Pediatrics CertifiedJennifer Dotson, MD

Jennifer L. Dotson, M.D., MPH, is the chief of gastroenterology at Arkansas Children’s and a professor and section chief of pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Arkansas Medical Services. She has blended her interests in pediatric chronic disease, clinical research, quality improvement, public policy and advocacy into a rewarding career, with a niche focus in the pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community. Dr. Dotson is an active and prominent leader in the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (NASPGHAN), the American Academy of Pediatrics, ImproveCareNow (ICN) and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. She values the importance of sharing her expertise through mentorship programs. Dr. Dotson is dedicated to clinical and health services research with work funded through several foundation and industry grants, including the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

Dr. Dotson actively contributes to the medical community, serving on numerous boards and committees and collaborating in multicenter studies. She serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Her previous service includes two terms on the executive committee on the section on gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Dotson is deeply involved with ImproveCareNow, a learning health network to improve the lives of children with IBD. She is one of the founding co-chairs of the Clinical Standardization/Personalized Care Learning Lab where she co-leads a multi-site quality improvement effort across more than 35 centers to standardize care and improve outcomes for patients with pediatric IBD, and she is an active committee member on ICN’s Health Equity Committee.

Dr. Dotson has been a dedicated volunteer and leader within the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation at local, regional and national levels and with the National Scientific Advisory Committee. Additionally, Dr. Dotson has served the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation in numerous other capacities and continues to guide consensus statement topics and content. She was invited to serve on the “IBD Circle” expert panel as Faculty (IBD online professional forum), which is sponsored by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and American College of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Dotson commits herself daily to improving the health equity, quality of life and optimized care delivery for children with IBD.

Graduate School

• Ohio State University - 2011
• Thomas Jefferson University - 2018

Medical Degree

• University of Louisville School of Medicine - 2006

Residency

• Nationwide Children's Hospital - 2009

Fellowship

• Nationwide Children's Hospital - 2012