Dr. Knochel is a Pediatric Hospitalist working at Riverton Hospital and Primary Children's Hospital. He is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Clinical). His leadership roles currently include Medical Director of Riverton Primary Children's Unit, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Riverton Hospital, and Medical Director of Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) for all of Intermountain Healthcare. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. National leadership positions include the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Continuing Medical Education (AAP COCME).
Dr. Knochel received his BA in Biochemistry summa cum laude from The Colorado College in 1999. He then volunteered full-time for a year in a children's literacy project with AmeriCorps*VISTA. He earned his MD Alpha Omega Alpha from University of Utah School of Medicine in 2004. In medical school, he received awards from classmates and faculty, including the Paul Wintrobe Memorial Medal, and awards for exemplary patient care, outstanding work in pediatrics, and Humanism in Medicine. He completed pediatric residency at the University of Utah - Primary Children's Hospital in 2007, where he received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the residents, and the Pediatric Practice Award from the faculty. His early research included detecting single molecules, mutating HIV, preventing domestic violence, and helping prenatal and family health of mothers from Mexico.
After training, from 2007-2016, Dr. Knochel was a community pediatrician Canyon View Pediatrics in Payson, Utah for 9 years, where he also became Chair of Pediatrics at Mountain View Hospital, served on the Medical Executive Committee, and advised a group of nine hospitals in 4 states as part of the HCA Mountain Division's Neonatology Quality Council and Peer Review Board. In Payson, he helped lead his clinic to achieve recognition as a NCQA Level II Patient-Centered Medical Home, he served as a volunteer board member for Early Intervention services, Intermountain awarded him twice for Excellence in Healthcare, and the United Angels Foundation named him Doctor of the Year in 2012 for his care of children with special health care needs.
Dr. Knochel was appointed as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Clinical) in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Utah in 2016, and became Associate Professor in 2022. He became Medical Director of the Primary Children's Unit at Riverton Hospital in 2016; he also works at Primary Children's Hospital, where he teaches medical students and residents. As part of his work as a Pediatric Hospitalist, Dr. Knochel helps to expand inpatient medical services for children close to where they live. He serves on committees of doctors and nurses who work to guide and continuously improve the quality and safety of healthcare for children throughout the region. Dr. Knochel became the Pediatric Medical Director of the nationally accredited Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) for Intermountain Healthcare in 2019, adding Adult Medical Director of IPCE in 2022. He directs Primary Children's Pediatric Grand Rounds, and is responsible for pediatric and adult continuing education for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists at 33 hospitals in 5 states, including over 100 regularly scheduled series and over 20 yearly conferences. He is fluent in Spanish, and is qualified as a Bilingual Provider with Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah. His research publications have tried to answer clinical questions related to the use of Telehealth Trauma; brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE) in infants; and the care of infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis.