CHRISTUS Children’s appoints new endowed chair holder in Pediatric Graduate Medical Education

CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation and CHRISTUS Children’s hosted an investiture ceremony to celebrate the appointment of Dr. Adam D. Wolfe as chair of the Jann L. Harrison Endowed Chair in Pediatric Graduate Medical Education.

Wolfe is one of the founding associate program directors of the pediatric residency program and became the residency program director in 2022. He is board-certified in pediatric hematology and oncology and has earned local and national recognition for his work in curriculum development, mentorship and teaching.

This honor will help Wolfe continue his work teaching residents, fellows and students clinically in hematology and oncology, as well as continue leading curricula in medical communication skills, professional development, teaching skills and scholarship.

“Dr. Wolfe’s continued pursuit of furthering medical curricula and sharing his knowledge with new physicians shows his commitment to stewarding the next generation of physicians who will care for patients both locally and beyond,” said Ian Thompson, M.D., CEO of CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation. “We’re honored to recognize him with an endowed chair to help further his teaching and are grateful for Jann Harrison and Howard Skillrud for making this possible.”

Upon her retirement in 2023, Jann Harrison, MSN, together with her husband Howard Skillrud, donated $2 million for the creation and appointment of an endowed chair in her name for pediatric graduate medical education. Harrison’s love of pediatrics and education spanned a 45-year career with much of that time serving in various leadership roles in the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, including the Baylor College of Medicine Pediatric Residency Program.

Wolfe earned his medical degree and doctorate in cell and developmental biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He completed his residency in pediatrics at University of Wisconsin – Madison, followed by a fellowship in pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant. During his fellowship, he pursued his passion for becoming a medical educator and scholar and developed, implemented and published a curriculum in sharing life-altering information in pediatrics.

Nationally, Wolfe serves as the communications committee director of the Academic Pediatric Association, a member of the workshops committee of the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, and an associate editor for MedEdPORTAL, the Association of American Medical Colleges journal of teaching and learning resources.

Endowed chairs recognize and foster excellence among medical professionals who are leaders in their field. Clinical, research and educational opportunities for the recipient and the department they represent are supported through the earnings of a permanent fund. CHRISTUS Children’s has 10 endowed chairs.