Ara Balkian

Ara Balkian is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California, affiliated with Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). He serves as the Associate Head of the Division of Hospital Medicine and Director of Throughput Management at CHLA, overseeing initiatives to optimize patient flow from pre-admission to post-discharge. His career spans clinical practice, administrative leadership, and research.

• Education: MD from Jefferson Medical College (1999), MBA from USC Marshall School of Business (2010)

Balkian pioneered CHLA's Hospitalist Program, expanding it to 33 physicians and establishing a Hospital Medicine fellowship. His research focuses on pediatric discharge management, clinical workflow optimization, and respiratory/oncological conditions. Key publications include work on nebulized hypertonic saline for bronchiolitis and pediatric lymphoma diagnosis.

His administrative role includes revamping patient access and utilization management processes, addressing capacity demands in pediatric healthcare. While no scientific awards are explicitly listed, his contributions to hospital throughput systems demonstrate practical impact in clinical operations.