Harvard-wide Pediatric Health Services Research Fellowship Program

Donald Goldmann,MD.

Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health. 

Dr. Goldmann has provided overall vision and leadership for the Harvard Pediatric Health Services Research Training Program since its inception more than 15 years ago. He brings a unique perspective to translational research, having performed studies across the entire continuum of translational research: bench science (vaccine development), infectious disease epidemiology, clinical trials (including cluster randomized trials of QI interventions), and QI research. He is internationally known for his pioneering studies that elucidated risk factors for and evidence-based practices to prevent healthcare associated infections and antibiotic resistance. He participated in implementation and evaluation of CDC’s NNIS (now the NHSN), elucidated risk factors and outcomes of neonatal healthcare associated infections,and was on the team that developed and validated SNAP (score for neonatal acute physiology) and other risk-adjustment methods. He served on CDC’s HICPAC (which formulates guidelines based on comparative effectiveness research) and the Steering Committee of NACHRI/CDC Pediatric Prevention Network. Dr. Goldmann was PI of the antibiotic resistance research group of the NIAID-funded Bacteriology and Mycology Group, which performed the first NIH-sponsored trials of infection control interventions, including a cluster randomized trial of active surveillance to reduce transmission of MRSA and VRE.  He implemented and evaluated infection-related QI strategies in a number of developing countries (funded by USAID).

Dr. Goldmann was Medical Director of QI at Children’s Hospital Boston for more than 10 years, where he led development and evaluation of clinical practice guidelines based on comprehensive evidence review and, with Dr. Charles Homer, developed and validated surveys to measure perceptions of inpatient and ambulatory care.  He has a strong track record in patient safety, including a lead role in the Vermont Oxford Network’s (VON) NIC/Q collaborative.  He was a Co-Investigator on Dr. Bates’ AHRQ P01 Center for Excellence for Patient Safety and Practice and VON’s neonatal patient safety DCERPS.

Dr. Goldmann now is Sr. Vice President at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), while retaining his academic responsibilities at Harvard.  He has built an innovative and productive research team, including rapid-cycle R&D and innovation, health and health care measurement, pilot and feasibility testing of novel improvement strategies, and multi-method evaluation of demonstration projects. He is PI on IHI’s AHRQ ACTION II Award, a CDC antibiotic stewardship grant, an ASPE-funded cluster randomized trial of a multi-modal state-based system to spread CER best practices, and a Macy interdisciplinary education grant. He has been the IHI senior sponsor for an initiative to improve ambulatory prevention and care in the Indian Health Service, an ASPE-funded project to design novel methods to engage providers and patients to improve colon cancer screening, a Commonwealth Fund-supported project to reduce all-cause readmissions in three states, and a project to improve HCAHPS in the 150-plus hospitals of a major health care company. He also is a co-investigator on a CDC-funded grant to the Harvard School of Public Health to improve emergency preparedness. Dr. Goldmann directs IHI’s fellowship program, which has more than 40 national and international alumni. He is IHI’s liaison for a number of strategic relationships, including ACGME, AAMC, ABIM, ABMS, AHRQ, CDC, and NQF.