Peter G Szilagyi

Professor, Pediatrics, University of California Los Angeles

(310)-206-2476

UCLA Pediatrics
BOX 951752, 12-311 MDCC
Los Angeles, CA 90095

UC Profile

Dr. Peter Szilagyi is a pediatric health services and clinical researcher with an overall mission to improve access to healthcare, quality of care, and health outcomes for children. He has focused his research on improving the delivery of healthcare in primary care and other settings in three related areas: immunization delivery, healthcare financing, and improved care for children with chronic diseases. His immunization delivery studies have led to national recommendations for vaccine financing, evidence-based strategies in primary care to raise immunization rates, a renewed focus on HPV vaccinations and influenza vaccinations, and use of technology to improve immunization delivery. His studies on healthcare financing for children contributed heavily to the passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, now known as CHIP) in 1998, the SCHIP reauthorization debate in 2008, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), and the recent reauthorization of CHIP in 2015. In collaboration with many others, his studies on common chronic diseases of childhood and adolescence have contributed to improved management, care coordination, and building of medical homes to improve the care of children with chronic conditions such as asthma, mental health, behavioral, and developmental conditions, and childhood obesity. His work has extended far beyond academics - he has advised CDC on immunization strategies, advised federal and state policy-makers on health insurance for children, and has been appointed to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a prestigious organization that advised Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services about Medicaid and CHIP. He is also a national leader in pediatric education, particularly in training academic general pediatric fellows and in building the field of health services researchers. In 2016 he was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) which makes recommendations about vaccinations for the nation's child, adolescent and adult population.

 

Affiliations

Co-Director, Children’s Discovery and Innovation (CDI) Institute
Leader, Child Health Research
Member, CTSI
 

Research Interests

I am a pediatric health services and clinical researcher with an overall mission to improve access to healthcare, quality of care, and health outcomes for children. I have concentrated my own research on improving the delivery of healthcare in primary care and other settings in three related areas: immunization delivery, healthcare financing, and improved care for children with chronic diseases. My immunization delivery studies have led to national recommendations for vaccine financing, evidence-based strategies in primary care, to raise immunization rates, a renewed focus on HPV vaccinations and influenza vaccinations, and use of technology to improve immunization delivery. my studies on healthcare financing for children contributed heavily to the passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1998, the SCHIP reauthorization debate in 2008, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), and the recent reauthorization of CHIP in 2015. In collaboration with many others, my studies on common chronic diseases of childhood and adolescence have contributed to improved management, care coordination, and building of medical homes.
 

Biography

Dr. Szilagyi is an academic general pediatrician. He has provided primary care for children, adolescents and families for more than 25 years. He moved to LA and UCLA in December 2014, as Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Pediatrics and the Mattel Children’s Hospital. He is a health services researcher with a focus on primary care research and prevention research (see below). He is a co-leader of the Special Populations component of UCLA’s Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI).

Background

Dr. Szilagyi received his BA from Dartmouth College and completed medical school, pediatric residency, and a RWJ Academic General Pediatric fellowship all at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. From 1987 to 2014 he was a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester. For a decade he was director of the Continuity Clinic at Strong Memorial Hospital. For nearly two decades he was director of the Academic General Pediatric fellowship program, and Division Chief of General Pediatrics. As a health services researcher, he achieved leadership within the Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI), being co-director of the Greater Rochester Practice-Based Research Network and a leader in Community Engagement. He is the pediatric editor of the Bates Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, and is editor-in-chief of the pediatric journal – Academic Pediatrics.

Awards and Honors

  • Appointed by US Comptroller General to the Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (MACPAC), Commissioner Chair of the MACPAC Workgroup on Children’s Coverage and the Workgroup on Access, 2014.
  • Finalist for the Humanism in Medicine Award, University of Rochester (URMC), 2005.
  • Dr. David Satcher Community Health Improvement Award, University of Rochester, 2010.
  • American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, BATES Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 2010.
  • Elizabeth R. McAnarney Lecturer, Rochester Pediatric Society, 2005.
  • Outstanding Teacher Award, Department of Pediatrics, 1990.
  • Elected to the American Pediatric Society (APS), 1999.
  • National Center for Health Services Research Fellow, Individual NRSA Award, 1986-1987.
  • Appointed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Chair of ACIP’s HPV/RSV Pediatrics Workgroups, member of Influenza and Child/Adolescent Workgroups, 2016.
  • Recipient of Junior Faculty Mentoring Award, University of Rochester (URMC), 2006.
  • Joel and Barbara Alpert Lecture, Boston University, 2009.
  • Recipient of Howard J. Berman prize for the Primary Care Outreach Program, 2004.
  • John C. Robinson, MD Lecture, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, 2011.
  • Best Practices in Immunizations Honor, CDC, 2004.
  • CTSA Task Force on Lifecourse Research, 2015.
  • Elected to the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR), 1994.
  • Lifetime Research Award Recipient, Academic Pediatric Association, 2002.
  • Pediatric Alumnus Award for Research, Rochester, NY, 2010.

Publications