Jennifer Kurkowski, WHNP
- Obstetrics
- Gynecology
Associate Director, Young Women's Bleeding Disorder Clinic
Instructor / Nurse Practitioner, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine
Languages: English
Departments:
Get to know Jennifer Kurkowski, WHNP
When Jennifer Kurkowski volunteered at a hospital in high school, she immediately knew that she wanted to become a nurse practitioner. Her specialization in pediatric and adolescent gynecology is a perfect fit for her interests in both pediatrics and women’s health.
Whether teen girls come to her for well-woman exams, painful periods, or contraceptive management, she spends time with them, providing patients a chance to ask questions about their bodies in a private, comfortable environment. She enjoys counseling and educating teen girls about their changing bodies, drugs, alcohol, and safe sex. She has particular interests in addressing the obstetric and gynecologic needs of patients who have lupus and those with heavy periods.
Jennifer Kurkowski is a member of the Lupus Clinic and sees all female lupus patients, providing care for their unique gynecologic needs. Patients with lupus are often treated with immune-compromising drugs, which can increase their risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and HPV. There are certain contraceptive methods they cannot use. They are also often on medications that can cause birth defects so we need to make sure they do not have unplanned pregnancies. If they do become pregnant, they tend to have higher-risk pregnancies.
As associate director of the Young Women’s Bleeding Disorders Clinic, a multi-specialty clinic between the Hematology and Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology departments at Texas Children's Hospital, she specializes in the clinical care of girls with heavy periods or bleeding disorders, such as Von Willebrand disease.
As a preceptor, she trains nurse practitioner (NP) students. NP students shadow her, they see patients with her and she supervises them, just like medical students would on our OB/GYN service.
Her research has focused on sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In a recent study, they found a lack of knowledge of STIs even by girls who had been diagnosed with a particular infection in the past. As a medical community she believes we need to provide more education about STIs before and after girls are diagnosed.
Her current research focuses on women’s health in lupus patients. She is examining the types of birth control that have been used in the past, the use of Gardasil for the prevention of HPV, and weight gain among other factors. When she is not caring for adolescent girls, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her twins who were born in June 2016. She also enjoys traveling, working out, and playing with her two dogs.
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Houston Area Nurse Practitioners | Member, 2013 - Present |
| North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology | Member 2010 - present, Nursing Liaison 2012-2015 |
| Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health | Member, 2009 - Present |
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.
Kurkowski JP, Hsieh G, Sokkary N, Santos X, Bercaw-Pratt JL, Dietrich JE. Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in the Houston area presenting for reproductive healthcare at Texas Children's Hospital. Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology 2012 Jun;25(3):213-7. PubMed PMID: 22578483.
Behcet’s Disease Related to Menstruation, Resolved With Birth Control: A Case Report Kurkowski, Jennifer et al. Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Volume 28 , Issue 2 , e70 3.