Kirsten Nieto, MD

Clinical Biography

Kirsten Nieto, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and internal medicine specialist in the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, a clinical partnership between Dell Children’s Medical Center and UT Health Austin. She specializes in the acute care of children and adults and is an expert in reducing adverse events related to opiates, multimodal pain management, transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare providers, and in improving the quality, value, and communication in the care of hospitalized patients. Additionally, Dr. Nieto is an assistant professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Pediatrics and serves as the Associate Division Chief for the Division of Hospital Medicine in the Dell Medical School Department of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Nieto earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She completed both a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics and a chief residency in medicine-pediatrics and internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. She spent an additional year as a chief residency in internal medicine at Harris Health Ben Taub General Hospital/Harris Country Hospital District and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center/Texas Heart Institute.

Dr. Nieto previously served as the interim Division Chief for the Division of Hospital Medicine in the Dell Medical School Department of Internal Medicine. She was the primary leader for inpatient COVID-19 Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she was also named Physician of the Year for her clinical expertise in leadership. She is recognized as a regional and emerging national leader in hospital medicine.

Dr. Nieto is a pediatric hospitalist with UT Health Austin.