Merula Franzgrote, MD
“I strongly believe that family focused care for teens works best, and that we must also ensure access for teens who seek care on their own.”
Equally at home with patient care and policy development, Merula Franzgrote, MD is a strong, vocal and passionate advocate for adolescents.
In 1994, she developed the GSAA’s Teen Health Center, now the largest in Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Committed to multi-disciplinary care, she has led the way in transforming the thinking about teen care in the region, persuasively and persistently communicating that teens aren’t “older kids” or “younger adults,” but a distinct population with distinct needs.
Chief of Pediatrics, Arnd Herz, MD, states that Dr. Franzgrote engages her colleagues, offering support and consultation for issues ranging from contraception to eating disorders. “Her presence has elevated the quality of adolescent care across our service area.”
Early in her career, Dr. Franzgrote recognized the evolving electronic medical systems as key to accessible, comprehensive and confidential care for adolescents. Beyond the laws protecting adolescents seeking care, confidentiality is essential to teen health. “This really is an access-to-care issue,” says Dr. Franzgrote. “We want to encourage teens to seek care before things get critical.” Dr. Franzgrote continues to work effectively with the regional call center, KP HealthConnect and KP Online to help ensure the confidentiality of appointments and medical records.
“In sharing her vision for quality adolescent health care over the past 20 years, Dr. Franzgrote has moved this area of practice forward into better outcomes for teens” says Robert Greenberg, MD, Physician-in-Chief, GSAA. “She is an exemplary physician leader.”