The goal of the Kiwanis Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship is simple: Save and improve the lives of children by training doctors in the latest in pediatric treatment. Each Kiwanis Doctor treats more than 3,500 children each year, and, to-date, we have trained more than 1,000 first responders throughout our District.

Why the Kiwanis Doctor Program?
The Kiwanis Doctor program is unique because it addresses the need to train medical personnel throughout our District on current techniques and advances in pediatric emergency medicine. Babies and children have physical, emotional and physiological needs that are vastly different from an adult's. Unfortunately, most medical personnel do not understand this as they do not receive advanced pediatric training. Our Kiwanis Doctor provides the missing link by traveling throughout our District teaching these first responders how to treat a pediatric patient.

Since 2004, the Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha Foundation has pledged nearly $590,000 to Loma Linda University Children's Hospital to provide for two doctors to be trained in pediatric emergency medicine. The first and second Kiwanis Doctors, Drs. Thorp and Young respectively, have collaborated with Kiwanis to share their knowledge gained during their training in pediatric emergency medicine with paramedics, nurses, and other doctors who care for critically ill and injured children within the rural areas of the Cal-Nev-Ha District. These Kiwanis sponsored training seminars have been conducted as far north as Eureka, California, and as far south as El Centro, California, with many areas in between.

As we prepare to welcome our third Kiwanis Doctor (see below), Dr. Thorp continues to lead the program and host advanced trainings in the most remote areas of our District, closing the gap on the number of children who die each year from serious injury or illness.

The first Kiwanis Doctor

Andrea Thorp, MD, FAAP

Dr. Thorp completed the Kiwanis Doctor Program in 2007. She currently serves as the Assistant Program Director for the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University. She is directing the medical aspects of the Kiwanis Doctor Program, continuing to lead seminars throughout our District and looks forward to mentoring the next generation of pediatric emergency physicians.

The second Kiwanis Doctor

Tim Young, MD

Dr. Young completed the Kiwanis Doctor Program in June 2009. He is staying at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital as a faculty member, and will continue to care for ill and injured children while conducting research in the field and lecturing at local and national conferences.

The third Kiwanis Doctor

Sarah Christian-Kopp, MD

Dr. Kopp attended Medical School at Loma Linda University and is currently finishing her emergency medicine residency in Arizona. Dr. Kopp has a strong knowledge base in emergency medicine and will bring a new level of enthusiasm and energy to the program. We are delighted to have her join us beginning in July 2010.