Vice Chair, Patient Safety and Quality, Dept OB GYN
University of Missouri
Karen L. Florio, DO, MPH is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist and Vice Chair for Patient Safety and Quality in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Missouri. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in high-risk obstetrics, with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease in pregnancy, hypertensive disorders, and the implementation of quality improvement strategies to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
Dr. Florio serves as Principal Investigator on multiple multicenter studies, including NIH-funded projects, and has been instrumental in advancing evidence-based care through the design and adoption of patient safety bundles across hospital systems. She served on the Missouri Maternal Mortality Review Board for seven years and is a founding and active member of the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative. At the national level, she currently chairs the ACOG District VII Maternal Mortality Committee and serves on the SMFM Patient Safety and Quality Committee.
She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, and in 2020 received her Master of Public Health from George Washington University.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Florio is the founding Program Director of Missouri’s first Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship, where she is committed to training the next generation of leaders in maternal health.