Health Professional News, Press Releases
ST. PAUL, MINN. – Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Gigi Chawla, vice president and chief of general pediatrics at Children’s Minnesota, has been selected to receive the 2022 Walter Ramsey Award. Dr. Chawla has been a long-time advocate, partner and supporter of CHA’s mission. The award will be presented during the Walter Ramsey Awards Benefit, scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Minnesota History Center, where all proceeds from the event go directly to the programs and services CHA funds at Children’s Minnesota.
Dr. Chawla is often called upon by the media to share her pediatric expertise with the public. She’s a regular contributor on WCCO-TV and Minnesota Parent for general pediatric health topics including all aspects of COVID during the pandemic. Dr. Chawla’s efforts to better integrate school-based care, primary care with mental health care, expanding the mental health continuum of care, social support services for families, as well as external advocacy with government groups, has created an environment for child health that extends beyond the clinics and hospitals. She has received the honor of being named to Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine’s and Minnesota Monthly magazine’s Top Doctors annual list for numerous years.
CHA’s Walter Ramsey Award honors a professional who has given their life’s work to the service of others, who has partnered with CHA to make a marked impact in pediatric health care, and who embodies our core values of: integration, innovation, impact, and involvement. Dr. Chawla embodies all of these and more. Many of the programs and services that CHA funds have seen great success under the direction of Dr. Chawla. The Walter Ramsey Award Committee unanimously determined to honor Dr. Chawla given her history of achievements in advancing pediatric care, and recently her leadership of the Children’s Minnesota Mental Health Initiative project.
Children’s Minnesota is actively investing in its vision to provide the full continuum of mental health services tailored for kids in the region to improve access, equitable care and treatment throughout a child’s mental health journey under the leadership of Dr. Chawla. This fall, the organization will open its first inpatient mental health unit at its St. Paul hospital. It will be the first in the east metro to serve kids under 12 years old, and one of few in the state to be able to care for kids with more complex medical conditions. Annually, the center is expected to care for more than 1,000 children and adolescents, meeting the urgent mental health needs of the most vulnerable kids in the region. Attendees of the event will hear first-hand how the programs and services CHA funds support this continuum of care.
The in-person event will take place on Saturday, November 12th from 6pm – 10pm at the Minnesota History Center (345 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102) in St. Paul.
About Children’s Hospital Association (CHA)
Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) is a dedicated group of volunteers working to raise funds to support programs and services at Children’s Minnesota. Each year, CHA’s support impacts tens of thousands of kids and families in our community. Many of the programs CHA funds rely solely on philanthropic support, and would not be viable without it. CHA’s dedication to their mission ensures that children and families are receiving the best pediatric care in the Twin Cities with wrap-around services that improve the quality of care given at Children’s Minnesota.
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