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| Lisa Albers, MD,
MPH, director of the Adoption Program at Children's Hospital Boston |
 oday,
tens of thousands of children around the world are waiting to be
adopted. They can remain hopeful knowing that people like Lisa
Albers, MD, MPH, director of the Adoption Program at Children's Hospital
Boston, are working to make their dreams of a loving, permanent home come
true.
In recognition of her work in adoption, Albers this month
became a recipient of the 2004 Angel in Adoption Award presented
by the Congressional Coalition on
Adoption Institute (CCAI), which raises
awareness about foster children and orphans in need of homes. CCAI created
the Angels in Adoption campaign six years ago in the hope of raising
awareness about adoption and related issues, and to honor dedicated constituents
for their efforts in helping children and their families.
Each congressional
office in the country can nominate one Angel each year, and Congressman
Mike Capuano (D-MA) was pleased to nominate Albers this year. "Dr.
Albers is a tireless advocate for adoptive parents, helping families
through every step of this often unfamiliar and intricate process," he
says. "Through
her efforts, she has helped countless families realize their dream
of adoption, and has given children all over the world a safer and
healthier place to live and grow."
For the past 13 years, Albers has
made it her mission to help adoptees and their families. Each day
she helps them navigate the medical complexities of domestic and
international adoptions. From consulting with families prior to adoption,
to providing post-adoption evaluations and medical and behavioral
care, Albers provides guidance and assurance to families throughout
the adoption process.
She began her career as a primary care pediatrician
at a community health center, where working with immigrants, refugees
and international adoptees fostered her strong interest in international
health. After obtaining her master's degree in International Health
and teaching pediatrics in Cambodia, Albers decided to utilize her clinical
skills to help families adopting children. She has traveled extensively
with parents adopting children from China, and has visited a number
of orphanages and childcare institutions in Romania, Lithuania and throughout
South East Asia.
In 1998, Albers established the Adoption Program at Children's
along with Kay Seligsohn, MD, in an effort to inform and support families,
as well as provide services to their adopted sons and daughters. "I
feel fortunate to work with kids and families," she says. "My
work reminds me that there is always hope for children in need of a
family."
Albers finds that watching children grow up is one of the most
rewarding parts of her job. She was delighted to be named a 2004
Angel in Adoption, saying it is one of the best awards she has
received. "It's
a great honor," she says. "The award puts a spotlight on kids
and adoption."
As November—National Adoption Awareness Month—begins,
Albers has some advice for couples considering adoption. "It's
important to gather as much information as possible as early in the process
as possible," she
says, adding that Massachusetts has a lot of local resources that
can help in the decision making process (see http://odsacone.org/).
This is only the beginning of Albers' work. Future adoptees and families
can rest assured that she will be there to help them too, because she loves
what she does. "I plan to continue to help children find loving families
for my entire professional career," she says.
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