Stanley Leonard, MD Pediatric Mental Health Lecture

Dr. Stanley Leonard (1960-2005) dedicated his career to the well-being of children and young adults at Pediatric and Young Adult Medicine, PA (PYAM). 

His commitment extended to academia, where he served as a Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School (2003-2005). Dr. Leonard was a passionate advocate for children's mental health, demonstrated through his role as Past Chairperson of the Children’s Hospital Mental Health Initiative. Earlier in his career, he served as a pediatrician at the U.S. Naval Hospital Dependents’ Clinic in San Diego, CA (1957-1959), and later as the Former Chief of Staff at St. Paul Children’s Hospital.  

His leadership and dedication were further evident in his service as Secretary and Treasurer of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Minnesota Chapter, and as a Consultant to the Metropolitan Health Board. This lectureship honors Dr. Leonard's profound impact on pediatric medicine and his unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of young people. 

Lee H. Prewitt, MD Memorial Lecture

“In his work in radiology, Lee loved the children,” said Cindy Prewitt, wife of Lee H. Prewitt, MD. “He treated each one of them as if they were his own.” Dr. Prewitt died in December 2007 after 31 years as a physician in the Radiology Department at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.​

​An early member of the hospital’s radiology program, Dr. Prewitt was committed to Children’s and to life-long learning. Cindy, and children, Jenna and Bryce, established a fitting memorial to him focused on health care education at the hospital.​

The inaugural Lee H. Prewitt Memorial Lecture was held in April 2009 on “Pediatric Uroradiology - A Reminiscence” presented by Dr. Prewitt’s mentor, Robert L. Lebowitz, MD, Professor Emeritus of Radiology, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical Center. Each year the Lee H. Prewitt Memorial Lecture will be part of Grand Rounds.​

​“There have been many changes over the years in how physicians are trained, as well as how they keep up with new advances in pediatric health care. Lee was always striving to be the best he could be, and I think he would appreciate how this lectureship continues that spirit by bringing people together to enhance the care of children,” said Cindy.

Tague Chisholm, MD Memorial Lecture

Dr. Tague C. Chisholm graduated at the age of sixteen from high school and then entered Harvard University where he studied pediatric surgery. He completed his residency in Boston prior to moving to Minnesota in 1947. Once in Minneapolis, Dr. Chisholm partnered with Dr. O.S. Wyatt to become one of the first trained pediatric surgeons in the United States. Together, they started Pediatric Surgical Associates, Ltd., which today is one of the country’s largest pediatric care teams and the second oldest pediatric surgical association.  

It is estimated that during his surgical career, Dr. Chisholm performed over 10,000 pediatric operations and was involved in teaching hundreds of surgical residents and medical students. Following his death in 2013, the family received numerous notes expressing that his greatest attribute was his compassion and caring for others. Every life he touched, whether through his surgical skills or mentoring colleagues and aspiring surgeons, was bettered because they knew him. Dr. Chisholm believed that curing children would advance medicine. 

In honor of Dr. Chisholm’s contributions to pediatric surgery and Children’s Minnesota, the Tague C. Chisholm Endowment was established in his memory to support ongoing education endeavors in the area of pediatric surgery.

Children's Respiratory Care and Critical Care Specialists Dr. Stephen Kurachek Honorary Lecture

This lectureship proudly honors the distinguished career of Dr. Stephen C. Kurachek, a retired pediatrician from Children's Minnesota, who dedicated his professional life to the health and well-being of children. A graduate of the University of Michigan and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (1978), his commitment to specialized pediatric care led to a residency at the esteemed C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and a fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital.

Throughout his impactful tenure at the University of Michigan, Dr. Kurachek achieved board certifications in pediatric critical care and pediatric pulmonology (through Harvard University), demonstrating a profound depth of expertise in managing complex respiratory and critical illnesses in young patients. Recognizing the broader impact of health behaviors, he also became a certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist through the Mayo Clinic.

Driven by a passion for continuous improvement in healthcare delivery, Dr. Kurachek further completed advanced training programs in quality improvement from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and Intermountain Healthcare. His dedication to evidence-based practice continues to this day through his involvement in reviewing guidelines for pediatric empyema.

This lectureship serves as a testament to Dr. Kurachek's unwavering commitment to pediatric medicine, his pursuit of excellence in clinical care, and his dedication to advancing the field through continuous learning and quality improvement. It aims to inspire future generations of healthcare professionals to emulate his dedication and make meaningful contributions to the lives of children.

Richard Stafford, MD and Bob Telander, MD Exceptional Care Lecture 

The Dr. Richard Stafford and Dr. Bob Telander Exceptional Care Endowment was established in 2015 to provide support for an annual honorary lecture in pediatric gastroenterology. This fund was created through the generosity of the Frey family, after their grandson Adam's life was saved. Adam was diagnosed with Total Colon Hirschprungs Disease shortly after birth, and during his stay at Children's St. Paul, he received exceptional care from Dr. Stafford, Dr. Telander and the nursing staff. 

K. Bruce Fehr, MD Memorial Lecture

Dr. Bruce Fehr was a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician as well as a Lean Improvement Consultant at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. He worked zealously to improve the delivery of healthcare to the children in our community.​

 ​Dr. Fehr completed his medical degree at the University of Manitoba and his pediatrics residency at both the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital and the University of Minnesota. He was the first Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at the then Minneapolis Children’s Medical Center and also earned an MBA from the U of M Carlson School of Business. He subsequently became the first physician Lean fellow at Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota. Bruce also served on the Family Advisory Council.​

 ​With these tools under his belt, Bruce merged the science, art and business of healthcare for children. He had a passion for improving the process of healthcare delivery.

Loni, Friedel, David and Jeffrey Stillerman Lectureship

Dr. Allan Stillerman is an allergist-immunologist in Minneapolis and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Children's Minnesota Hospital and Allina Health Abbott Northwestern Hospital. ​

Dr. Stillerman completed his medical degree from University of the Witwatersrand and his pediatrics residency at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. He completed combined fellowships in Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Pediatric Pulmonary Disease at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. As an allergist and immunologist, Dr. Stillerman practices, lectures and researches extensively on asthma, food allergy and environmental allergy. ​

The Loni, Friedel, David and Jeffrey Stillerman Lectureship aims to further the educational, clinical and programmatic excellence of Children's Minnesota by providing a lecture on the topics of public health and social determinants of health general. 

Krishna Saxena, MD Endocrine Lecture

This lectureship is one that does more than honor a talented physician. It tangibly perpetuates Dr. Saxena’s life-long commitment to high-quality medical education for aspiring pediatricians and pediatric specialists.​

​This is a forum for the advancement of knowledge, with the hope that it will bring improved health for our community’s children.

Woodard L Colby, MD Memorial Lecture

Dr. Woodard Colby was a practicing pediatrician in St. Paul from 1923 to 1976. He was a member of the first medical staff at Children’s Hospital of St. Paul when it opened in 1924. Soon after his death in 1976, his family and friends established this memorial lecture.​ Dr. Colby was a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He taught in the department for contagious diseases at Ancker Hospital in St. Paul, in addition to teaching at Children’s Hospital.