About Me

Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah is a pediatrician who specializes in pediatric emergency medicine and emergency medical services (EMS) at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where she has cared for countless children. She holds several titles, including Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Medical Director of EMS and Prehospital Medicine, Associate Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Pediatric Liaison for the Emergency Medicine Department's Division of EMS (Joint Appointment).

With over a decade of clinical experience, Dr. Owusu-Ansah has treated children in emergency settings at some of the busiest children's hospitals in the country, which serve an annual average of 80,000 to 100,000 pediatric patients in their emergency departments alone. She serves on national EMS committees and has authored national policy statements and technical reports aimed at providing optimal care for children in the EMS environment. Additionally, she has dedicated numerous hours to training EMS personnel across various regions, including rural, suburban, and major urban areas such as Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, with a focus on evidence-based pediatric emergency care. Dr. Owusu-Ansah has also developed curricula for both pediatric and adult emergency care for EMS personnel.

Dr. Owusu-Ansah studied at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed two medical fellowships in pediatric emergency medicine and emergency medical services at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She also earned a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on Health Policy. Her extensive qualifications make her one of the few experts in her field.

As a leading national expert in pediatric prehospital emergency care, Dr. Owusu-Ansah holds various leadership roles at both local and regional levels. She serves as the EMS for Children Medical Advisor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Furthermore, she is a member of the certification board for EMS clinicians with the National Registry of EMTs and has a federal appointment with the National EMS Advisory Council within the Department of Transportation.

Dr. Owusu-Ansah advocates for justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in various academic areas and within the community. She serves as the Associate Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Her contributions to the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) space have earned her numerous awards, including the inaugural Department of Pediatrics JEDI Award. She was key in securing a $25 million institutional-wide loan repayment program for faculty members focused on DEI work. Additionally, she co-authored the first anti-racism statement in the history of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and participated in the hospital’s peaceful protest, White Coats for Black Lives.

Throughout her career, Dr. Owusu-Ansah has prioritized developing curricula and educating EMS personnel. Notably, she was the lead author of a national policy statement on pediatric prehospital readiness. During her EMS fellowship, she served as a physician during the presidential inauguration. She created a pediatric emergency care curriculum for agencies such as the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. Furthermore, Dr. Owusu-Ansah served as the Assistant Medical Director of Howard County, Maryland, overseeing a population of 325,650, approximately 25% of whom are children under 18.

While living in the Washington, D.C. area for over a decade, she met with congressional members on Capitol Hill to support the passage of legislation related to children's health. Her efforts include advocating for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), maintaining Medicaid services for children with special health conditions, ensuring the availability of epinephrine in schools to treat anaphylaxis, providing pediatric medical kits for airlines, and promoting loan repayment programs to encourage pediatricians to work in underserved regions, among other initiatives.

Dr. Owusu-Ansah is a medical advisor to the hit television series streaming on HBO Max, The Pitt. She also co-authored a short film titled "In Good Hands" through the University of Pittsburgh, collaborating with executive producer Carl Kurlander and screenwriter Yasmine Crawley. The award-winning film has sold out at local screenings in Pittsburgh and was showcased at the Paramount/CBS studios in New York City.

In the community, Dr. Owusu-Ansah is recognized for her impactful initiatives. She has taught CPR to over 1,000 community members, including all 500 Division I Pitt athletes, and her training has saved lives. Furthermore, she co-led a middle school pathway program, enabling more than 300 students to learn life-saving skills and gain exposure to healthcare. She published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine highlighting her community-engaged CPR work. Recognizing her ongoing dedication, she received the regional American Heart Association Health Diversity and Equity Award. At the Annual R.I.S.E. Scholarship Awards, she was honored as the local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) community honoree in the Health & Wellness category.

Dr. Owusu-Ansah has written extensively on children’s health through blogs, op-eds, articles, and podcasts. Various media outlets, including The New York Times, Business Insider, Huffington Post, The Hill, The Baltimore Sun, Parade Magazine, Romper.com, HealthyChildren.org, and U.S. News and World Report have also interviewed her.

In addition, Dr. Owusu-Ansah has lectured in numerous academic settings and institutions and at regional and national conferences on the importance of pediatric emergency healthcare and emergency medical services.

The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Dr. Owusu-Ansah is the creator, CEO, and co-founder of Akoma United, a nonprofit organization providing life-saving skills to underserved communities, with a global initiative in Ghana. In its first year, her organization received an award for excellence in healthcare. She is married with two beautiful daughters, who have greatly aided her in becoming a better pediatrician and person.