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The Critical Role of Advocacy in Improving Children’s Healthcare with Ellen Mazo

Released: 4/4/2023

In this episode of That’s Pediatrics, our hosts talk with Ellen Mazo, former (retired) director of Government Affairs at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

In this episode our experts discuss:

  • Ms. Mazo’s path to her role as director of Government Affairs for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (2:25)
  • An example of how Ms. Mazo took reporting of information to the next level by becoming an advocate for children (2:59)
  • Providers and researchers as the front line of advocacy for the children we serve (4:37)
  • Some recent policies that UPMC Children’s has worked on including the TiPS program, the SMART Choices program, the LEND leadership training program, and many others (6:07)
  • How UPMC Children’s Government Affairs identifies priority areas for advocacy and then work to educate lawmakers on the value of the services UPMC Children’s provides (9:33)
  • An example of how, in 2009, telemedicine provided an example of seamless access to care that influenced a new focus for advocacy and eventually brought about changes to Medicaid coverage (11:12)
  • How UPMC Children’s Government Affairs encourages and empowers all community members to be an advocate in their own way (20:05)
  • The single most effective way for anyone to get involved (22:33)

Meet Our Guest

Ellen Mazo Ellen Mazo is the former (retired) director of Government Affairs for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In that role, Ellen oversaw local, state, and federal endeavors for the creation and shaping of policy to benefit the health and well-being of all children. In addition to engaging stakeholders in policy issues and developing advocacy programs, Ellen focused on securing government funding for the hospital’s programs and services. She created, edited, and produced UPMC Children’s former award-winning parenting magazine, Promises: Your Guide to Raising Healthy Kids, a lively 100,000 circulation quarterly with informative health-related stories for parents of children from birth to 18.  She is an award-winning government and health journalist who wrote for several newspapers. Writer and editor for the women’s health book division of Rodale Inc. (Prevention Books), Ellen was the lead author of The Immune Advantage (Rodale, 2002). She also has written for Encyclopedia Britannica’s annual health publication and several magazines. She is author of Rodef Shalom Congregation: 150 Years of Jewish Learning (2007). Ellen serves on the board of directors of Pittsburgh’s Mattress Factory Museum.

Meet Our Hosts

Amanda Poholek, PhDAmanda Poholek, PhD, is director of the Health Science Sequencing Core Facility at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and her doctorate degree in cell biology from Yale University. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Poholek’s lab at UPMC Children’s studies immune cells and how transcriptomics and epigenetics contribute to health and disease.

Arvind Srinath, MD, MSArvind Srinath, MD, MS, is the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship program director at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine before completing a residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, a fellowship at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and a master’s degree in medical education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Srinath’s areas of interest are curricular development, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and telehealth. Find him on Twitter: @Srinath_Arvind.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical care or advice. Clinicians should rely on their own medical judgements when advising their patients. Patients in need of medical care should consult their personal care provider.