Gretchen Domek, MD, MPhil

Associate Professor, Pediatrics-General Pediatrics


FacultyPhoto
Medical School
  • MD, Harvard Medical School (2009)
Graduate School
  • MPhil, University of Oxford (2005)
Undergraduate School
  • BS, University of Utah (UT) (2003)
Residency
  • University of Colorado (Children's Hospital Colorado) Program, Pediatrics (2012)
Fellowships
  • University of Colorado, Pediatric Global Health (2014)
Languages
English
Department
Pediatrics-General Pediatrics

Professional Titles

  • Director, International Adoption Clinic
  • Senior Investigator, Center for Global Health

Recognitions

  • Early Career Award, Thrasher Research Fund (2015)
  • NIH Pediatric Loan Repayment Program Award, NIH (2015)
  • Presidential Citation, Society for Public Health Education (2016)

Research Interests

My research interests are focused on emerging technologies for global health promotion, early childhood development in resource limited settings, and international adoption. I am currently evaluating an SMS text message reminder platform to improve more timely immunization coverage in both rural and urban Guatemala. I have been involved in developing a digitalized birth registry of women and infants in the southwest region of Guatemala as well as the development and implementation of a program promoting early childhood health and development in this region. I am also evaluating the current evidence base for the initial health screening of internationally adopted children.

Publications

  • Domek GJ, Contreras I, O’Leary S, Bull S, Furniss A, Kempe A, Asturias EJ. Improving infant vaccination coverage in Guatemala City through reminder SMS text messages: preliminary results. Poster presentation at: Unite for Site Global Health & Innovation Conference; 2014 Apr 12-13; New Haven, Connecticut.
  • Domek GJ. Creciendo Sanos: An early childhood health and development program in southwest Guatemala. Oral Presentation at: 2014 Global Health Symposium; 2014 Nov 11; Aurora, Colorado.
  • Domek GJ, Asturias EJ, Bull SS. A mobile phone-based data collection system to follow women and infants from prenatal care through age three years in the southwest Trifinio of Guatemala. Social Enterprise Pitch presentation at: Unite for Site Global Health & Innovation Conference; 2014 Apr 12-13; New Haven, Connecticut.
  • Domek GJ, MacDonald B, Cooper C, Cunningham M, Abdel-Maksoud M, Berman S. Assessing mothers’ knowledge before and after an early childhood health and development intervention in Guatemala. Poster presentation at: Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society For Pediatric Research Joint Meeting, 2014 May 3-6; Vancouver, Canada.
  • Niermeyer S, Domek GJ. Neonatal Transport in Developing Country Settings: A Systematic Review. Pan American Health Organization Report. In Press.
  • Bull S, Domek GJ, Thomas D. 2014. eHealth and Global Health Promotion. In Zimmerman (ed) Global Health Promotion. Jossey Bass, SF. In Press.
  • Domek GJ, Contreras-Roldan IL, O'Leary ST, Bull S, Furniss A, Kempe A, Asturias EJ. SMS text message reminders to improve infant vaccination coverage in Guatemala: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Vaccine. 2016 May 5;34(21):2437-43. PubMed PMID: 27026145
  • Asturias EJ, Heinrichs G, Domek G, Brett J, Shick E, Cunningham M, Bull S, Celada M, Newman LS, Tenney L, Krisher L, Luna-Asturias C, McConnell K, Berman S. The Center for Human Development in Guatemala: An Innovative Model for Global Population Health. Adv Pediatr. 2016 Aug;63(1):357-87. PubMed PMID: 27426907
  • Bull S, Domek GJ, Thomas D. 2016. eHealth and Global Health Promotion. In Introduction to Global Health Promotion. RS Zimmerman, RJ DiClemente, JK Andrus, E Hosein & SOPHE (Eds). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Niermeyer S, Domek GJ. 2016. Neonatal Transport in Developing Country Settings: A Systematic Review. Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization, and Latin American Center for Women and Reproductive Health. Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Domek GJ, Macdonald B, Cooper C, Cunningham M, Abdel-Maksoud M, Berman S. Group based learning among caregivers: assessing mothers' knowledge before and after an early childhood intervention in rural Guatemala. Glob Health Promot. 2017 Aug 1;:1757975917714287. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28805505
  • Domek GJ, Cunningham M, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Dunn D, Abdel-Maksoud M, Bronsert M, Luna-Asturias C, Berman S. Designing and Implementing an Early Childhood Health and Development Program in Rural, Southwest Guatemala: Lessons Learned and Future Directions. Adv Pediatr. 2017 Aug;64(1):381-401. PubMed PMID: 28688599
  • McConnell KA, Krisher LK, Lenssen M, Bunik M, Bunge Montes S, Domek GJ. Telehealth to Expand Community Health Nurse Education in Rural Guatemala: A Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Evaluation. Front Public Health. 2017;5:60. PubMed PMID: 28405582
  • Rick AM, Domek GJ, Cunningham M, Olson D, Lamb M, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Heinrichs G, Berman S, Asturias E. High background congenital microcephaly in rural Guatemala: Implications for neonatal congenital Zika virus infection screening. Global Health: Science and Practice. In Press.
  • Wagner AL, Masters NB, Domek GJ, Mathew JL, Sun X, Asturias EJ, Ren J, Huang Z, Contreras-Roldan IL, Gebremeskel B, Boulton ML. Comparisons of Vaccine Hesitancy across Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Vaccines (Basel). 2019 Oct 18;7(4). PubMed PMID: 31635270
  • Domek GJ, Contreras-Roldan IL, Bull S, O'Leary ST, Bolaños Ventura GA, Bronsert M, Kempe A, Asturias EJ. Text message reminders to improve infant immunization in Guatemala: A randomized clinical trial. Vaccine. 2019 Sep 30;37(42):6192-6200. PubMed PMID: 31492475
  • Domek GJ, O'Leary ST, Bull S, Bronsert M, Contreras-Roldan IL, Bolaños Ventura GA, Kempe A, Asturias EJ. Measuring vaccine hesitancy: Field testing the WHO SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy survey tool in Guatemala. Vaccine. 2018 Aug 23;36(35):5273-5281. PubMed PMID: 30061026
  • Domek GJ, Contreras-Roldan IL, Asturias EJ, Bronsert M, Bolaños Ventura GA, O'Leary ST, Kempe A, Bull S. Characteristics of mobile phone access and usage in rural and urban Guatemala: assessing feasibility of text message reminders to increase childhood immunizations. Mhealth. 2018;4:9. PubMed PMID: 29780812
  • Domek GJ, Szafran LH, Bonnell LN, Berman S, Camp BW. Using Finger Puppets in the Primary Care Setting to Support Caregivers Talking With Their Infants: A Feasibility Pilot Study. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2020 May;59(4-5):380-387. PubMed PMID: 32037858
  • 18. Mehner LC, Domek GJ, Abdel-Maksoud M, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Asturias EJ, Lamb MM, Berman S. The association of cumulative risk scoring with ASQ-3 outcomes in a rural impoverished region of Guatemala. Pediatr Dimensions 2019;4:1-6. doi: 10.15761/PD.1000198
  • Domek GJ, Szafran LH, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Silveira L. Impact on maternal postpartum depressive symptoms of a primary care intervention promoting early language: a pilot study. Matern Child Health J (in press).
  • Domek GJ, Szafran LH, Allison MA, Kempe A, Jimenenz-Zambrano A, Silveira L, Camp B. Effects at 12 months of a primary care intervention using finger puppets to support early language promotion: a pilot study [abstract], Oral Abstract at: Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society For Pediatric Research Joint Meeting, 2022 April 21-25.
  • Angulo AS, Cunningham M, Domek G, Friedman S, Talmi A. Cultural relevance of fine motor domain of the ASQ in Guatemala. Infant Ment Health J. 2023 Oct 29. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37899298
  • Domek GJ, Silveira L, Kuffel H, Szafran LH, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Camp BW. Using the Ages & Stages Questionnaire to assess later effects of an infant intervention promoting language in primary care. BMC Pediatr. 2023 Apr 6;23(1):162. PubMed PMID: 37024860
  • Domek GJ, Szafran LH, Allison M, Kempe A, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Silveira L, Camp B. Finger Puppets to Support Early Language Development: Effects of a Primary Care-Based Intervention in Infancy. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2023 Dec;62(12):1497-1507. PubMed PMID: 37021801
  • Domek GJ, Heller Szafran L, Jimenez-Zambrano A, Silveira L. Impact on Maternal Postpartum Depressive Symptoms of a Primary Care Intervention Promoting Early Language: A Pilot Study. Matern Child Health J. 2023 Feb;27(2):346-355. PubMed PMID: 36525167
  • Domek GJ, Szafran LH, Allison M, Kempe A, Zambrano AJ, Silveira L, Camp B. Effects at 12 months of a primary care intervention using finger puppets to support early language promotion: a pilot study. Child Youth Serv Rev 2023;155:107172. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107172
  • Kuehn L, Jones A, Helmkamp L, Knudtson M, Domek G, Allison M. Socio-emotional development of infants and toddlers during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Peds 2023 (in press).

Practice Locations

Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
13123 East 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
720-777-1234

Children's Hospital Colorado Child Health Clinic
860 N Potomac Cir
Aurora, CO 80011
720-777-2740

Hospital Affiliation
  • Children's Hospital Colorado

Specialty Information

Specialties
  • Pediatrics, Board Certification (2012)
  • Helping Babies Breathe Master Trainer and Mentor, Certificate (2013)
  • Essential Care for Every Baby Facilitator, Certificate (2015)
Conditions & Treatments
  • Primary Care
Clinical Interests
My clinical interests include pediatric primary care, early childhood development, and international adoption. I specialize in global health and have expertise in childhood institutionalization and early childhood health and development in resource-limited settings around the world.

Care Philosophy
I strive to provide the highest quality of comprehensive care to all of my patients and their families. My care philosophy is that the child and family should be treated and cared for together as a whole. As director of the multidisciplinary International Adoption Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado, I am passionate about supporting internationally adopted children and their families.