Larner College of Medicine

Caroline Hesko

Associate Professor, Pediatrics

PRONOUNS she/her

woman smiling
Pronouns she/her
Alma mater(s)
  • M.D., Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
  • M.P.H., Nutrition, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
  • B.S., Biology, Philosophy, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD
  • Residency, Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH
  • Fellowship, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Comer Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL
Affiliated Department(s)

Department of Pediatrics

Division of Hematology and Oncology

Areas of expertise

pediatric oncology and hematology, quality improvement science, patient safety, adolescent and young adult cancer.

BIO

Dr. Caroline Hesko, MD MPH is an associate professor of Pediatrics at the Robert Larner College of Medicine at University of Vermont. She is an attending physician in the division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health and serves as Director of Patient Safety at UVM Children’s Hospital. Her work is spilt between clinical care of pediatric patients with cancer and blood disorders and leading quality and safety efforts at the Children's hospital. Her research focuses including improving clinical trial enrollment for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and quality improvement initiatives.

Courses

  • Professionalism, 
  • Communication & Reflection 1, 2 and 3 
  • Attacks and Defenses Small Group: Anemia and Thrombosis

Awards and Achievements

  • 2019: Conquer Cancer Merit Award: The American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation 
  • 2019-2020: Larner College of Medicine, professionalism accolade
  • 2020-2021: Larner College of Medicine, professionalism accolade
  • 2021-2022: Larner College of Medicine; professionalism accolade
  • 2022: Appointed Director of Patient Safety for UVM Children’s Hospital 
  • 2025: Jerold and Ingela Lucey Early Career Investigator Prize for Innovations in Infant or Child Health at Larner College of Medicine 
  • 2025: Pediatric Attending of the Year; UVM Children’s Hospital

Bio

Dr. Caroline Hesko, MD MPH is an associate professor of Pediatrics at the Robert Larner College of Medicine at University of Vermont. She is an attending physician in the division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health and serves as Director of Patient Safety at UVM Children’s Hospital. Her work is spilt between clinical care of pediatric patients with cancer and blood disorders and leading quality and safety efforts at the Children's hospital. Her research focuses including improving clinical trial enrollment for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and quality improvement initiatives.

Courses

  • Professionalism, 
  • Communication & Reflection 1, 2 and 3 
  • Attacks and Defenses Small Group: Anemia and Thrombosis

Awards and Achievements

  • 2019: Conquer Cancer Merit Award: The American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation 
  • 2019-2020: Larner College of Medicine, professionalism accolade
  • 2020-2021: Larner College of Medicine, professionalism accolade
  • 2021-2022: Larner College of Medicine; professionalism accolade
  • 2022: Appointed Director of Patient Safety for UVM Children’s Hospital 
  • 2025: Jerold and Ingela Lucey Early Career Investigator Prize for Innovations in Infant or Child Health at Larner College of Medicine 
  • 2025: Pediatric Attending of the Year; UVM Children’s Hospital

Select Publications

  1. Johnston E, Martinez I, Davis E, Caudill C, Richman J, Brackett J, Dickens D, Kahn A, Schwalm C, Sharma A, Patel P on behalf of the POCC Consortium, Bhatia S, *Levine J, *Wolfson J (*co-senior authors). SARS-CoV-2 in Childhood Cancer in 2020: A Disease of Disparities. (Hesko, C, Member of POCC Consortium) J Clin Oncol. 2021 Dec 1;39(34):3778-3788. Epub 2021 Oct 25. PMCID: PMC8608263 
  2. Hesko C, Nupur M, Avutu V, Thomas S, Health J, Roth M. Creation of a quality improvement collaborative to address adolescent and young adult cancer clinical trial enrollment: ATAQI (AYA Trial Access Quality Initiative. Curr Probl Cancer. 2022 Sep 28:100898. doi: 10.1016/j.currproblcancer.2022.100898. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36207194 
  3. Hesko C, Liu W, Srivastava K, Brinkman TM, Diller L, Gibson T, Oeffinger K, Leisenring W, Howell R, Armstrong GT, Krull K. Neurocognitive outcomes in adult survivors of neuroblastoma: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Cancer. 2023 May 18. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34847. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37199722. 
  4. Martin SD, Davis ES, Dai C, et al. Clinical Features and Risk Factors Associated With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children With Cancer and COVID-19. (Hesko, C, Member of POCC Consortium) JAMA Oncol. Published online May 11, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.0525 
  5. Hesko C, Heath J, Roth ME, Mittal N. Sharing is caring: a network collaborative approach to identify and address barriers in accessing clinical trials in adolescents and young adults with leukemia and lymphoma. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2024 Dec 6;2024(1):27-33. PMID: 39643982