Board certified in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Karen Dahl returned to Valley Children’s as a pediatric infectious disease specialist in July 2014. She currently serves as Vice President, Medical Affairs and Physician Wellness & Development at Valley Children’s.
Prior to coming to Valley Children’s, Dr. Dahl worked at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., where she held several positions, including pediatric infectious disease consultant, chief of pediatric disease section, associate medical director of infection control, and director of the antimicrobial stewardship program. She also served as assistant professor of pediatrics at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. In 2013, Dr. Dahl was named in the Grand Rapids Magazine “Best Doctors” edition.
Previously, Dr. Dahl worked at Valley Children’s Hospital as a pediatric infectious disease consultant, hospital epidemiologist, and medical director of infection control and prevention from 2003 to 2005.
Dr. Dahl has presented her work across the country and published in peer-reviewed publications such as Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology; Clinical Infectious Diseases; Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal; Journal of Infectious Diseases; and American Journal of Pathology. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Dr. Dahl received her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. She did her internship and residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Dahl completed her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colo.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, cooking and traveling.