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Office of Government Relations

The Mission

Welcome to Boston Children's Hospital's Office of Government Relations site. Members of the Office of Government Relations work with decision-makers at the local, state, and national levels to uphold the hospital’s mission of providing exceptional clinical care, research, and training for pediatric providers. We have a special interest in, and commitment to, our community health programs, and work hard to develop and sustain systemic solutions to child health concerns like asthma, obesity, child development and mental health. We closely monitor issues related to public sector coverage and access, the health care regulatory environment, pay close attention to research and medical workforce concerns, and work hard to partner and collaborate with community organizations that advocate on behalf of children.

Meet our Team

The work of the Government Relations team is divided among seven individuals who focus on local, state, and national child health policy issues. The team members are as follow:

Josh Greenberg, Vice President, Government Relations

Ayesha Cammaerts, Project Manager, Government Relations & Program for Patient Safety & Quality

Karen Darcy, Director, Mental Health Advocacy

Amy DeLong, Manager, Federal Government Relations

Maria Fernandes, Government Relations Specialist

Melissa Shannon, Director, State Government Relations

Victor Shopov, Manager, City Government & Community Relations

Join the Team!

If you want to get involved in advocacy efforts, we highly encourage you to join the Children’s Advocacy Network (CAN). The CAN is an advocacy organization comprisedof Children's employees, volunteers, patients, families, and community members who care about children's health and want to make a difference. More than 1,700 people currently participate in the CAN by writing letters and emails, making calls, and sharing information with a variety of audiences as needed to influence policy.

To learn more about the CAN, please click here.

Contact Us

Physical location:

Landmark Center, 401 Park Drive, 6th Floor

Boston, MA 02115

Phone: 617-919-3055

Fax: 617-919-3118

Mailing Address:

Boston Children's Hospital

Office of Government Relations

300 Longwood Avenue, Landmark Center East, 6th Floor

Boston, MA 02115

Advocacy

As the only independent pediatric hospital in Massachusetts and a critical safety net for children in New England, Boston Children's Hospital has a responsibility and an opportunity to speak out about the unique needs of children, adolescents and families. While the hospital's advocacy successes benefit patient families served by the hospital, they have also improved access to care and the quality of care for children throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.

Children's works with community leaders, organizations and policymakers at the city, state and national levels to bring attention and response to children's health issues. We advocate for policies that keep children healthy and safe, ensure their access to high quality health care, maintain a strong pediatric workforce and foster innovation in pediatric research and clinical care. Additionally, the hospital has developed comprehensive policy initiatives in its core community health program areas: asthma, mental health, child development and obesity prevention.

The hospital also provides policy expertise grounded in scientific and clinical knowledge, and brings leadership to drive change that will improve health outcomes for children and families. We believe in an interdisciplinary approach to advocacy that utilizes the support and expertise of hospital staff and senior leadership, patient families and community partners. Our strategies include public education, legislative advocacy and grassroots mobilization. Children's experts are available to meet with government officials, testify before committees and help analyze the impact of policies on children.