Nicholas Kuehnel, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics, has been appointed as the UW Health Kids Medical Director for Quality and Safety, effective November 1, 2021.
Kuehnel completed medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin, his residency in pediatrics at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and his pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. He holds certificates in quality improvement and advanced quality improvement methods from the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence.
Kuehnel joined UW Health in 2017 and has served in many leadership roles within the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine, including Pediatric Medical Director, patient relations lead, Medical Director of Quality and Patient Experience, and fellowship director for the administrative and quality fellowship. He has additionally served as a quality improvement coach at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Value in Inpatient Pediatrics network.
In his new role, Kuehnel will serve as the physician lead responsible for enhancing the breadth and focus of quality improvement and patient safety across all aspects of UW Health Kids. He will be a key member of the UW Health Kids executive team and will spearhead clinical initiatives aimed at enhancing quality, patient safety and clinical integration in the pursuit of high-quality care and zero patient harm.