Dr. Nathan Boonstra, MD
Not yet claimedPediatrician · Physician (MD)
Des Moines, IA
General pediatrician at Blank Children's Pediatrics in Des Moines, recognized as an HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Champion, who works on state and national projects to raise childhood immunization rates and dispel vaccine myths online.
About Dr. Nathan Boonstra, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Nathan E. Boonstra is a general pediatrician at Blank Children's Pediatric Clinic in Des Moines, Iowa. He is board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics and is affiliated with UnityPoint Health–Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Blank Children's Hospital. He earned his medical degree at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and completed his pediatrics residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center (Central Iowa Health System) in 2006.
Most of his public work involves childhood vaccines. He chairs the Immunization Committee of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and chairs the coalition Iowa Immunizes. He co-authored a children's book about vaccines called "Bye Bye Big Sick," co-hosts the Vax Talk podcast with Voices for Vaccines, and has been named an HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention Champion and Iowa's Childhood Immunization Champion (2014). He is a co-author of a peer-reviewed paper in the journal Vaccines on pediatric vaccine hesitancy and motivational interviewing.
He speaks publicly about vaccines. In February 2023 he testified at an Iowa legislative hearing about a bill that would remove the requirement for schools to teach about the HPV vaccine, saying school-based education helps students be informed. His employer's profile describes him as a pediatrician focused on childhood immunizations who uses social media to share public health information. On X, his bio says he debunks vaccine myths.
In CMS Open Payments data for 2021–2025, one payment totaling $21 is listed, from BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. Payments from industry to doctors are common and legal; this amount is very small.
- Board certified in pediatrics
- He is board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics. cme.dmu.edu
- Training in Iowa
- He earned his medical degree at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and completed a pediatrics residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center from 2003 to 2006. doximity.com
- Chairs Iowa AAP immunization committee
- The Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics lists him as chair of its Immunization Committee, which advises the board on immunization issues and coordinates advocacy in Iowa. iowapeds.org
- Chairs Iowa Immunizes
- He is listed as the chair of the coalition Iowa Immunizes. iowapha.org
- Co-authored children's vaccine book
- He co-authored "Bye Bye Big Sick," a children's book about vaccines; coverage notes more than 200 copies were distributed. iowamedical.org
- Peer-reviewed vaccine research
- He is a co-author of "Pediatric Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States—The Growing Problem and Strategies for Management Including Motivational Interviewing" in the journal Vaccines. researchgate.net
- Testified on HPV education bill
- At a February 13, 2023 Iowa legislative hearing, he spoke against removing the requirement that schools teach about the HPV vaccine, saying school-based education helps students be informed. qconline.com
- Immunization awards
- He was named an HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention Champion and, in 2014, Iowa's Childhood Immunization Champion. publications.iowa.gov
- Co-hosts a vaccine podcast
- He co-hosts the Vax Talk podcast with Karen Ernst of Voices for Vaccines. creators.spotify.com
- Industry payments of $21
- CMS Open Payments for 2021 through 2025 shows one record totaling $21, from BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
Worth knowing
- Online directories disagree on his medical school graduation year: one payer directory lists 2003 and Healthgrades lists 2005. The primary UnityPoint profile or the ABMS certification record is the better source. healthgrades.com
- No license discipline, lawsuits, or criminal matters turned up in public searches, but the Iowa Board of Medicine licensee database and Iowa court records were not directly checked, so this is not a clearance. mb.iowa.gov
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$21
1 payment
| 2021 | $21 |
| 2022 | $0 |
| 2023 | $0 |
| 2024 | $0 |
| 2025 | $0 |
Top payers
- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.$21
Payment types
- Food and Beverage$21
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: unitypoint.org · doctors.unitypoint.org · healthalliance.org · doximity.com · health.usnews.com · phppd.providence.org · cme.dmu.edu · healthgrades.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
UnityPoint Health - Blank Children's Pediatrics
1212 Pleasant St, Suite 300
Des Moines, IA 50309
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