About

Rebecca G. Kim, MD, MAS, is a transplant and general hepatologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She specializes in the care of patients with chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, patients being evaluated for a liver transplant, and those who have received a liver transplant. Dr. Kim grew up in Salt Lake City and traveled around the country for her training. She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of California San Diego, where she also served as Chief Medicine Resident. She completed her gastroenterology and transplant hepatology fellowships at the University of California San Francisco. Her research focuses on health disparities observed among patients with chronic liver disease and outcomes related to liver disease, liver cancer, and liver transplant. She is particularly interested in investigating the impact of social determinants of health on the risk and progression of liver disease and how healthcare providers and systems can address these barriers to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Kim is also a health services researcher, with a Master in Advanced Studies in clinical research with a specialization in Implementation Science, and works with co-mentors at UCSF and the University of Utah to explore how social needs influence liver health.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Demography
• Nursing
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology

Selected publications

• Social needs screening in hepatology clinic: a qualitative study of patient experience

  BMC Gastroenterology · 2026-04-07

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 7 from Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors

  2025-02-06

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  <p>Supplementary Table 7 shows results from the adjusted multivariable competing risks analyses evaluating for predictors of HCC-specific mortality, stratified by race/ethnicity.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 3 from Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors

  2025-02-06

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  <p>Supplementary Table 3 shows results from the adjusted multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluating for predictors of receiving HCC surgical treatment, stratified by race/ethnicity.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Clinical Outcomes Following a Patient-Centered Educational Intervention on Steatotic Liver Disease: A Comparison of Patients With and Without Diabetes

  Gastro Hep Advances · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Background and Aims: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is strongly associated with diabetes. These diseases disproportionately impact marginalized populations, for whom lifestyle modifications, a mainstay of treatment, can be challenging. This study aimed to assess change in liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT), body mass index (BMI), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) following SLD education in a safety-net health-care system. Methods: From February 2020 to February 2024, participants attended a 60-minute SLD class. Clinical measures were collected at baseline and posteducation. Baseline factors associated with change in ALT, BMI, and HbA1c were assessed using linear mixed-effects modeling. Factors associated with ALT normalization were assessed using competing risk analyses. Results: Among the 392 participants, median age was 53 years, 58% women, 53% Hispanic, and 36% had diabetes. Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were more common among patients with diabetes. Overall, 330 attended the SLD class. On multivariable analysis, obesity was associated with lesser change in ALT; age was associated with lesser change in BMI; and race or ethnicity and higher ALT were associated with lesser change in HbA1c. Among patients with abnormal baseline ALT (N = 201), posteducation motivation to adhere to lifestyle modifications was associated with increased likelihood of persistent ALT normalization. No significant differences were observed based on diabetes status. Conclusion: In this longitudinal study of an SLD education intervention, patients with diabetes achieved a similar ALT reduction to patients without diabetes. Higher posteducation motivation was associated with increased likelihood of sustained ALT normalization. Future studies should assess the impact of education on adaptation of lifestyle modifications and clinical outcomes among vulnerable populations.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Figure 1A-E from Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors

  2025-02-06

  preprintOpen access

  <p>Supplementary figure 1A shows the overall 5-year survival of patients with HCC stratified by age groups. Supplementary figure 1B shows the overall 5-year survival of patients with HCC stratified by sex. Supplementary figure 1C shows the overall 5-year survival of patients with HCC stratified by race/ethnicity. Supplementary figure 1D shows the overall 5-year survival of patients with HCC stratified by geography. Supplementary figure 1E shows the overall 5-year survival of patients with HCC stratified by annual household income.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Feasible and acceptable social drivers of health screening among patients with chronic liver disease

  Hepatology Communications · 2025-06-27 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Social drivers of health (SDoH) contribute to health disparities among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of SDoH screening in hepatology clinics. This study aimed to define SDoH prevalence among CLD patients, identify a feasible and acceptable screening approach, and assess the convergent validity of a locally developed screener. METHODS: Among adult patients with CLD receiving care in hepatology clinics, 2 SDoH screeners were administered to eligible participants: (1) default electronic medical record (EMR) questions and (2) Screener for Intensifying Community Referrals for Health (SINCERE). The primary outcomes were (1) prevalence of SDoH, (2) SDoH screening feasibility and acceptability, and (3) factors associated with screening acceptability. As a secondary outcome, the convergent validity of SINCERE to EMR was assessed. RESULTS: Among 250 participants, the mean age was 56 years, 56% were women, 22% were Hispanic, 7% were American Indian/Alaska Native, 58% had cirrhosis, 29% completed high school or less, 22% were unemployed/disabled, and 29% had an annual income <$35,000. Based on SINCERE, 26% had food insecurity, 8% transportation needs, 43% financial strain, 5% lack of social support, and 24% housing instability. Most respondents (69%) were comfortable or very comfortable completing SDoH screening. Using the McNemar test, there were statistically significant differences between screeners for financial strain and housing instability. CONCLUSIONS: Among CLD patients at our center, SDoH were prevalent, and screening within the hepatology clinic was feasible and acceptable. To detect social needs, SINCERE, a locally developed screener, had overall acceptable convergent validity. These data support SDoH screening in hepatology clinics. Future multicenter studies evaluating the effective implementation of SDoH screening for CLD patients, including contextualized care plans and connection to available resources, should be conducted.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 2 from Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors

  2025-02-06

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Supplementary Table 2 shows the results from the adjusted multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluating for predictors of receipt of HCC treatment, stratified by race/ethnicity.&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Addressing food insecurity among U.S. refugees, considering the temporal patterns of food insecurity after resettlement: Qualitative insights from Utah.

  PubMed · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Refugees experience high rates of food insecurity (FI) and its associated health outcomes, such as depression and hypertension. Prior research has identified barriers in accessing food among U.S. refugees. What remains unknown is when accessing food becomes a problem for U.S. refugees and what their preferred strategies are to address FI. Therefore, the objectives were to explore FI experiences among refugees to identify time points at which accessing food becomes a problem and to identify refugees' preferred strategies to address FI. METHODS: In collaboration with one of the U.S. resettlement agencies in Utah, refugees were recruited for semi-structured interviews using convenience and snowball sampling. Thirty-six interviews were conducted between July and September 2024, in four different languages: English (4 interviews), Dari (6), Arabic (12), and Kinyarwanda (14). Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: FI was at its peak among refugees at four time points. First, when they found their first job in the U.S. Second, after six months in the U.S., when they had to renew their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application. Third, when they were no longer receiving caseworkers' support from resettlement agencies. Fourth, when they faced fluctuations in employment or household expenditures. Refugees' preferred strategies to address FI were addressing language barriers, providing a champion to check on them frequently and help when needed, providing information on addressing unmet needs, extending and expanding SNAP benefits, and providing gardens to grow food. CONCLUSION: Four time points when refugees are at higher risk of FI were identified. Community organizations, policymakers, and resettlement agencies should therefore develop interventions to address FI among refugees, specifically around these four time points and informed by refugees' preferred strategies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Supplementary Table 5 from Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors

  2025-02-06

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Supplementary Table 5 shows results from the adjusted multivariable Cox proportional hazards model evaluating for predictors of overall mortality, stratified by race/ethnicity&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 6 from Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors

  2025-02-06

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Supplementary Table 6 shows results from the adjusted multivariable competing risks analyses evaluating for predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma-specific mortality.&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Mandana Khalili

  San Francisco General Hospital

  22 shared

• Shyam Patel

  6 shared

• Kathryn A. Wikenheiser‐Brokamp

  Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

  6 shared

• Catherine Magee

  5 shared

• Adam Lane

  Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

  5 shared

• Jennifer C. Price

  University of California, San Francisco

  5 shared

• Jonathan S. Moulton

  5 shared

• Jennifer Chen

  Yale University

  5 shared