Kimberlee Grier, PhD, BSN, RN, CHPN, CHPPN

Kimberlee Grier, PhD, BSN, RN, CHPN, CHPPN graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University where she received her doctorate in Nursing Science. She has worked with both chronically ill adults and children, finding her passion in pediatric hospice and palliative care, specifically community-based care. She was dually nationally certified as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse and a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. Through her experience at work, she became highly motivated to contribute to the research of priority populations, including pediatric patients and families. She has published in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing as well as presented at both US and international conferences. In line with her desire to help minoritized populations, Kim has been a foster parent in North Carolina since 2017. She is a co-founder and the current chair of Fostering Families, as she strongly believes in empowering foster parents and their families. Kim is also on the family and partnership councils for North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids. In her work as a foster parent, she became cognizant of the significant policy and practice gaps that exist regarding mental health access and equity for children in foster care. Her interest in health policy and passion for advocating for minoritized pediatric populations led her to the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy where she was chosen as a Margolis Honors Scholar. Continuing her mission to make a global impact, Kim recently embarked on a project to develop a pediatric palliative care program for children battling cancer in Mwanza, Tanzania. This initiative reflects her dedication to improving the quality of life for pediatric patients worldwide, demonstrating her holistic approach to care that encompasses not only physical health but also emotional and social well-being. During her time at Columbia, she plans to integrate her hospice and palliative care expertise with health policy to improve access and quality of care for underserved pediatric patients and their families.