Pitt Pediatrics believes that community health isn’t just about reducing sicknesses and improving physical wellness, but also engaging and inspiring the next generation of healthcare providers. To this effort, the Department has proudly developed the Career Help Advancement and Achievement Mentorship Program, or simply called, CHAMP. 
Spearheaded by Noel B. Spears, MD, MPH, Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Orquidia A. Torres, MD, MS, CHAMP is designed to provide an integrated mentorship and educational system for a community of underrepresented minority medical school students and students attending Arsenal Middle School in the city of Pittsburgh. CHAMP will develop bridge programs between UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM), UPMC Graduate Medical Education and its Office of Diversity, the Department of Pediatrics at Pitt, community organizations, local government agencies, and other local educational and healthcare-related groups.
As part of its programming, CHAMP hosts educational and mentorship programs at Arsenal Middle School featuring medical students and healthcare leaders, with an effort to inspire underrepresented minority students to pursue careers in science, healthcare, and pediatric medicine. The flagship CHAMP event each year is teaching CPR to students in collaboration with UPSOM students and faculty and the American Heart Association.
Current and ongoing partnerships with CHAMP include the Department of Pediatrics Community Health Division, the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation, Child Life at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
With CHAMP, Pitt Pediatrics is dedicated to engaging with our Pittsburgh community and inspiring the next generation of doctors, scientists, and clinicians.
Follow CHAMP’s ongoing community engagement at Arsenal Middle School and elsewhere in the city on our website, Twitter, and Instagram.