“This new position will allow Dr. Frey to expand her leadership along with her exceptional clinical skills, and will strengthen her partnership with the North Philadelphia community,” said Donald Parks, M.D., assistant dean for minority affairs.

“My goal for the center is for it to be a resource that will provide services to patients and collect clinical data to implement programs that will address the disproportionate numbers of people in this community suffering from preventable and treatable health conditions,” Frey said.

One such program is CATTCH (Creating Access through Temple Children’s Hospital). This program adopts a three-pronged approach, focusing on physical, mental and scholastic aspects, to treat children who have been victims of gun violence.

“CATTCH is not just about treating children physically by healing their wounds,” Frey said. “We want to address the psychological wounds as well and identify behaviors and risk factors to prevent them from being victims of violence again, perpetrate an act of violence against another or die an untimely death, so that they can achieve their goals and become contributing members of society.”

“Dr Frey is an outstanding leader with a deep commitment to patients here at Temple. She is relentless in her pursuit of excellence, particularly as it relates to minority health,” said John M. Daly, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine.

An assistant professor of pediatric surgery, Frey specializes in neonatal procedures, minimally invasive pediatric surgery and pediatric colorectal surgery. She has published numerous papers and book chapters and has led a number of studies, including one that focused on necrotizing enterocolitis and which received a research training grant from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, Frey is certified by the American Board of Surgery.

Prior to joining Temple in September 2006, Frey held a pediatric surgery fellowship at the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology from Penn State University and her medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine, Frey held a surgery internship and residency at the State University of New York at Brooklyn and a residency at the University of Pittsburgh.

Visit the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities for more information.