Executive Director

Division Director, Mayerson Center for Safe & Healthy Children, CCHMC

Dr. Robert Shapiro is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and the Director of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He has worked and published in the field of child abuse and neglect for over 25 years and has taken his work upstream to help families improve childhood outcomes by addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences. Dr. Shapiro is a principal leader within Joining Forces for Children, a community-wide collective impact initiative which aims to improve child health and development by reducing the effects of toxic stress.

Krushawna is the Community Engagement Consultant of the Mayerson Center. A seasoned professional with a background in Business Management and passion for community health and wellness, Krushawna leverages her expertise to provide formal and informal consultation to individuals and organizations involved in research, training, and communication efforts related to health and wellness. At the heart of her work lies a commitment to community engagement, fostering meaningful connections and collaborations that drive positive change. Krushawna’s passion for advocacy and support extends beyond her professional roles, as evidenced by her involvement in various initiatives and her recognition as a recipient of multiple awards, including the CCTST Integrating Special Populations Awardee and the OCALI Margaret Burley Family Impact Award. Through her dedication and leadership, Krushawna continues to make significant contributions to the field of public health, inspiring others to join her in the pursuit of healthier, happier communities.

Jodie Short is the Program Manager of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She provides operational and strategic management for the Child Advocacy Center as well as the Joining Forces for Children initiative. In addition, she provides technical assistance to local schools and PBIS/TIC teams to better understand, design and integrate trauma informed approaches that create resilience building environments for our children, families and staff. Through a variety of roles in the fields of human services, home visitation and child maltreatment, Ms. Short has more than 20 years of experience in creating collaborative support systems that address childhood adversities, build promising practices and implement evidence-based interventions.

Ms. Short received her Bachelor of Science degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences: Psychology from Indiana University and her Master of Science degree in Health Service Administration from Xavier University.  She holds a certification in Trauma Responsive Care.  She received the YWCA Career Women of Achievement Rising Star award and the Award of Excellence from the CCHMC Research Foundation. She has contributed to several publications and presentations in the healthcare and home visitation fields. Her primary areas of interest include data driven decision making, trauma informed care approaches and rural access to care.

Sarah Zawaly is a Senior Specialist at the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Serving as a Joining Forces for Children team member Sarah educates, trains, and supports divisions to engage in trauma-informed care practices, protocols and policies. Her passion for trauma-informed care is rooted in increasing our awareness of life experiences to decrease barriers to care so every patient is able to live the healthiest life possible, no matter who they are, where they live or what they’ve been through.  As a past teacher and clinical social worker she provides effective, yet practical and simple interventions to foster opportunities for organizations to enhance well-being for staff and the families they serve.

Sachika Singh is a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Mayerson Center for Safe & Healthy Children. She holds both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Sociology from University of Cincinnati. Sachika was first introduced to the concepts of ACEs and community resilience while interning with Social Action for Children and Women (SAW), an organization serving Burmese migrants in Thailand. As a Chapter & Partnership Fellow for GlobeMed, Sachika consulted with international grassroots organizations in the areas of health equity and anti-oppression. Sachika now supports the research and evaluation behind Joining Forces for Children’s community-centered, evidence-based projects. She is a graduate of Loyola’s Baumhart Impact Leader Series, Leadership Council’s Bold Orientation & Leadership Development (BOLD) Program, Seattle Works’ Agents of Change Program, and currently spearhead’s Desi Dance Network Inc.’s efforts around sexual assault prevention as their Chief People Officer.