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Sara Handley, MD, MSCE
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Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology & Newborn Services) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Attending Physician, Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania
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Department: Pediatrics
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Contact information
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
1f Division of Neonatology
1f 2nd Floor Main Building
3e 34th and Civic Center Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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1f Division of Neonatology
1f 2nd Floor Main Building
3e 34th and Civic Center Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Office: 267-455-5280
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Education:
21 7 BA 16 (Chemistry) c
29 St. Olaf College, 2007.
21 7 MD c
3f University of Minnesota Medical School, 2012.
21 9 MSCE 22 (Clinical Epidemiology) c
33 University of Pennsylvania, 2019.
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Permanent link21 7 BA 16 (Chemistry) c
29 St. Olaf College, 2007.
21 7 MD c
3f University of Minnesota Medical School, 2012.
21 9 MSCE 22 (Clinical Epidemiology) c
33 University of Pennsylvania, 2019.
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Description of Research Expertise
316 Sara Handley, MD, MSCE, is a neonatologist and health services researcher focused on evaluating the impact of the perinatal health care system, including institutional structure, organizational culture, and unit processes on perinatal outcomes and outcome variation. Perinatal health system factors in her research include perinatal regionalization (e.g., access to hospital-based childbirth care, levels of care, risk-appropriate care delivery, rural-urban differences), organizational culture (e.g., dyad-centered culture, resuscitation team culture), and neonatal care processes (i.e. moderate and preterm infant care, resuscitation). She conducts her work in collaboration with experts in biostatistics, obstetrics, organizational psychology, and health care management.e 29
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10b Sheffield E, Busse CE, Interante JD, Handley SC, Kozhimannil KB: Local Availability of Neonatal Intensive Care at Rural Hospitals with Childbirth Services. Journal of Perinatology November 2025.
11e Handley SC, Formanowski B, Passarella M, Thorsen ML, Interrante JD, Busse CE, Lorch SA, Kozhimannil KB: Risk-Appropriate Childbirth Care Among Higher-Risk Pregnant Rural Residents. JAMA Health Forum November 2025.
154 Corson CL, Martin AE, Darden N, Walker L, Power ME, Durnwald CP, Handley SC, Burris HH: Facilitating Postpartum Care with a Doula and Certified Nurse Midwife in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Analysis of Maternal Experiences. Pregnancy November 2025.
147 Leonard SA, Main EK, Formanowski BL, Lorch SA, Phibb CS, Handley SC, Passarella M, Bateman BT, Kozhimannil KB: Hospital birth volume and rurality: associations with pregnancy outcomes among individuals with chronic hypertension. Pregnancy September 2025.
11c Salazar EG, Passarella M, Handley SC, Rogowski J, Edwards EM, Phibbs CS, Lorch SA: Hospital Financial Health and Provision of Obstetric and NICU Services in the US. JAMA Network Open 8(8): e2526418, August 2025.
134 Corson CL, Nembhard IM, Bonafide CP, Foglia EE, Lee HC, Handley SC: Acceptance and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Delivery Room Resuscitation: A Qualitative Study. SSM Qualitative Research in Health 7: 100557, June 2025.
13c Corson CL, Nembhard IM, Radack J, Foglia EE, Handley SC: Gender Majority and Leadership Concordance Does Not Help: Psychological Safety in Critical Care Situations. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Minneapolis, MN – Poster June 2025.
ec Handley SC, Radack J, Goldstein Novick NP, Rogowski J, Srinivas SK, Lorch SA: Birth Hospital Perinatal Care Profiles: Concordance and Discordance of Maternal and Neonatal Levels of Care 65 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Minneapolis, MN – Poster June 2025.
124 Kozhimannil KB, Interrante JD, Carroll C, Sheffield EC, Fritz AH, McGregor AJ, Handley SC: Obstetric Care Access Declines in Rural and Urban Hospitals Across US States, 2010-22. Health Affairs 44(7): 806-811, June 2025.
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Selected Publications
114 Scott K, Miller E, Culhane JF, Greenspan J, Handley SC, Lo JY, Knake LA, McKenney KM, Burris HH, Dysart K: Trends in vitamin K administration in US infants, 2017-2024. JAMA Page: Accepted, December 2025.10b Sheffield E, Busse CE, Interante JD, Handley SC, Kozhimannil KB: Local Availability of Neonatal Intensive Care at Rural Hospitals with Childbirth Services. Journal of Perinatology November 2025.
11e Handley SC, Formanowski B, Passarella M, Thorsen ML, Interrante JD, Busse CE, Lorch SA, Kozhimannil KB: Risk-Appropriate Childbirth Care Among Higher-Risk Pregnant Rural Residents. JAMA Health Forum November 2025.
154 Corson CL, Martin AE, Darden N, Walker L, Power ME, Durnwald CP, Handley SC, Burris HH: Facilitating Postpartum Care with a Doula and Certified Nurse Midwife in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Analysis of Maternal Experiences. Pregnancy November 2025.
147 Leonard SA, Main EK, Formanowski BL, Lorch SA, Phibb CS, Handley SC, Passarella M, Bateman BT, Kozhimannil KB: Hospital birth volume and rurality: associations with pregnancy outcomes among individuals with chronic hypertension. Pregnancy September 2025.
11c Salazar EG, Passarella M, Handley SC, Rogowski J, Edwards EM, Phibbs CS, Lorch SA: Hospital Financial Health and Provision of Obstetric and NICU Services in the US. JAMA Network Open 8(8): e2526418, August 2025.
134 Corson CL, Nembhard IM, Bonafide CP, Foglia EE, Lee HC, Handley SC: Acceptance and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Delivery Room Resuscitation: A Qualitative Study. SSM Qualitative Research in Health 7: 100557, June 2025.
13c Corson CL, Nembhard IM, Radack J, Foglia EE, Handley SC: Gender Majority and Leadership Concordance Does Not Help: Psychological Safety in Critical Care Situations. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Minneapolis, MN – Poster June 2025.
ec Handley SC, Radack J, Goldstein Novick NP, Rogowski J, Srinivas SK, Lorch SA: Birth Hospital Perinatal Care Profiles: Concordance and Discordance of Maternal and Neonatal Levels of Care 65 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Minneapolis, MN – Poster June 2025.
124 Kozhimannil KB, Interrante JD, Carroll C, Sheffield EC, Fritz AH, McGregor AJ, Handley SC: Obstetric Care Access Declines in Rural and Urban Hospitals Across US States, 2010-22. Health Affairs 44(7): 806-811, June 2025.
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