Kara Birch, DNP, RN, NP

Kara Birch, DNP, RN, NP

Kara Birch, DNP, RN, NP

Biography

As a dual board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Dr. Birch's priority focus lies in integrated, evidence based, trauma informed care that addresses the often under-identified mental health concerns of patients seeking medical care and how these conditions complicate the trajectory of medical illnesses and patients' well being. As an educator she aims to help develop the next generation of clinicians through integrated clinical, didactic, individual and interprofessional educational experiences that leverage key components from technology to self-reflection. Contributions at varying levels include teaching in both masters and doctoral programs and conducting national level curriculum development through the VA Nurse Practitioner Residency taskforce. In the nurse therapist role she journeys alongside and holds hope for others. She has received training in narrative based trauma therapy, strategic family therapy, DBT, CBT, PST and ACT. She has primarily focused on practice-based research in integrated care from inpatient medicine consultation to mental health in primary care, currently serving as Co-Project Director for a multi-year HRSA Nursing Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention grant focusing on enhancing mental health integration in a local FQHC. With a passion for patient centered system improvement and experience in Population Health she aims to focus on better management of the varied co-morbid physical and mental health concerns of patients while solving real-world concerns for teams such as reducing cost and improving outcomes.

BS, Biology, - College of Arts and Science, University of North Florida
BSN, Nursing, Minor in Public Health, - School of Nursing, University of North Florida
DNP, Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Family Practice and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, - School of Nursing, University of Tennessee

Award for Overall Excellence in Teaching, University of California San Francisco, 2022-2023
Practice Based Research Fellow, Centers of Excellence in Practice-Based Research and Learning, 2015-2016

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/kara.birch

Mental and Behavioral Health