Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, is the Helping Hand of Los Angeles Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology, professor and chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Associate Dean for Faculty Development & Diversity at Cedars-Sinai. She received her bachelor of science degree with honors from Newcomb College, her doctoral degree in biopsychology from the University of Chicago, and her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Kilpatrick completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she went on to serve as faculty for eight years.
In 1999, Dr. Kilpatrick joined University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) as division director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She quickly rose through the ranks to become head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2003, president of the medical staff at UIC Medical Center in 2005 and vice dean for UIC College of Medicine in 2006. She was recruited to Cedars-Sinai in 2011 to be chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and was appointed Associate Dean for Faculty Development & Diversity in 2013. In her leadership roles at Cedars-Sinai, she has recruited numerous new faculty members, started a family planning program, expanded the minimally invasive gynecologic surgery program, and developed multiple collaborations with other departments, including the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center, GI, the Emergency Department, and the Anesthesiology Department. She has also spearheaded new, innovative programs about leadership and diversity for faculty, including a Cedars-Sinai and UCLA midcareer leadership program for women and a summer research internship for college students. Further, since 2017, Dr. Kilpatrick has co-led the Center for Research in Women’s Health and Sex Differences (CREWHS), which funds research projects that will lead to better healthcare for women.
Dr. Kilpatrick has received numerous awards for her teaching and service, including the UCSF Outstanding Academic Faculty Award, the APGO and CREOG Excellence in Teaching Awards at UIC, the Golden Apple Teaching Award at Cedars-Sinai, the March of Dimes Jonas Salk Award for Physician Leadership, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Award. Dr. Kilpatrick has served on many national OB-GYN organizations and was president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She is currently on the editorial board for Contemporary Obstetrics and Gynecology and serves on committees for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine. Her clinical and research interests focus on hypertension in pregnancy, maternal morbidity and mortality, and cardiovascular disease risk in women after adverse pregnancy outcomes. Dr. Kilpatrick continues to care for high-risk obstetric patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. She is currently involved in the national effort to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and develop hospital designations for maternal levels of care. She has published over 120 publications and chapters.