Child health researchers and practitioners focus on advocacy at annual dinner

More than 65 attendees gathered in early January at Children’s Minnesota Education Center for the Research in Child Health Dinner Forum. This annual event hosts child health researchers and practitioners from Children's Minnesota, the University of Minnesota, Hennepin Healthcare, and community-based child-health partners.

The event is an outgrowth of the Child Health Collaborative Grant, a program founded by Children’s Minnesota, the U of M Department of Pediatrics, and Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). The program has awarded funding annually since 2014 as part of a broader effort to support child health research partnerships.

A mini-poster session featuring Child Health Collaborative grantees gave participants an overview of some current collaborative projects that address important and unmet child health issues within communities across Minnesota. Ultimately, the program aims to translate evidence-based health improvement strategies into improved health outcomes for children and adolescents throughout Minnesota and the nation. 

Time for socializing and networking was followed by introductory remarks from Emily Chapman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs for Children's Minnesota; Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, PhD, Vice Chair for Research and Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School; and Bruce Blazar, MD, Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota.

“These dinners are an important part of our mission to improve health for all,” said Dr. Blazar to a roomful of attendees. “And they're a way for us to rally around our shared commitment to creating a healthier future for children.”

“We were very proud to sponsor the meeting at Children’s this year, and so appreciate the excellent support we received from our friends at UMN”, said Stuart Winter, MD, Chief Research Officer, Children’s Minnesota, Affiliate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School.

“This has been a partnership in the truest sense of the word,” said Mark R. Schleiss, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, “and partnering with Children’s Minnesota has been one of the highlights of the CTSI experience. We have collaborated to launch many outstanding projects that have resulted in the generation of new knowledge which, in turn, has advanced child health in Minnesota. There has been true synergy between our institutions, and it’s been very gratifying to see these research relationships form and flourish.”

Event attendees heard from a panel of experts on community partnerships in child health research and advocacy, moderated by Amanda Nickel, PhD, MPH, CCRP, Senior Statistician, Children’s Minnesota. Panelists included Rebecca Shlafer, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Health; Jessica Simecek, PhD, Institute on Community Integration, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota; Stephanie Eyerley-Webb, PhD, Midwest Fetal Care Center, Children’s Minnesota; and Lauren Gilchrist, MPH, Senior Director, Collective for Community Health, Children’s Minnesota.

A recurring theme of the panel discussion revolved around the intersection of advocacy and research, and the formal and informal ways researchers interact with local communities. From the cultural bridges being built between the Somali community and local healthcare providers, to the identification of policies and practices positively affecting children and families impacted by incarceration, the power of community-based research took center stage. Panelists discussed key topics such as community partnerships, the mother-infant dyad, advocacy, relationship building, and child health research.

Dr. Shlafer remarked, “I enjoyed hearing from the other panelists and appreciated connecting with new and current colleagues.”

Joseph Neglia, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, wrapped up the evening with closing remarks.