Overview
Dr. Kayle’s program of research aims to improve health outcomes among people with childhood-onset complex chronic conditions, with a focus on sickle cell disease (SCD). In partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, she co-leads the North Carolina Sickle Cell Data Collection Program (NC SCDC), a state-level surveillance program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NC SCDC curates and analyzes multi-source, population-level datasets to describe the epidemiology, health outcomes, and social determinants of health influencing SCD. Dr. Kayle collaborates with national and state partners to disseminate surveillance findings informing practice, research, and policy for SCD.
Dr. Kayle teaches and mentors students enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) programs at the School of Nursing. Her service contributions include several state and national committees on SCD.
Dr. Kayle completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the American University of Beirut, her Master's in Pediatric Acute and Critical Care and her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing, and her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Services and Outcomes Research at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. She has over twelve years of pediatric acute and critical care clinical experience, including six years in hospital administration and quality improvement.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Pregnancy- and Disease-Related Morbidity Among Medicaid Enrollees With Sickle Cell Disease.
Journal Article Pediatric blood & cancer · June 2025 Whereas pregnancy in sickle cell disease (SCD) is considered high risk, there is limited understanding of pregnancy- and SCD-related morbidity to inform clinical practice and health policy. This retrospective cohort study aimed to describe pregnancy- and d ... Full text CiteGaps during pediatric to adult care transfer escalate acute resource utilization in sickle cell disease.
Journal Article Blood Adv · July 23, 2024 Guidelines recommend transfer to adult health care within 6 months of completing pediatric care; however, this has not been studied in sickle cell disease (SCD). We hypothesized that longer transfer gaps are associated with increased resource utilization. ... Full text Link to item CiteBurden of Aging: Health Outcomes Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease
Journal Article Hemasphere · August 13, 2023 Full text CiteRecent Grants
North Carolina Sickle Cell Data Collection
Public ServicePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by NC Department of Health and Human Services · 2024 - 2024NCDHHS Sickle Cell Data Collection Program in North Carolina Year 3
Public ServicePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by NC Department of Health and Human Services · 2022 - 2023Improving SCD Care using Web-based Guidelines, Nurse Care Managers and Peer Mentors in Parimary Care Emergency Departments in Central North Carolina
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2023View All Grants