News Release

PHOENIX [Oct. 28, 2022] – As Phoenix Children’s division of nephrology continues to grow to address the needs of children in Arizona and beyond, the health system has named renowned pediatric nephrologist and researcher Katherine Perry, MD, MS, the chief of the division. Dr. Perry comes to Phoenix Children’s from UCLA Health, where she worked as a board-certified pediatric nephrologist since 2006.

“As our health system grows from one hospital to three and we open additional sites of service throughout the Valley, clinical staffing is a priority to ensure we are meeting the needs of children in our community,” said Jared Muenzer, MD, MBA, Phoenix Children’s physician-in-chief and chief operating officer of Phoenix Children’s Medical Group. “Dr. Perry’s expertise in patient care, clinical instruction and research will be instrumental as she leads the continued expansion of this division to ensure families across Arizona can access the high-quality nephrology care they need.”

Indeed, one of Dr. Perry’s core responsibilities will be recruiting and retaining top nephrologists to serve families at Phoenix Children’s clinical sites statewide.

“While Phoenix Children’s offers the state’s largest treatment center for children with kidney disease and high blood pressure, we must continue to build our division to keep pace with families’ needs,” said Dr. Muenzer. “This growth is a top priority for the health system as our state’s population of children and families continues to expand quickly.”

Phoenix Children’s nephrology division is the only program in Arizona to earn a national ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 “Best Children’s Hospitals” list. The program is home to Arizona’s only dedicated pediatric dialysis center, which provides outpatient and inpatient hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, including an active continuous renal replacement therapy program.

“As clinicians we have a responsibility not only to care for the patient families of today, but to set up future generations for success by fostering a commitment to research and by educating and mentoring the next generation of pediatric nephrologists,” said Perry. “The team of pediatric nephrologists at Phoenix Children’s share my passion for exceptional patient care, education, and research and I look forward to expanding the division.”

A practicing physician for more than 20 years, Dr. Perry also is an accomplished medical educator. Over the course of her career, she has held numerous roles including clinical instructor, assistant professor of pediatrics and the associate professor of pediatrics in residence, all at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In 2018, she was named the university’s pediatrics fellowship research liaison.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Perry has served as the principal investigator on numerous projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and other leading research organizations. Among her most notable projects is recent research examining impaired osteoblast and osteocyte maturation in the pathogenesis of renal osteodystrophy. This important research investigates how cells that help create the scaffolding and regulation of bone growth are impacted by kidney disease, which may lead to life-long health issues for children and adolescents. She also regularly lectures on her work and has more than 40 presentations and 45 peer-reviewed research papers to her credit.

From the earliest days of her career, Dr. Perry has participated in professional societies to advance her expertise and continues active membership in organizations including the Society of Pediatric Research, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the American Society for Pediatric Nephrology. She also has a long record of service and leadership with the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Stars program and the National Kidney Foundation among other groups.

Dr. Perry completed her fellowship in medical education at UCLA, a master’s degree in clinical research at UCLA and a fellowship in pediatric nephrology at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital.

In addition to Dr. Perry, the health system has announced a number of high-profile clinical and executive hires in recent months as it prepares to open additional sites of service and expand its workforce. For more information on rewarding career opportunities at Phoenix Children’s, visit phoenixchildrens.org/careers.

About Phoenix Children’s  

Phoenix Children’s is one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems. It comprises Phoenix Children’s Hospital – Thomas Campus, Phoenix Children’s Hospital – East Valley at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, four pediatric specialty and urgent care centers, 11 community pediatric practices, 20 outpatient clinics, two ambulatory surgery centers and seven community-service-related outpatient clinics throughout the state of Arizona. The system provides world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care and has been serving children and families for nearly 40 years. Phoenix Children’s Care Network includes more than 1,175 pediatric primary care providers and specialists who deliver care across more than 75 subspecialties. For more information, visit phoenixchildrens.org.