Care Outcomes in the Military Health System: Comparison of Military and Civilian Hospital Births.
Mu TS, Romano CJ, Hall C, Gumbs GR, Conlin AMS, Vereen RJ, Leyenaar JK, Goodman DC
Mil Med. 2025 Apr 23;190(5-6):e1159-e1167. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usaf043.
PMID: 39994970

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