Debra Lotstein, MD

Clinical Professor of Pediatrics (Clinician Educator) (Part-Time)

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Overview

As the Director of the Division of Palliative Care, Dr. Lotstein oversees the expanding clinical, educational and research activities of CHLA’s interdisciplinary program. She is an attending physician for the team’s inpatient and outpatient clinical services. The Division of Palliative Care seeks to promote services to achieve the highest possible quality of life for children with complex conditions and their families.

Prior to coming to CHLA, Lotstein served as Medical Director of the Children’s Pain and Comfort Care Program at UCLA. She was also an associate program director of the UCLA Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency program, and was the founding medical director of the Transition Care Consult Program, providing support to adolescents with chronic conditions as they transition into adult care. She has served as an investigator on a number of quality improvement learning collaborative efforts, including the First 5 LA Early Developmental Screening and Intervention Partnership from 2005 to 2010. Most recently she was the project co-director for research on “The Life Course Health Development Primary Care Residency Curriculum” funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Lotstein received her medical degree from Stanford University and completed her combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In addition to her medical training, she was a health services research fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar’s Program, and received her master’s in public health, from UCLA. She is triple Board-certified in pediatrics, internal medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine.

Publications

  • From Hospital to Home: Referrals to Pediatric Hospice and Home-based Palliative Care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2023 06; 65(6):570-579.. View in PubMed
  • Compassionate extubation protocol to improve team communication and support in the neonatal intensive care unit. J Perinatol. 2021 09; 41(9):2355-2362.. View in PubMed
  • The Use of Telemedicine for Home-Based Palliative Care for Children With Serious Illness: A Scoping Review. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 09; 62(3):619-636.e6.. View in PubMed
  • Lessons Learned: Identifying Items Felt To Be Critical to Leading a Pediatric Palliative Care Program in the Current Era of Program Development. J Palliat Med. 2021 01; 24(1):40-45.. View in PubMed
  • Concurrent Care Is Not Enough: More Hospice Reforms Are Needed for Children with Serious Illness. J Pediatr. 2020 10; 225:11-12.. View in PubMed
  • Improving Home Hospice and Palliative Care Policies. Pediatrics. 2019 08; 144(2).. View in PubMed
  • A Health Care Transition Curriculum for Primary Care Residents: Identifying Goals and Objectives. Pediatrics. 2018 04; 141(Suppl 4):S346-S354.. View in PubMed
  • Transitioning from General Pediatric to Adult-Oriented Inpatient Care: National Survey of US Children’s Hospitals. J Hosp Med. 2018 01; 13(1):13-20.. View in PubMed
  • Current status of transition preparation among youth with special needs in the United States. Pediatrics. 2013 Jun; 131(6):1090-7.. View in PubMed
  • Transition from pediatric to adult care for youth diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in adolescence. Pediatrics. 2013 Apr; 131(4):e1062-70.. View in PubMed