Government Affairs, Community Relations and Advocacy

Meet Our Team

Peter M. Grollman
Vice President

267-426-6480
grollman@email.chop.edu

Peter develops and implements an annual legislative agenda for the CHOP community and serves as a liaison to federal and other public officials, in addition to overseeing governmental matters impacting CHOP operations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Peter directs CHOP’s community relations activities, aiding in the creation and maintenance of partnerships supporting public health goals and advocacy in communities served by CHOP.

He was hired as Director, Government Affairs, Community Relations & Advocacy in 2007. Prior to joining CHOP, Peter served as an aide in the U.S. Senate before joining a Washington, DC based public affairs firm specializing in healthcare advocacy. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from The Pennsylvania State University and also holds a Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Peter serves on the Board of Directors for the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and the Government Relations Representatives Steering Committee for the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Michele Gabris
Office Coordinator

267-426-5499
gabrism@email.chop.edu

Michele is the Office Coordinator for the Government Affairs, Community Relations & Advocacy office. She provides administrative support to the team. Michele has been at CHOP for ten years, with previous experience in other administrative roles.

Sarah S. Gibbons
Community Relations Manager

267-426-6497
gibbonsS@email.chop.edu

Sarah serves as the Hospital’s contact in seeking, developing and maintaining opportunities to promote the Hospital’s mission and facilitate the delivery of resources to help meet identified needs in the community. Prior to joining CHOP, Sarah was the Senior Project Manager for a large project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the teen birth rate in West and Southwest Philadelphia and also worked in Public Affairs for the Family Planning Council. Sarah holds a Master of Social Service in Policy Practice and Advocacy, and a Master of Law and Social Policy from Bryn Mawr College's Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She also has a BA in women's and gender studies from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Christopher P. Beck
Government Affairs and Community Relations Coordinator, Pennsylvania

267-426-5695
BeckCP@email.chop.edu

Chris assists in the development and implementation of the Hospital’s annual government affairs agenda in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is responsible for serving as a liaison between the Hospital and state and local government officials, identifying budget and legislative priorities, and promoting the Hospital’s public health advocacy agenda in Pennsylvania. Before joining CHOP, Chris worked as a Staff Assistant to United States Senator Arlen Specter in the Senator's Philadelphia District Office. Chris holds bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Drexel University.

Nikki B. Graham
Government Affairs and Community Relations Coordinator, New Jersey

267-426-5773
GrahamN1@email.chop.edu

Nikki assists in the development and implementation of the Hospital’s annual government affairs agenda in New Jersey. She is responsible for serving as a liaison between the Hospital and state and local government officials, identifying budget and legislative priorities, and promoting the Hospital’s public health advocacy agenda in New Jersey. She has over ten years of corporate and government experience, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to former Speaker of the NJ General Assembly, Bonnie Watson Coleman. Nikki holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology/pre-med from Hampton University.

Elizabeth K. Robinson
Public Grants and Health Policy Coordinator

267-426-6903
RobinsonE3@email.chop.edu

Elizabeth is responsible for assisting hospital departments with their efforts to pursue competitive funding opportunities. Elizabeth also supports the Hospital’s response to proposed state or federal regulations and facilitates commentary on health policy issues that impact CHOP. Prior to joining CHOP, she served as a Senior Health Policy Analyst for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Division of Health Care Finance and Policy and was also with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Elizabeth holds a Master of Health Services Administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s in sociology from Miami University in Ohio.

Karen Hudson, MSW, LSW
Community Relations Advisor

hudsonk@email.chop.edu

Karen serves the department as an advisor supporting community relations activities. She leads CHOP’s Homeless Health Initiative which is a volunteer health outreach program that provides free health care, dental screenings and health education to children and families in homeless shelters. Karen has served the HHI since 2001 and serves as the bridge from the Hospital to the community for both the families and the healthcare volunteers. She received a BA in Sociology from Boston University and an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work. She serves as a faculty member of the CHOP Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program and as Lecturer of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. She is a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia INSIGHTS Forum alumni, was nominated for a Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leaders Award and is the 2009 University of Pennsylvania Woman of Color faculty award recipient.

Joel Fein, MD, MPH
Advocacy Advisor

fein@email.chop.edu

Joel serves our department as an advisor supporting community relations activities and is the Director and Principal Investigator for the Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center. His research focuses on violence prevention, mental health, and procedural pain management. He received a BA from Wesleyan University, an MD from The NYU School of Medicine, and an MPH from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his pediatrics residency and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Fein is a Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania and an attending in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at CHOP.