CHOP Indigenous Health Unit Internal Staff Advisors
CHOP IHU is proud to announce their internal CHOP advisors. Each member shares a commitment to advancing Indigenous child health and advocacy.
Building on the fine work of many and following 18 months of planning led by Drs Lou Bell and Andrew Steenhoff, the CHOP IHU was launched in July 2024 under the inaugural medical director, Dr. Elizabeth Sanseau. The CHOP IHU is a key program in the CHOP Global Health Center which Dr. Steenhoff leads, and he continues to serve as an advisor to the CHOP IHU.
Understanding the challenges that the indigenous communities have endured for more than a decade, Dr. Bell expressed his passions by showcasing CHOP’s tools and resources to improve the healthcare for Indigenous children. Thus, forming CHOP IHU, which has been able to improve access to subspecialty services to this vulnerable and underserved community. Dr. Bell looks forward to continuing his work with CHOP IHU, with the belief that more collaborative efforts will make a significant impact.
Showcasing his expertise in systems implementation and improvement, Dr. John Chuo has spearheaded the development and implementation of a pediatric subspecialty care model leveraging telehealth technology to partner with other care institutions to deliver expert care and collaborate with and empower local clinicians and health systems serving Indian Health Services. This initiative has improved access to pediatric subspecialists for American Indian communities and accelerated the diagnosis of autism in children from the Tuba City and Chinle regions.
Focusing on education and clinical care quality improvement, Dr. Cohn has dedicated her time to the CHOP IHU global simulation program (IHS EMSC) and serves as an academic medical center partner that works in collaboratively with the Whiteriver Indian Hospital (Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona) since 2020. Dr. Cohn continues to support greater needs and activities of CHOP IHU.
As an Indigenous community member (Pueblo of Isleta tribal member) and as a clinical researcher in pediatrics, Dr. Kline’s connection to CHOP IHU is both personal and professional as she strives to raise the voices of Indigenous peoples in healthcare issues and ensure representation based on her personal and professional experiences. Dr. Kline is a proud member of CHOP IHU in this capacity and is excited to see the progress that the group’s dedication will bring to Indigenous healthcare.
As the Research Director for the CHOP Global Health Center, Dr. Lowenthal provides support to CHOP IHU and its partners to help increase data available to guide improvements in care of NA/AN children. One of her most formative experiences while training to be a pediatrician was a rotation at the Kayenta Health Center through the Indian Health Services, where she began to develop a deep appreciation for the rich cultural heritage and unique needs of native children.
Dedicated to the study and improvement of emergency and critical care systems delivery in the Alaska Native Health Service, Hawaii Native Health Service and among Indigenous peoples. Dr. Nadkarni advises and collaborates with CHOP IHU, IHS EMSC, and other dedicated foundations to expand, develop, pilot test and implement toolkits across high, middle, and low resource communities.
Strongly committed to ensuring CHOP’s excellent clinical care, cutting-edge research, and world-class medical education are accessible and make a tangible difference in the lives of American Indian/Alaska Native children, Ms. Rankin has provided administrative and grants management support since the development of CHOP IHU, which she continues to be a resourceful connection contributing to local and global efforts.