Colleen A. Kraft, MD, MBA, FAAP is Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine/University of Southern California and attending physician at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). She co-directs IMPACT (Improving Medicine, Pediatricians and Communities Together), which is the pediatric residency advocacy track at CHLA.
Dr. Kraft is the 2018 Past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the 2024 AAP Media Visiting Professor. She received her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, her M.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University, and her MBA from the University of Cincinnati. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Kraft is known for her work in integrating care for children with developmental disabilities and behavioral health conditions into primary care pediatrics.
As President of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2018, Dr. Kraft is best known for her advocacy for humane treatment of migrant children at the US-Mexico border. Her explanation to the public regarding the harm to young children during the “Zero Tolerance” policy that included separation of children from parents at the border help to mobilize advocates across the political spectrum to end this policy. She continues to advocate for basic child rights for children throughout the world.