Kelly Lastrapes, MD

Dr. Kelly Lastrapes successfully completed medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in 2008. Her childhood dream of being a pediatrician became a reality when she entered pediatric internship/residency at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans/Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2008.  Her hard work and dedication to her patients and colleagues was recognized by both the Outstanding Graduating Resident Award and the Gretchen Life Award (given to a graduating resident who has a “zeal for life and love for her patients”), as well as an invitation to become a pediatric chief resident after completing residency in 2011.  She was honored as a chief resident inductee into the LSU School of Medicine chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.  She returned to VCU for her fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, which she completed in 2015.  After much discontent with the amount of suffering that occurred with even the best oncology care and outcomes, she became the first pediatric track Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellow at VCU through collaboration between the pediatrics and internal medicine departments (2016).  After completing her second fellowship, Dr. Lastrapes joined the department of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) as an assistant professor, practicing both pediatric hematology/oncology and pediatric palliative care.  In 2019, she assumed the role of medical director for both Noah's Children Home-Based Pediatric Palliative and Hospice Care Program as well as the Supportive Care team at CHoR.  The Noah’s Children team has grown by five new staff positions since Dr. Lastrapes assumed the medical director role in 2019 (additional nursing, nurse practitioner, and social work positions and a dedicated music therapist and chaplain).  To promote wellness and staff retention, she also instituted a resilience program for the staff which has been very well-received and attended.  Referrals to the program have increased by up to 70% (2022) and average daily census has increased from 35-40 to 50-60 over the past five years.  While the team size/composition of the CHoR Supportive Care team has not changed during her tenure as medical director, the depth and breadth of clinical care has grown substantially.  Inpatient consultation volume has (sustainably) doubled and requests for outpatient presence in subspeciality clinics have outpaced current staffing.  Team members are repeatedly asked to participate in hospital policy development, quality and safety initiatives, staff education, and wellness programming.  She remains board-certified in general pediatrics, pediatric hematology/oncology and hospice and palliative medicine and was promoted to associate professor in July of 2025.