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Rebecca Purtell

Rebecca Purtell, MD, MSCI

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Children's Hospital

Pediatric Inpatient Medicine
801-662-3645

Riverton Hospital

PCH Inpatient Services at Riverton
  • Dr. Rebecca Purtell is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Division and the Program Director for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship. She takes care of hospitalized children at the Primary Children’s Hospital and the Primary Children’s Unit at Riverton Hospital. She received her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Dr. Purtell completed her Pediatric Residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship at University of Utah. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

    She conducts communication research and quality improvement projects at the intersection of patient safety and handoff. Dr. Purtell had a prior career as a high school math teach and still loves to teach. She leads medical education projects to foster curiosity of the residents and medical students including curricula for clinical reasoning and social medicine. Her true passion is health equity and alleviating social determinants of health to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Purtell has won local and national advocacy awards.

  • Dr. Rebecca Purtell is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Division and the Program Director for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship. She takes care of hospitalized children at the Primary Children’s Hospital and the Primary Children’s Unit at Riverton Hospital. She received her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Dr. Purtell completed her Pediatric Residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship at University of Utah. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

    She conducts communication research and quality improvement projects at the intersection of patient safety and handoff. Dr. Purtell had a prior career as a high school math teach and still loves to teach. She leads medical education projects to foster curiosity of the residents and medical students including curricula for clinical reasoning and social medicine. Her true passion is health equity and alleviating social determinants of health to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Purtell has won local and national advocacy awards.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Pediatrics -Primary

    Education history

    Fellowship Pediatric Hospital Medicine - University of Utah Fellow
    Clinical Investigation - University of Utah M.S.C.I
    Residency Pediatrics - St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Resident
    Medicine - University of Vermont College of Medicine M.D.
    Undergraduate Exercise and Sports Science - Tulane University B.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Cullinan ME, Purtell R, Canary HE (2022). Emerging Professional Identity in Patient Hand-Off Routines: A Practical Application of Performative Face Theory. . Health Commun, 37(5), 577-587.
    2. Purtell R, Cullinan ME, Canary HE (2019). Facilitators and barriers to the use of a structured hand-off: a pediatric hospital exploratory case study. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 27(4), 381-400.

    Review

    1. Purtell RTam RPAvondet E, Gradick K (2022). We are part of the problem: the role of children's hospitals in addressing health inequity    . [Review]. Hosp Pract (1995).
    2. Sawicki JG, Nystrom DPurtell RGood B, Chaulk D (2021). Diagnostic error in the pediatric hospital: a narrative review  . [Review]. Hosp Pract (1995), 1-8.

    Other

    1. Purtell R, Yang C (2021). Closing the Achievement Gap: a Key Step Towards Health Equity. https://accelerate.uofuhealth.utah.edu/connect/closing-the-achievement-gap-a-key-step-towards-health-equity.
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