Medical Director Dr. Patricia Wells Elected to National Leadership Role
Itasca, Ill. (Cornerhealth.org) – The Corner Health Center’s Medical Director Dr. Patricia Wells has been elected to serve as a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health (COSH) Executive Committee. The mission of the AAP Council on School Health is to optimize the personal health, academic achievement and life-long success of children and adolescents.
I’m honored to serve the AAP as a champion for young people and school-linked health. It is essential for young people to have advocates who provide a safe and supportive place to seek care and learn healthy habits. Partnering with parents and the community, school health agencies help students establish healthy habits that provide a foundation for lifelong self care.
The Committee on School Health was established soon after the Academy began in the mid-1930s. For nearly 75 years, the Committee on School Health has served as the authority on matters of school health and was responsible for developing the Academy's early policy on related matters. These policies addressed a wide range of issues affecting pediatricians and schools, including health and illness management issues as they relate to the school and to the child's educational potential as well as the pediatrician's role in the school setting.
With over 25 years of clinical expertise and strategic leadership, Dr. Wells is committed to advancing equitable access to healthcare that meets the diverse needs of young people.
Dr. Wells presenting at the University of Michigan Medicine Adolescent Health Initiative's 2024 Connection Session
Dr. Wells’ journey into medicine began as a Peace Corps Volunteer, where she developed testing procedures for ciguatoxin in local fish, while teaching grades 6–8 on a remote Pacific Island. Later, working in HIV epidemiology at the Minnesota Department of Health deepened her resolve to pursue public health–driven, community-based medicine. Throughout her career—including medical school and Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency in Detroit—Dr. Wells has led initiatives focused on expanding vaccination outreach and organizing medical students to teach reproductive health education in the Detroit Public Schools.
At The Corner Health Center, Dr. Wells has been an advocate for healthcare models that dismantle traditional access barriers, creating systems that meet young people where they are—whether at home, in school, or in the community. She also champions policies ensuring fair reimbursement for the complex and essential care pediatricians provide.
Dr. Wells has been a tireless advocate for the health of young people in Washtenaw County for years. Her election to AAP's Council on School Health is incredibly well-deserved, and I'm so proud and excited for how she will represent The Corner Health Center, specifically, and adolescent medicine, generally, in this national leadership role.