Natalie Chavarria Walton, M.D., C.M.Q, F.A.C.P, S.F.S.H.M
Department of Hospital Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine
About Dr. Natalie Walton
I am both an active clinician and have administrative leadership roles within the Department of Hospital Medicine and across the institution. I joined MD Anderson in 2017 and have grown as a career hospitalist with a focus in quality and safety. I am currently an Assistant Professor within the Department of Hospital Medicine. I earned my medical degree at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed residency at Baylor College of Medicine. I then served as Chief Resident of Quality and Safety at the Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center through a national program focused on additional quality improvement and patient safety training and professional development. With this training and experience, I was selected to serve as the Patient Safety Quality Officer since 2018 for the Department of General Internal Medicine and now for the Department of Hospital Medicine. I am board certified in both Internal Medicine and Medical Quality through the American Board of Medical Quality. During my time at MD Anderson, I have contributed to programs that ensure timely and efficient care coordination to optimize inpatient management of the hospitalized cancer patient. Most recently, my academic and research interests have evolved into ensuring goal concordant care delivery for our patients, both during hospitalization and across the spectrum of their cancer journey.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Hospital Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Associate Professor, Hospital Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Research Interests
See synopsis
Clinical Interests
See synopsis.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2013 | McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, US, Doctor of Medicine (Scholarly Concentration in Global Health), MD |
| 2009 | Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, US, Cellular and Molecular Biology, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2016-2017 | VHA National Center for Patient Safety, Chief Resident in Quality and Safety (CRQS), Quality and Patient Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC), Houston, Texas |
| 2014-2016 | Clinical Residency, Categorical Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
| 2013-2014 | Clinical Internship, Categorical Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2026 | ACLS |
| 2022 | American Board of Medical Quality |
| 2016 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
| 2016 | Texas Medical License |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Hospital Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2020 - 2025
Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2020
Instructor, General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2017 - 2018
Instructor, General Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, 2016 - 2017
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Chair DoIM Quality Safety Council, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2026 - Present
Physician Advisor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2024 - Present
Onco-Hospitalist Care Coordination Liaison for GI Medical Oncology and Endocrine Neoplasia, Hospital Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2020 - Present
Creator and Mentor - New Hire Clinical Onboarding and Peer Mentorship Program, Hospital Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2020 - Present
Conference Creator - Quality, Value, Safety, and Patient Experience (QVSE) Program and Conference Series, Hospital Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2020 - 2025
Onco-Hospitalist Care Coordination Liaison for GI Medical Oncology and Endocrine Neoplasia, General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2019 - 2020
Vice Chair DoIM Quality and Safety Council, Division of Internal Medicine (DoIM), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2019 - 2026
Creator and Mentor - New Hire Clinical Onboarding and Peer Mentorship Program, General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2018 - 2020
Conference Organizer - Quality Improvement Conference Series, General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2017 - 2020
Other Professional Positions
DoIM Patient Safety Quality Officer, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2026 - Present
Patient Safety Quality Officer, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2020 - 2025
Patient Safety Quality Officer, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2020
Intramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Branding and Norms Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - 2025
Member, Executive Committee of the Medical Staff (ECMS), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Member, Chair Search Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - 2024
Member, Therapeutic Duplications Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2019 - 2020
Member, Institutional Patient Safety Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2018 - Present
Member, Medical Records Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2018 - 2019
Member, GI Center Patient Experience Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2017 - 2019
Member, Division of Internal Medicine (DoIM) Quality and Safety Council, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2017 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2024 - Present | Senior Fellow Society of Hospital Medicine (SFSHM), Society of Hospital Medicine (SFSHM) |
| 2024 | Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP), American College of Physicians (ACP) |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. When Our Hands are Tied: Moral Distress and Collaboration within the Interdisciplinary Team. Panelist. Schwartz Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Department of Hospital Medicine Longitudinal Goal Concordant Care Program. Panelist. Annual Goals of Care Spring Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Longitudinal Goal Concordant Care Program. Invited. Division of Internal Medicine Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Code Status Reconciliation. Invited. Institutional Goal Concordant Care Fall Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Using the Electronic Health Record to Improve Code Status Reconciliation on Admission to an Academic Cancer Center. Poster. Division of Internal Medicine Research Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2021. Meeting Inpatient Glycemic Targets through Increased use of Basal Bolus Insulin Therapy. Poster. APRN Week 2021. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2021. Malignant Biliary and Bowel Obstruction in Gastrointestinal Cancers. Invited. Onco-Hospitalist Medicine Conference 2021. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2021. Medical Conundrum and Ethical Cascade: Caring for a Seriously Ill Young Adult with an Unknown Diagnosis. Invited. Integrated Ethics in Cancer Care: Clinical Ethics Difficult Case Review. Houston, TX, US.
- 2017. QI Jumpstart: Development and Pilot Testing of a Brief, Intensive Quality Improvement Training Program for Clinicians. Poster. Academy of Distinguished Educator's Annual Showcase of Educational Scholarship. Houston, TX, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2018. Improving patient safety through information: implementation of an overnight handoff system. Poster. Southeast Regional American College of Physicians (ACP) Associates’ Day. Houston, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2026. How an Intermediate Care Unit Can Help Support Goal Concordant Care. Panelist. ALIGN 2026: Advanced Learning and Innovation in Goal Concordant Care. Houston, Texas, US.
Formal Peers
- 2020. Goal Concordant Care and Advanced Care Planning. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. QI Jumpstart Module 4: Data Collection & Analysis (Course 1586-2). Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. QI Jumpstart Module 3: Data Collection & Analysis. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2017. QI Jumpstart Module 2: QI Tools & Intro to Measures. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2017. AAMC Teach for Quality (Te4Q) Faculty Training Program - Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Course. Invited. Valhalla, NY, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Leung, CK, Cheng, L, Walton, NC, Nortje, N, Adelson, K, Hui, D. Prediction of 48-h Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 41(6):532-539, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42113572.
- Leung C, Cheng L, Walton NC, Nortje N, Adelson K, Hui D. Prediction of 48-hour Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: Performance of the EPIC Deterioration Index and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. J. Intensive Care Medicine, 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Leung, CK, Cheng, L, Walton, NC, Nortje, N, Adelson, K, Hui, D. Prediction of 48-hour intensive care unit mortality in hospitalized cancer patients. JCO Oncology Practice 21:552, 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Leung CK, Walton NC, Kheder E, Zalpour A, Wang J, Zavgorodnyaya D, Kondody S, Zhao C, Lin H, Bruera E, Manzano JM. Understanding Potentially Preventable 7-day Readmission Rates in Hospital Medicine Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Am J Med Qual 39(1):14-20, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38127668.
Abstracts
- Leung C, Lee C, Walton NC, Nortje N, Adelson K, Hui D. Prediction of 48-hour intensive care unit mortality in hospitalized cancer patients: Accuracy of the EPIC deterioration index and sequential organ failure assessment score. JCO 21(10), 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Leung C, Walton NC, Kheder E, Zalpour A, Wang J, Zavgorodnyaya D, Kondody S, Zhao C, Lin H, Bruera E, Manzano J. Understanding Preventable 7-day Readmission Rates in Hospital Medicine Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Converge 2023, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Canon N, Guo E, Walton N. Numb to the Diagnosis. Society of Hospital Medicine 2018, 2018. e-Pub 2018.
- Walton NC, Jiang B, Chen R, Horstman M, Stewart DE, Armamento-Villareal R. Multidisciplinary Process Analysis to Improve Management of Osteoporosis Related Hip Fractures. Society of Hospital Medicine 2017 12(2), 2017. e-Pub 2017.
- Walton NC, Maini R, Cortes-Penfield N, Kees J, Khan A, Kohli A, Nguyen P, Moolani Y, Soleja M, Zeisig N, Hubenthal E, Kusnoor A, Stewart DE. A Quality Improvement Project to Increase the Rate of Age Appropriate Dexa Screening for Female Patients in a Harris Health Internal Medicine Resident Clinic. Society of Hospital Medicine 2016 11(1), 2016. e-Pub 2016.
- Leung C, Cheng L, Walton NC, Nortje N, Adelson KB, Hui D. Prediction of 48-hour Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: Accuracy of the EPIC Deterioration Index and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. ASCO Quality Care Symposium 2025.
- Adelson KB, Pantoja L, Jackson LW, Waldvogel KA, Feldman J, Abraham N, Walton NC, Sloan LB, Taiwo V, Zischkale A. Development of clinical criteria for primary oncology service involvement among solid tumor inpatients at MD Anderson Cancer Center. ASCO Quality Care Symposium 2026.
- Botdorf JS, Leung C, Walton NC, Reddy DR, Hsu SH, Hui D. Impact of a novel advanced support unit on intensive care unit mortality at a comprehensive cancer center., to the 2026 ASCO Quality Care Symposium. ASCO Quality Care Symposium 2026.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified September 08, 2026