I believe in providing compassionate, evidence-based care while recognizing that every child and family brings unique needs, values and perspectives. I strive to partner with families through clear communication and shared decision-making, particularly during the complex and often overwhelming experience of critical illness.
About Riley D. McCarthy, DO
Riley D. McCarthy, DO, MS, is a pediatric intensivist at Phoenix Children's. Dr. McCarthy cares for critically ill and injured children with a wide range of conditions, including severe infections, respiratory failure, neurologic emergencies, trauma and multi-organ dysfunction. She performs procedures such as airway management, central and arterial line placement and other critical care interventions in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the Critical Care Unit.
Dr. McCarthy earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado Boulder. She earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon, graduating in the top 10% of her class. Dr. McCarthy completed her pediatric residency and pediatric critical care medicine fellowship training at Phoenix Children's.
Dr. McCarthy is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Thoracic Society, and the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Network.
In addition to patient care, Dr. McCarthy serves as the primary investigator on multiple research studies and quality improvement initiatives. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, BMC Research Notes, and Genes, Brain and Behavior.
Outside of work, Dr. McCarthy enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking and spending time with her family and pets.
Medical School / Education
(BA) Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, CO
(MS) Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, CO
(DO) Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, CO
Residency
(Pediatrics) Phoenix Children's, Phoenix, AZ
Fellowship
(Pediatric Critical Care Medicine) Phoenix Children's, Phoenix, AZ
Pediatrics
American Board of Pediatrics
Professional Affiliations
Member, American Thoracic Society
Member, American Academy of Pediatrics
Member, Society of Critical Care Medicine
Member, Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Network
Gladen KM, Tellez D, Napolitano N, Edwards LR, Sanders RC Jr, Kojima T, Malone MP, Shults J, Krawiec C, Ambati S, McCarthy RD, et al. "Adverse Tracheal Intubation Events in Critically Ill Underweight and Obese Children: Retrospective Study of the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2013-2020)" Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2024 Feb 1;25(2):147-158. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000003387. Epub 2023 Oct 31. PMID: 37909825
Kubick BJ, Fan X, Crouch A, McCarthy RD, Roop DR. "Tracing the Equilibrium Phase of Cancer Immunoediting in Epidermal Neoplasms via Longitudinal Intravital Imaging" J Invest Dermatol. 2020 Apr;140(4):891-900.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2019.08.446. Epub 2019 Sep 19. PMID: 31542435
Kamens HM, Constanza S, McCarthy RD, Cox RJ, Ehringer MA. "No Evidence of a Role of the b4 Subunit of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Alcohol-Related Behaviors" BMC Res Notes. 2017 Apr 5;10(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s13104-017-2470-7. PMID: 28381286
Darlington TM, McCarthy RD, Cox RJ, Miyamoto-Ditmon J, Gallego X, Ehringer MA. "Voluntary Wheel Running Reduces Voluntary Consumption of Ethanol in Mice: Identification of Candidate Genes Through Striatal Gene Expression Profiling" Genes Brain Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jun 1. PMID: 27063791
Darlington TM, McCarthy RD, Cox RJ, Ehringer MA. "Mesolimbic Transcriptional Response to Hedonic Substitution of Voluntary Exercise and Voluntary Ethanol Consumption" Behav Brain Res. 2014 Feb 1:259:313-20. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.11.011. Epub 2013 Nov 14. PMID: 24239693
