Karen Bauer, MD
Dr. Bauer is a board-certified pediatrician in General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine. The dual-board certification allows her to care for children from birth through young adulthood, ranging from preventative care to acute care for hospitalized children.
She graduated from the University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine, with the highest honors, known as AOA. After medical school, Dr. Bauer completed her pediatric residency at Stanford University and was selected to stay for one additional year as a Chief Resident.
For the past 15 years, Dr. Bauer worked at Stanford Children’s Hospital, as a community hospitalist, eventually leading her team of pediatricians across three areas — the newborn nursery (healthy babies), the intermediate care nursery (premature and sick babies), and the acute care unit (sick kids ranging from birth to young adulthood).
Dr. Bauer remains actively involved at the Stanford School of Medicine, as an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in Pediatrics, where she teaches medical students and residents. This fall, she is assuming the role of Vice President of the Stanford Children’s Hospital Medical Staff.
She believes each patient deserves tailored care, integrating forward-thinking ideas rather than a conventional one-size-fits-all model — ensuring care is shaped by a family’s preferences. Her approach incorporates the well-being of her patients, with a focus on minimizing exposure to environmental toxins. For newborns, she values meeting with families prior to birth to develop a personalized care plan.
Her work also includes a range of projects related to well-being, one of which is being published in the New England Journal Medicine Catalyst. In 2025, she received the Stanford Children’s Hospital Medical Staff Impact Award for this work. Previously, she served as an Associate Medical Director of Peer Support, helping community physicians cope with traumatic events.
In her personal life, Dr. Bauer served on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Firefighter’s Cancer Prevention Foundation, which was instrumental in changing laws that removed toxic chemicals from consumer products nationwide (e.g., children’s mattresses and car seats). She continues to volunteer for this foundation.
Dr. Bauer grew up in a Chicago suburb and attended the University of Missouri (Mizzou), where she played soccer and served as team captain, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She loves traveling abroad with her husband and children, but in the summer her favorite place is Lake Tahoe. And, she will never say no to a delicious pastry or an Italian coffee.
We are thrilled she is joining us in October.