Karen E. Heiser, Ph.D. is Vice President, Education and the ACGME Designated Institutional Official at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She leads multiple strategic education initiatives: (a) 300 accredited continuing medical education activities and 50 conferences for ~40,000 participants per year; (b) 66 graduate medical education (GME) programs and 71 GME affiliations; (c) 400+ educational affiliations (nursing, allied health, community organizations); (d) ~90 American Board of Medical Specialties Multi-specialty Portfolio Sponsor Part IV projects; (e) 36-hour Quality Improvement Essentials course Co-Director; (f); 1000 Skills Development and Simulation sessions; (g) Outreach Education for 15 affiliated hospitals in 44 county region, e.g., Behavioral Health Practice Fitness Series; (h) International Program – 50+ physician, nursing, and allied health profession scholars/year; (i) Medical Leadership Program – Course Director, (j) Medical Library; Patient Family Resource Center; (k) Medical Informatics Education for prescribing practitioners; (l) Pre-K literacy, patient education, health literacy, career exploration, and community outreach; (m) Faculty Development and career development; and (n) Patient Transition Education Team Chair.

Heiser is active nationally in the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education having served on the Accreditation Review Committee (2005-10) in addition to serving as an ACCME and Joint Accreditation surveyor. In 2017, Heiser served on the National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment (NCICLE). She holds various leadership and committee memberships in professional organizations including The Alliance for Continuing Education in Health Professions, The American Board of Medical Specialties, and the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Advisory Committee.

Heiser has authored multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and presented 51 scientific presentations at national meetings. She is currently the PI for “The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP)” in its 8th year of funding. PREP utilizes a train-the-trainer model to educate very high-risk youth aged 14-19 residing in foster care and the juvenile justice systems to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and more effectively transition to adulthood.

Community service has been an important part of Heiser’s career and has served on multiple Boards: Columbus Metropolitan Area Community Action Organization Board (2003–5) – Head Start Parent Advisory Committee and Head Start Health Services Advisory Committee; Columbus Sister Cities Board (2002 – 2011) – Chair, Board of Trustees (2008–2011) and Director Emeritus (2017 – present); Jewish Family Services Board of Trustees (1998–2004), Marburn Academy Board of Trustees (2018–present) and Upper Arlington Board of Education Strategic Planning Committee (1995–2004) and Upper Arlington High School Parent Advisory Committee (1996–8).

Heiser has received numerous awards including Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary Club of Columbus), Jewish Family Services Trustee of the Year, Robert Raszkowski, MD, Ph.D. ACCME Hero Award (2010), Champion of Health Care (Columbus Business First – 2016), and the ACGME Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Lead” (2018).