I am a pediatric gastroenterologist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. I treat pediatric patients with numerous gastrointestinal diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), celiac disease, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, eosinophilic colitis, etc.), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), and other conditions.

 

My passion for pediatric gastroenterology started at a very young age. I have lived with Crohn’s disease for more than 35 years and celiac disease for 15 years, which have provided me with unique perspectives, empathy, and understanding of this field and all that patients are going through. Living with IBD and celiac disease led to a love for cooking and a strong background in nutrition. My lifetime motto has been to keep my head held high, keep smiling and never give up on this adventure.

 

Upon graduating college, I worked as a cellular biologist for the University of Colorado. I went on to attend medical school at St. George’s University in St. George’s, Grenada and completed my pediatric residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. As a pediatric resident I became interested in lifestyle medicine and was actively involved in several school-based wellness programs. I moved to South Florida for my pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami Medical Center.

 

I love my work caring for and advocating for patients. I enjoy listening to patients’ stories and working with families to develop a personal care plan for their child. I take my time to listen to their symptoms and complaints, and take a stepwise approach in coming to a diagnosis and treatment plan. 

 

Children express their complaints differently than adults, so I engage children in a way that makes them feel comfortable and relaxed. GI concerns can affect a person in a variety of ways, so I also focus on growth, physical and emotional development, and social history. My hope is to empower patients to take control of their disease, find their own courage and strength, provide them a foundation to succeed, and guide them with my experience as both a patient and physician. 

In addition to providing patient care, I’m actively involved as a member, volunteer, speaker and committee member for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF). I serve as a member of the Chapter Medical Advisory Committee and am involved in the patient education subcommittee. I’m also a member of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).

Hospital Affiliations

• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
• Memorial Hospital Miramar
• Memorial Hospital West
• Memorial Regional Hospital

Gender

• Female

Education

St George's University School Of Medicine, 2012

Residency

St Joseph's Regional Medical Center, 2015, Pediatrics

Fellowships

Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami, 2018, Pediatric Gastroenterology

Certifications

American Board of Pediatrics-Gastroenterology
American Board of Pediatrics-Pediatrics

Publications

Please view Dr. Jacqueline Larson's publications on PubMed.

Research

My passion for better understanding and improving treatment for children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease carries over into my clinical research. My research interests include further exploring fecal calprotectin as a biomarker of mucosal and histological healing in kids with IBD.

Professional Organizations

• Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF)
• North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
• American Gastroenterological Association
• American Academy of Pediatrics

Presentations

• Pediatric Associates Continuing Medical Education Presentations:
• Current Guidelines/Updates: Heliobacter pylori, Infant Reflux, and Added Sugars
• Conjugated Hyperbilirubinemia in the Neonate and Young Infant
• Celiac Disease: symptoms, testing, diagnosis, and treatment

• Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation

  Health Maintenance in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease During a Pandemic

• Tailoring Accelerated Infliximab Induction to Reduce the need for Early Colectomy in a Patient with Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis. Poster presented at NASPGHAN annual meeting, Las Vegas, NV, November 2017.

• Super Accelerated Induction with Infliximab Reduced the Need for Early Colectomy in a Patient with Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis. Poster presented at: The Dr. Henry Gelband Pediatric Research Symposium at University of Miami; Miami, Florida, 2017.

• Paucity of Intrahepatic Bile Ducts: The Role of Genetic Determinants in Rapid Progression to Transplant. Poster presented at: The Dr. Henry Gelband Pediatric Research Symposium at University of Miami; Miami, Florida 2016.

• Very Early Onset Type 2 Autoimmune Hepatitis Presenting with Acute Fulminant Liver Failure (2016). Poster presented at: The Dr. Henry Gelband Pediatric Research Symposium at University of Miami; Miami, Florida 2016.

• Mesenteric Lymphadenitis: Incidence, Associated Symptoms, and Laboratory Findings Among Pediatric Patients Presenting with Acute Abdomen in a Pediatric Emergency Room Setting. Research project during residency presented to the Department of Pediatrics.

   

Awards

• Teaching Resident of the Year, June 2015
• Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Visiting IBD Fellow Scholarship, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, March 2018