Child Health Advocacy
Our Advocacy Mission
The Department of Pediatrics seeks to advance pediatric healthcare access, outcomes, and discovery through evidence-informed advocacy for systems change.
Our Advocacy Values
Our Advocacy efforts are guided by several core values:
Advocates: We leverage our expertise and relationships to advocate for policy changes benefiting children’s health access, outcomes, and discovery.
Champion for Children & Their Families: We are passionate champions for children and their families across the pediatric continuum, centering their unique needs and capacities.
Community-Engaged: With cultural humility, we cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships, locally, regionally, and globally.
Our Advocacy Goals
We seek to:
- Generate new evidence to inform policy change in order to promote children’s health.
- Disseminate research to inform policy makers and key decision makers on key child health issues.
- Train the next generation of child health advocates.
Our Team
Rebecca Shlafer, Director
Lynn Bretl, Associate Director
Matthew Stoffel, Communications & Administrative Support
Contacted by Media or the Legislature? Want interview training or testimonial support?
Grand Rounds on Advocacy
View details about upcoming presentations or a list of past Advocacy-related Grand Rounds recorded presentations.
Learn more about the University of Minnesota's Pediatric Grand Rounds.
The Max Seham Lecture on Social Pediatrics
Mark your calendars! The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and the Pediatric Office of Child Health Advocacy (OCHA) invites you to a special Grand Rounds event: The Max Seham Lecture on Social Pediatrics on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
This highly anticipated session, featuring Commissioner Brooke Cunningham, will run from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM. Attendees can join us in person at the Wilf Family Center Auditorium or participate remotely via the hybrid attendance option (TBD).
The Max Seham Lecture on Social Pediatrics is a cornerstone of our educational activities, dedicated to exploring and advancing the principles of Social Pediatrics. This lecture series emphasizes the critical importance of understanding social determinants of child health, promoting community engagement, and advocating effectively for the well-being of all children. We strongly encourage all faculty, residents, fellows, and staff to make time for this vital and insightful presentation.
Faculty Spotlight - Excellence in Child Advocacy
Each year the Department of Pediatrics recognizes a faculty member for their "Excellence in Child Advocacy." The recipient has forged community partnerships, legislative action, or other approaches that advocate on behalf of children. Learn more about the Julie Ross Faculty Recognition Awards.
View Past Awardees
Dr. Janna Gewirtz O'Brien, Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Health is recognized for her dedication to forging community partnerships and driving legislative action to advocate for children’s health. Her work continues to create meaningful change for young people and their families.
Dr. Nancy Fahim, Assistant Professor, Division of Neonatology, has clinical interests including optimizing the use of breast milk in the NICU, in addition to promoting a family-centered approach for care of infants in the NICU. Her research interests include evaluating the neuroprotective effect of endogenous and exogenous Erythropoietin on the developing brain of extremely premature infants.
Dr. Calla Brown, Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, is an internist and pediatrician with clinical and research interests that include primary care, care of complex chronic medical conditions in children and adults, community health, and health justice.
Dr. Paul Orchard, Professor, Pediatric BMT&CT, is the Medical Director of the Inherited Metabolic and Storage Disease Program and a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy.
Dr. Muna Sunni joined the Department of Pediatrics in September 2013 in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes and became Associate Director of the Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program in 2020.