Pat Wolff
{{Short description|American pediatrician}}
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| birth_name = Patricia B. Wolff
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| occupation = Pediatrician
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| known_for = Meds & Food for Kids
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| spouse = Michael A. Wolff
}}
Patricia B. Wolff is a St. Louis pediatrician who worked combat childhood malnutrition in Haiti. She is a Professor Emerita of Clinical Pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis. In 2003 she founded a nonprofit organization called Meds and Food for Kids.
Education
She attended the University of Minnesota Medical School and earned a BA and a Medical Degree.{{cite web |last1=Hulsey |first1=Doreen |title=Dr. Patricia Wolff, Meds & Food for Kids, as 2014 Ethical Humanist of the Year Recipient |url=https://www.ethicalstl.org/%EF%BB%BFdr-patricia-wolff-meds-food-for-kids-as-2014-ethical-humanist-of-the-year-recipient/ |website=The Ethical Society of St. Louis |date=26 August 2014 |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=4 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204083109/https://www.ethicalstl.org/%EF%BB%BFdr-patricia-wolff-meds-food-for-kids-as-2014-ethical-humanist-of-the-year-recipient/ |url-status=live }} After graduation she worked for the Indian Health Service attending to the needs of Native Americans in South Dakota.
Career
In 2003 Wolff founded the nonprofit organization Meds and Food for Kids.{{cite web |title=About Meds & Food for Kids |url=https://www.mfkhaiti.org//about |website=www.mfkhaiti.org |publisher=Meds & Food for Kids |access-date=24 January 2024 |language=en |archive-date=1 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001185000/https://www.mfkhaiti.org/about |url-status=live }} In 2011 she left her job as a pediatrician to devote herself full-time to Meds and Food for Kids,{{cite news |last1=Peterson |first1=Deb |title=Dr. Patricia Wolff leaving private practice to donate time to Haiti project |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/dr-patricia-wolff-leaving-private-practice-to-donate-time-to-haiti-project/article_292be798-5571-11e0-a92f-0017a4a78c22.html |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=STLtoday.com |date=23 March 2011 |language=en |archive-date=24 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124015324/https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/dr-patricia-wolff-leaving-private-practice-to-donate-time-to-haiti-project/article_292be798-5571-11e0-a92f-0017a4a78c22.html |url-status=live }} which manufactures a Ready to Use Therapeutic food in Cap Haitien, Haiti to combat childhood malnutrition.{{Cite web|url=https://source.wustl.edu/2006/08/reversing-malnutrition-a-spoonful-at-a-time/|title=Reversing malnutrition a spoonful at a time – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis|first=Elizabeth|last=Erman|date=August 3, 2006|website=The Source|access-date=January 23, 2024|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028080349/https://source.wustl.edu/2006/08/reversing-malnutrition-a-spoonful-at-a-time/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Sultan |first1=Aisha |title=How St. Louisans helped build Haiti's largest solar project |url=https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/how-st-louisans-helped-build-haitis-largest-solar-project/article_73630b10-1103-11ee-b70d-b773b83cc61d.html |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=STLtoday.com |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=23 June 2023 |language=en |archive-date=14 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714132431/https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/how-st-louisans-helped-build-haitis-largest-solar-project/article_73630b10-1103-11ee-b70d-b773b83cc61d.html |url-status=live }} From 2003–2007 her organization distributed a peanut-based nutritional supplement in Haiti which they called Medika Mamba (Haitian Creole for "Peanut Butter Medicine"). Malnourished children who received the supplement saw improvement to their skin, hair, growth and energy. The World Health Organization (WHO) began using Medika Mamba in their missions.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Julia M. |title=St. Louis Character: Dr. Patricia Wolff |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/10/15/smallb2.html |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=www.bizjournals.com |publisher=American City Business Journals |date=11 October 2007 |archive-date=24 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124015318/https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/10/15/smallb2.html |url-status=live }} Wolff did not accept a salary for her work running Meds & Food for Kids.{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Jim |title=Minting millionaires at St. Louis area nonprofits |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/minting-millionaires-at-st-louis-area-nonprofits/article_ef1f6e8b-33c3-51c9-a2de-17dd36f21a0e.html |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=STLtoday.com |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=2 May 2015 |language=en |archive-date=24 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124015209/https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/minting-millionaires-at-st-louis-area-nonprofits/article_ef1f6e8b-33c3-51c9-a2de-17dd36f21a0e.html |url-status=live }}
= Awards =
- The Purpose Prize in 2013{{cite web |title=Patricia B. Wolff |url=https://cogenerate.org/purpose-prize/patricia-b-wolff/ |website=Cogenerate.org |publisher=Cogenerate |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530021616/https://cogenerate.org/purpose-prize/patricia-b-wolff/ |url-status=live }}
- The Daily Point of Light in 2014{{cite web |title=Dr. Patricia Wolff |url=https://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/dr-patricia-wolff/ |website=Points of Light |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928104708/https://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/dr-patricia-wolff/ |url-status=live }}
- The Ethical Humanist of the Year in 2014 from the St. Louis Ethical Society
- The 2022 Global Service Leadership award from the Boeing Institute{{cite web |title=International Business Awards |url=https://www.slu.edu/business/centers/boeing-institute/events/international-business-awards/index.php |website=www.slu.edu |publisher=St. Louis University |access-date=24 January 2024 |language=en |archive-date=23 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923135414/https://www.slu.edu/business/centers/boeing-institute/events/international-business-awards/index.php |url-status=live }}
Personal life
She is married to Michael A. Wolff, former Chief Justice of Missouri.{{cite web |last1=Freivogel |first1=William H. |title=Michael A. Wolff – Freedom Fighter |url=https://gatewayjr.org/michael-a-wolff-freedom-fighter/ |website=Gateway Journalism Review |access-date=24 January 2024 |date=21 March 2017 |archive-date=1 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001124101/https://gatewayjr.org/michael-a-wolff-freedom-fighter/ |url-status=live }} She is a Professor Emerita of Clinical Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine.{{cite web |title=Patricia B. Wolff, MD |url=https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/about/faculty-recognition/alumni-association-awards/2012-2/patricia-b-wolff-md/ |website=Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis |publisher=Washington University School of Medicine |access-date=24 January 2024 |language=en |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322063434/https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/about/faculty-recognition/alumni-association-awards/2012-2/patricia-b-wolff-md/ |url-status=live }}