Sarah Jernigan, MD

Sarah C. Jernigan, MD, MPH
Medical Director of Quality, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Brain Institute
Neurosurgery Surgical Director, Spasticity and Movement Disorders

Dr. Sarah C. Jernigan is a pediatric neurosurgeon and serves as medical director of quality for the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Brain Institute, as well as the neurosurgery surgical director for Spasticity and Movement Disorders. She earned her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed her residency in neurological surgery at Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Jernigan then pursued both research and clinical fellowships in pediatric neurosurgery at Boston Children's Hospital. Her clinical interests include neurosurgical care for children with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, craniofacial anomalies and epilepsy, as well as other pediatric neurosurgery diagnoses. She also possesses specialized training in the use of rigid and flexible endoscopies for neurosurgical treatment.  

In her role as medical director of quality, Dr. Jernigan manages data-driven quality performance and improvement initiatives for the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Brain Institute. As the neurosurgery surgical director for Spasticity and Movement Disorders, she oversees the surgical spasticity management program and provides clinical leadership and expertise in the surgical evaluation, diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of patients with spasticity.

Dr. Jernigan is board certified in neurological surgery from both the American Board of Neurological Surgery and American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery. She is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Jernigan has published her work in multiple medical journals and served as a reviewer for the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, as well as the Journal of International Spine Surgery. In addition, she has held several teaching posts within the Departments of Neurosurgery at several institutions including Carolinas Medical Center, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Jernigan has conducted extensive international volunteer work as a neurosurgeon in the Dominican Republic, Ghana and Haiti. She has received various teaching awards for her work with neurological surgery residents and first-year medical school students, along with public health graduate students.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Brain Institute is the nation’s first comprehensive medical program dedicated solely to the care of the developing brain. Our pediatric neurology/neurosurgery program is ranked 21 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospital’s rankings (2023-24) and is the top-ranked program in the state of Florida. The institute is recognized for excellence in treatment for children with a full spectrum of brain disorders, including brain tumors, intractable epilepsy, brain injuries and other anomalies. Ranked as the top pediatric neurology and neurosurgery program in the southeast United States, Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute balances safety and efficacy to achieve the best possible quality of life for children with a neurological condition. The Brain Institute receives referrals of complex cases from throughout the U.S. and around the world. Many of its greatest successes involve children who could not be helped by other programs and were referred for the cutting-edge care and research protocols for which the Brain Institute is renowned.