About me
Kirsten Hawkins, MD, is an adolescent medicine specialist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Hawkins discovered her love for adolescent medicine during medical school. She went on to complete adolescent medicine subspecialty training after her pediatric residency, focusing on the unique needs of teenage patients and their families.
Adolescent medicine combines Dr. Hawkins' interest in different areas of medicine, including sports medicine, endocrinology, gynecology and reproductive health. An athlete as a teen and an avid cyclist and skier today, she also offers first-hand experience in the areas of nutrition and sports medicine. With an educational and multidisciplinary approach to care, Dr. Hawkins helps teens and their families navigate the many physical and emotional changes of adolescence. She works with a patient-focused team that includes a dietician and works collaboratively with community based behavioral health specialists.
Dr. Hawkins is a fellow of the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She has received several honors for her teaching and research including the John Eisenberg Career Development Award from the Georgetown Women in Medicine. She is a graduate of the MedStar Teaching Scholars program which included the AAMC’s Medical Education Research Certification (MERC) and Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Certificate Programs.
Dr. Hawkins is active in several professional societies. She is the former president of the Chesapeake Regional chapter of the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine and has served on the national subcommittee on electronic health record. She is a former member of the board of the District of Columbia’s chapter of the AAP and served as chair of the nominating committee. She is the current chair of the committee on Adolescent Health and the chapter's E Cigarette Champion working to reduce teen vaping. She is a faculty member of the Physicians for Reproductive Health’s Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Project. She is board certified in pediatrics and adolescent medicine by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Hawkins has testified before the District of Columbia’s City Council on topics ranging from concussions to health education in schools.
Dr. Hawkins is frequently invited to speak at meetings of professional societies. Her lecture topics include adolescent confidentiality in the digital age, menstrual disorders, teen substance abuse, adolescent vaccination, adolescent transition to adult care, and communicating with teens. Dr. Hawkins is a reviewer for the Journal of Adolescent Health and the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Her research has been published in scientific journals, including the Journal of Adolescent Health, Pediatric Dermatology, Translational Behavioral Medicine: Practice, Policy, and Research and Health Education & Behavior. She has written chapters on adolescent confidentiality and transition to adult healthcare.
Dr. Hawkins research interests include:
- Adolescent Transition to Adult Health Care
- Adolescent Confidentiality
- Pediatric Medical Education
- Teaching Communication Skills
- Adolescent Cancer Prevention
- Adolescent nicotine use and prevention
Dr. Hawkins is an associate professor of pediatrics at Georgetown University School of Medicine, chief of the adolescent medicine section at MedStar Georgetown and in July 2014, became the director of the pediatric residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. In these roles she provides clinical and academic instruction for more than 60 pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents and 200 medical students annually.
Clinical areas of focus
- Acne
- Adolescent Health
- Anxiety
- Concussion Testing
- Depression
- Disturbance Of Attention
- Eating Disorders
- Headache
- Menstrual Disorders
- Sports Physical Exam
- Vaginal Candidiasis
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Pain
- Acne
- Anxiety
- Behavior Concern
- Concussion
- Depression
- Disturbance Of Attention
- Dysmenorrhea
- Dysthymia
- Eating Disorders
- Headache
- Irregular Menstruation
- Menstrual Disorders
- Migraine
- Mood Disorders
- School Anxiety
- School Related Problems
- Seasonal Allergies
- Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)
- Skin Disease
- Sleep Disorders
- Substance Addiction
- Syncope
- Underweight
- Unexpected Weight Loss
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Vaginal Candidiasis
Procedures I perform
- Adolescent Health
- Birth Control Counseling
- Blood Test
- Camp Physicals
- Concussion Testing
- Cryotherapy For Skin Lesions
- HIV Testing
- School Physical
- Sports Physical Exam
- Transgender Care
- Well Child Exam
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select (aka Senior Advantage)
- Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- CFBCBS EPO
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- PPO and PPO Plus
- Open POS II
- Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Open HMO
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Innovation Health: POS
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Aetna HMO
- Opoen HMO Option
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CIGNA EPO
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- Network OA
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Choice Fund PPO
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Tricare Prime
- FIRST HEALTH
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatrics
Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine
Fellowship Program: Childrens National Medical Center (2006)
Residency Program: Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2003)
Internship Program: Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2001)
Medical School: University of Connecticut- School of Medicine (2000)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Selected Research:
Pediatric to Adult Transition: A Quality Improvement Model for Primary Care
Dr. Hawkins and colleagues published in the Journal of Adolescent Health on this project in 2014. The quality improvement model is now being replicated in health systems across the country.
The Effects of Framed Messages for Engaging Adolescents with Online Smoking Prevention Interventions:
Dr. Hawkins and colleagues have presented research with online smoking prevention interventions at Pediatrics Academic Society and published the work in Translational Behavioral Medicine: Practice, Policy, And Research
Recommendations for Electronic Health Record Use for Delivery of Adolescent Health Care
Dr. Hawkins and colleagues on the Electronic Health Committee from the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine published a position paper on the use of electronic health records with special consideration for adolescent confidentiality and privacy.