Dena Hubbard, MD

Dena Hubbard, MD

Born and raised in Missouri, Dr. Hubbard's love for travel has led her to a very unconventional commute from Kansas City to Santa Barbara! Dr. Hubbard is a neonatologist and Director of Quality at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital’s NICU. She brings her family's love for sports with her. This includes cheering on the sidelines for her two daughters playing school and club basketball, soccer and volleyball, rooting for the Chiefs and Royals before they were world champs, and practicing the life lessons from watching her favorite show and coach Ted Lasso. In fact, the cue that she is on service is her Ted Lasso figurine at the NICU attending workstation.

Dr. Hubbard is a fierce activist for system changes to decrease waste and increase joy in medicine through lean processes, multidisciplinary team communication, and quality improvement. Dr. Hubbard provides skilled mentorship to colleagues and trainees in advocacy for infants, maternal-child health, and surviving and thriving in the profession of medicine. She is an ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, an organization advocating for the professional well-being and mental health of health workers.

Active in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Dr. Hubbard serves on the AAP Committee on State Government Affairs, AAP inaugural Trauma Informed Care Champions program, and is current Chair of the Women In Neonatology (WiN) subgroup of the AAP Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

Education

  • Medical School: University of Missouri-Columbia
  • Residency: University of Missouri-Columbia
  • Fellowship: Neonatology at Children’s Mercy and University of Missouri-Kansas City

Clinical Areas of Interest/Expertise

  • Child Health policy and advocacy
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Physician leadership development
  • Physician and healthcare professional wellbeing
  • Medical education

Research Interests

  • Applying evidence-based practices to standardize and improve respiratory care in the NICU
  • Licensing and Credentialing Reform
  • Advocating for a world where seeking mental health services is universally viewed as a sign of strength
  • Pediatric Residency advocacy education