Advocacy Pathway
Created by MOCARE, a statewide collaborative of Missouri’s four pediatric residency training programs, the Advocacy Pathway aims to develop advocacy leaders. It supports residents interested in prioritizing advocacy and community pediatrics in their careers. Residents in this pathway will learn about:
- How pediatricians can overcome these disparities through media use and health policy influence.
- Child health disparities
- Drivers of disparities at the state and national levels
Residents in the Advocacy Pathway complete three advocacy blocks during their training, each with a different focus. These blocks aim to equip residents to be lifelong community participants and advocates for the families they serve. Topics covered include:
- Media and health policy
- Medical homes for vulnerable populations
- The role of pediatricians in the community
Residents also attend an annual leadership conference to discuss child health disparities at both state and national levels. The conference highlights how pediatricians can engage with communities and use media to influence health policy.
Additionally, residents receive dedicated time to develop, implement, and present an advocacy project at local, regional or national conferences, if they choose.
Past resident advocacy projects
The advocacy pathway helped re-energize me and make being an active advocate feel more attainable even with a busy residency schedule. It’s changed the way I look at the resources we provide to our families and allowed me to explore all the different ways one can be an advocate. I also loved meeting people from other peds residencies who have similar passions as myself. For my advocacy project, we have started distributing free gun locks via EMS. All families who request EMS services within our designated zip codes are offered a free gun lock without any additional questions or information required. This allows greater distribution and safe storage of firearms without requiring families to leave their homes.
– Maggie Kowalski, 2025
For my project, I facilitated a partnership between the Taskforce for Teamwork and Cultural Competency (T2C2) and the Center for Families at SLCH, as well as Operation Food Search, to provide meal kits for patient families to take home upon leaving the hospital. These kits provide a balanced meal for a family of 4 and a breakfast item for the next day. I’m also working with T2C2 on developing a comprehensive food access proposal for the hospital and increasing staff education regarding food insecurity.
– Melanie Bryan, 2021
My residency project was centered around creating more equitable access to green spaces. I created a walking trail that children and families could access directly from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The advocacy track was one of my favorite parts of residency and I loved getting dedicated time to work on something I was passionate about!
– Carmen Gaddini, 2024
My project involved creating Missouri’s first voter registration program in a pediatric clinic. Now, teenagers and young adults can register to vote while in the waiting room at the SPOT, a free comprehensive clinic that offers medical care, mental health services, and drop-in activities for adolescents in St. Louis.
I presented my work at the 2019 Missouri AAP Annual Meeting and was recognized for my advocacy efforts by the Section on Pediatric Trainees at the 2019 AAP National Conference & Exhibition.
– Sheila Razdan, 2020
Conferences
MOCARE hosts an annual leadership conference for Advocacy Track residents from each of the four affiliated programs, along with faculty members from participating institutions. The conference engages residents in leadership development, advocacy project planning and didactic sessions focused on the state of health care in Missouri.
Residents in the pathway explore:
- Child health disparities
- Drivers of disparities at the state and national level
- Strategies pediatricians can use to address disparities, including:
- working in the community
- leveraging media
- impacting health policy
Contact us
Sarah Garwood, MD
Advocacy pathway director
Email: garwoods@wustl.edu
How to apply
Learn more about our application process.