Sarah Ann Keil Heinonen, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC [103NP], is a dual board-certified (Acute/Primary Care) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with more than 25 years of pediatric clinical experience spanning critical care, cardiology, to pediatric pulmonology & sleep medicine. Since joining Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in 2016, she has served as a Senior Advanced Practice Provider, Co-Director of the Pulmonology - Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Program, Pediatric Pulmonary Centers (PPC) HRSA Grant Faculty and serves as the only advanced practice provider (APP) on the CHLA Medical Group (CHLAMG) Executive Board and Advocacy Committee. Her primary focus is on evidence-based, family-centered care with multidisciplinary collaboration to improve outcomes for the children with complex respiratory disease.
Nationally, Dr. Heinonen serves as Chair of the Asthma & Allergy Shared Interest Group (SIG) for the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) and as Executive Board Member and Co-Chair of the Multidisciplinary BPD Ad Hoc Working Group for the national BPD Collaborative, helping to shape standards of care and advance interdisciplinary best practices. She also founded and is the Executive Director for the Pediatric Firestorm TEAM, a transdisciplinary initiative uniting pediatric clinicians, environmental scientists, engineers, and community advocates to address the health impacts of wildland–urban interface smoke and debris exposure, translating climate and air-quality science into clinical innovation, policy action, and community resilience.
Dr. Heinonen earned her Doctorate and Post-Master’s Certificates from Johns Hopkins University, her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Pediatric Primary Care from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Syracuse University.
Her research areas include Bronchopulmonary dysplasia / Prematurity associated Lung Diseases, asthma, and novel approaches to home-based care, such as participation in the NG Tube for Home program aimed at reducing hospitalizations and improving quality of life for medically fragile children. She is also deeply engaged in education and mentorship, lecturing on BPD at the UCLA School of Nursing and precepting pediatric nurse practitioner students in clinical practice.
A passionate advocate for global and planetary health, Dr. Heinonen has participated in pediatric global health missions and provided care to refugee populations. She is dedicated to addressing the intersection of environmental change and child health through research, advocacy, and community partnership.
Above all, Dr. Heinonen is guided by a lifelong commitment to pediatrics and compassionate care, a perspective enriched by motherhood and her four remarkable daughters, who continue to inspire her work and leadership in advancing the health of children and the planet.