Diego G. Chaves-Gnecco, MD, MPH, FAAP

Diego Chaves-Gnecco is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and director and founder of the program Salud Para Niños at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Diego's clinical and academic interest include the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, providing care to families and children with disabilities, providing care to children from minority and underserved populations and addressing barriers to health care access.

Diego graduated from Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá, Colombia. He obtained his title as a Medical Doctor from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana where he held a position as Instructor of Physiology and Pharmacology at the School of Medicine. From 1995 to 1998, he completed his residency in Pediatrics at Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Clínicas Infantiles Cafam and Colsubsidio being Chief Resident during his last year. In 1998, Dr. Diego came to Pittsburgh as a visiting instructor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine's Center for Clinical Pharmacology where he worked until 2002. He obtained a masters degree in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in 2000.

In 2002, he started his residency in pediatrics at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and joined its Community Oriented Residency Education (CORE) program, an area of concentration in the pediatric training program that aims to train leaders in community health and child advocacy. As part of his CORE training, in the summer of 2002, Dr. Diego created the first pediatric bilingual-bicultural clinic in southwestern Pennsylvania. Since its creation, this clinic has expanded to the program Salud Para Niños (Health for the Children). At Salud Para Niños, culturally and linguistically competent primary care for children and families is complemented with activities oriented toward prevention and empowering the community about its own health. Some of the activities of Salud Para Ninos include: a weekly clinic in Oakland at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Primary Care Center, a monthly free clinic at the Children's Care Mobile and at the Birmingham Clinic, participation in the organizations of the community fairs "Al Servicio de la Comunidad," a literacy program where children are given bilingual books to promote literacy and learning of English as a Second Language for both children and parents, translation of health prevention materials into Spanish, and Hispanic/Latino Car Seat Checks in which emphasis is made in car safety issues.

Dr. Diego completed his fellowship in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics in 2008 being a fellow of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau program and a fellow of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND). Diego has been honored with several recognitions for his work and to his services to the community.

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

• Colombian Society of History Medicine, 1995
• Colombian Society of Pediatrics, 1998
• The C. F. Reynolds Medical History Society, 1998
• Pennsylvania Public Health Association, 1999
• American Association for the Advance of Science, 2000
• American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2001
• American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002
• National Hispanic Medical Association, 2006
• Society of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 2006