Leonard P. Rome CATCH Visiting Professorships

Leader: Karen Ganacias, MD, MPH

Visiting Professor: Olanrewaju Falusi, MD, MEd

Title: Promoting Advocacy in the Nation’s Capital through Enhancement of a Longitudinal Advocacy Curriculum

Abstract: Many pediatric residents at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital have requested expanded opportunities to advocate for children and families, especially given the close proximity to legislators.  Our proposal would be to design and launch a more formal advocacy curriculum for pediatric residents at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital to better equip them with the skills to collaborate with legislators and community leaders, understand policy making and draft advocacy letters and health policy proposals, integrated throughout their Pediatric Residency.

Leader: Amy Buczkowski, MD

Visiting Professor: Susan Kressly, MD, FAAP

Title: Working with Community Through Crisis

Abstract: This proposal aims to support the 2025 Northern New England Advocacy Collaborative (NNEAC) Summit, which will be sponsored by the MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC) Pediatric Residency Program in Portland, Maine in September 2025. We propose a 2+ day educational conference with faculty and resident development activities, opportunities for building community partnerships, and legislative advocacy skills-building workshops.

Leaders: Linda Aponte-Patel, MD & Dodi Meyer, MD

Visiting Professors: Jeffrey Goldhagen, MD, MPH & Raul Mercer, MD, MSc

Title: Translating the Principles of Child Rights, Social Justice, and Equity

Abstract: This grant will support a two-day workshop titled “Translating the Principles of Child Rights, Social Justice, and Equity into Pediatric Practice.” The program will equip pediatricians with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to apply a child rights-based framework to clinical care, education, and advocacy. Grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other global instruments, the agenda addresses social, commercial, and political determinants of health that impact child well-being.

Leaders: Renee Kinman, MD, PhD, MAEd & Christine Nelson, MD

Visiting Professor: Kanani Titchen, MD, FAAP

Title: Beyond the Exam Room: Community Partnerships to Prevent and Protect Trafficked Youth

Abstract: Since COVID-19 disrupted our residents’ community-engaged learning the Community Health and Advocacy Training Program needed to re-center its residents as active child health advocates. This Award will revitalize our advocacy efforts by addressing human trafficking through cross-sector collaboration with a variety of community partners with the goal of empowering physicians to become proactive, culturally responsive leaders in advocacy.

Leaders: Brittany Tayler, MD, FAAP & Gurbaksh Esch, MD, MPH, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Andy Aligne, MD, MPH, FAAP

Title: Resilient Hearts, Renewing Inspiration, Revitalizing Communities: Connecting Pediatricians and the Community to Foster Advocacy Efforts

Abstract: The goal of the conference and visiting professorship is to foster genuine and meaningful connections between our pediatric residents, faculty, local pediatricians, and our community. Particularly acknowledging that the Flint Water Crisis (FWC) occurred 10 years ago, we want to enhance our trainees’ understanding of the social determinants of health and systemic inequities with the rich lived experience of our resilient community. Building on this, we hope to equip learners with the skills necessary to authentically collaborate with the community and advocate for their patients at local, state, and national levels. Leveraging the Visiting Professorship, we intend to foster a cultural shift in our medical community, motivating our pediatric providers to more effectively engage with our community.

Leaders: Sarah Denny, MD, FAAP; Roopa Thakur, MD; Anita Shah, DO, MMS, MPH; & Lisa Miyatake, DO

Visiting Professor: Debra Best, MD, FAAP

Title: Ohio Pediatric Advocacy Collaborative

Abstract: Ohio children experience widespread poverty and one of the nation’s highest infant mortality rates, yet Ohio’s nine pediatric training programs lack an infrastructure to collaborate on community health and advocacy initiatives. Resources and requirements vary among these training programs, and, at the same time, many of today’s residents request expanded, mentored opportunities to advocate for children and families. Our proposal is to create a collaborative of pediatric training program faculty in community health and advocacy. The Rome Visiting professorship will provide an opportunity to develop the structure of the collaborative and concrete goals for the next year- including structure for communication and shared goals, resources, and training.  

Leaders: Patricia Rodriguez-Reyes, MD, FAAP & Nilka deJesus-Gonzalez, MD, MSc, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Banjamin Hoffman, MD, FAAP

Title: Empowering Pediatricians for Change: Implementing a Longitudinal Advocacy Curriculum to Improve Pediatric Health Equity in Puerto Rico

Abstract: The health of children living in Puerto Rico is adversely impacted by social determinants, fragile health infrastructure, and environmental factors. Pediatricians play a unique role in advocating for children's well-being, making it essential to empower them with the skills needed to navigate the political process, develop successful advocacy strategies, and communicate effectively with policymakers. At the UPR-SOM General Pediatrics Residency Program, residents actively participate in advocacy initiatives during their 4-week Community Pediatrics Rotation. However, this short-term exposure to advocacy efforts limits their opportunities to gain advanced skills in advocating for patients.  Through the Visiting Professorship, a longitudinal pediatric advocacy training curriculum will be developed to ensure residents have the tools and expertise to effectively advocate for children's health and well-being.

Leaders: Sarah Garwood, MD & Molly Krager, MD

Visiting Professor: Steven Harowitz

Title: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling for Advocacy

Abstract: This proposal will fund a visiting professor to facilitate storytelling training for an expansive group including the pediatric faculty of the Missouri Collaborative for Advocacy in Resident Education (MOCARE), the pediatric residents of the MOCARE state-wide advocacy track representing all four pediatric training programs in Missouri, Missouri AAP (MO AAP) state chapter leaders, and key community leaders. Prior to the trainings, collaborative decisions will be made with grant applicants, the MO AAP, and Campfire regarding advocacy areas of focus for the workshops. Sessions will result in a bank of stories for use in state level advocacy, skill development in effective storytelling for advocacy, and relationship development among the attendees of the trainings.

Leaders: Carmela Sosa, MD, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Janice Kim, MD

Title: Better Together: Strengthening Community Partnerships to Advance Equity in Pediatric Health

Abstract: Valley Children’s Hospital is a community-based hospital that, outside of its relationship through graduate medical education - does not have an academic affiliation. As such, the organization is dependent on visit volumes for funding. Most providers are not given time to work on research or other projects outside of clinical care. This leaves little to no time for providers to engage in advocacy outside of individual, patient-level advocacy. Additionally, residents feel overwhelmed by the mere prospect of advocacy given the significant needs in our community. An opportunity that could be addressed through the Visiting Professorship is a culture shift – that advocacy can and should be brought into every aspect of patient care, whether resident or attending. The only way in which to do it effectively, and on limited time, is through partnerships with community-based organizations and other community agencies, leveraging each other’s strengths.

Leaders: Larissa Truschel, MD, FAAP & Elizabeth Erikson, MD, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Sara Horstmann, MD, FAAP

Abstract: All Duke pediatrics residents go through a Community and Advocacy Rotation in their first year. This opportunity will promote the development of advanced training in health equity and advocacy for the Duke Pediatrics Residency Program through a visiting professorship. This will lay foundation for the development of further curriculum for a longitudinal track.

Leaders: Shannon Luke, MD & Jessica Doran, MD

Visiting Professor: Kacie Kidd, MD, FAAP

Abstract: Many healthcare providers in the area do not receive education on providing trans-inclusive care, leaving them to learn on the job. In residency, we do not receive any formal training on patient-centered care specific for this patient population. This process can harm patients and put the responsibility on patients to teach their providers how to provide trans-competent care. The aim of the project is to conduct a community needs assessment in cooperation with the Center Project, learning what Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) youth need from their primary care providers (PCPs). From this assessment, we will develop an advocacy curriculum aimed at PCPs in Mid-Missouri.

Leaders: Prajakta Yeragi, MD, FAAP & Sandra McKay, MD, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Katie Plax, MD

Abstract: The aim of this rotation is to improve child health outcomes in Houston area by increasing Pediatric Resident Physicians understanding of the social determinants of health, providing ways that they can get involved in partnerships with local organizations, and give them the tools to advocate for their patients on local, state and natio nal levels. We plan to utilize the Visiting Professorship to institute a culture change, inspiring our faculty and trainees to better engage with the community.

Leaders: Lubaina Ehsan, MD; Tiffany Truong, MD; Mandeep Takhar, MD, MSc; Kelly Brown, MD; Priscilla Woodhams, MD; & Cheryl Dickson, MD

Visiting Professor: Jeffrey Kaczorowski, MD, FAAP

Abstract: Advocacy is essential for pediatricians to effectively engage with their community. This will be the launch of our formal advocacy curriculum for pediatric residents to ensure that our residents are better equipped with the skills to understand community health, collaborate with legislators and community leaders/ organizations, understand the structure of government and policymaking, draft advocacy letters, proposals, and grants, and ultimately utilize these experiences to advocate for children and their families.