The Institute’s inaugural Executive Director, Aarti Porwal, MHSA, will lead an enterprise-wide strategy to support education and training for health professionals at every level across the hospital and create a new model for other children’s hospitals to follow.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is launching a new era of pediatric health care education with the appointment of Aarti Porwal, MHSA, as the inaugural Executive Director of the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute. She will lead a comprehensive enterprise-wide strategy to support education and training across CHLA, made possible by a transformational gift from The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation.

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Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is launching a new era of pediatric medical education with the establishment of the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute, led by inaugural Executive Director Aarti Porwal, MHSA.

“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a nationwide leader in training the next generation of health care providers. I am delighted to have Aarti join CHLA at a time when education is so critical to the future of health care,” says Paul S. Viviano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “As CHLA celebrates its 125^th anniversary, we are looking ahead to the next century of pediatric care and preparing the workforce of tomorrow. Support from The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation is instrumental in starting this exciting chapter that will open new opportunities for countless health care professionals.”

A first of its kind in the nation, the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute encompasses every level of education at CHLA, impacting more than 600 team members annually across six pillars of professional training: physicians, nurses, clinical services and allied health professionals, researchers, simulation trainees, and community workforce development. Over the next two decades, CHLA expects to train more than 12,000 health care professionals, a crucial investment in a field that has suffered staff shortages for several years.

As Executive Director of the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute, Porwal will build on CHLA’s leadership in training pediatric health professionals, develop innovative education solutions, create new pathways for health care professionals to advance throughout their careers, and provide a pioneering blueprint for workforce retention and education for children’s hospitals across the country to emulate.

“I’m so honored to join Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which is nationally recognized as one of the country’s leading academic medical centers,” says Porwal. “Health care is a rapidly evolving field that requires rigorous, innovative, and collaborative education models that adapt to changing workforce needs. I’m grateful for the exceptional commitment made by The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation to advance and empower the next generation of pediatric health experts. This new Institute goes beyond just education; it’s about advancing the standards of pediatric care and supporting the people who deliver that care.”

Porwal comes to CHLA after spending 15 years at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where her work focused on building and scaling learning models for health professionals. She co-founded the Stanford Center for Health Education—dedicated to expanding knowledge in health professions and health information equity—and served as its Managing Director for the last nine years, leading strategic direction, business and operating models, institutional collaborations, and team management.

“There is nothing more exciting—and promising—than investing in people, which is why I am proud to support education and training at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,” says Chuck Lorre, the veteran TV producer. “Aarti’s appointment secures visionary leadership for the Institute to impact countless health care professionals who, in turn, effect positive change in their patients’ lives. I look forward to all that Aarti and the team will accomplish in the years ahead.”

The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, a longtime champion of education, has been supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 2016. In 2023, the foundation helped CHLA launch the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program for college students, including alumni from the Samuels Family LA-HIP High School Internship Program at CHLA, to pursue careers in science and medicine.

“Having the opportunity to work in a lab has been life-changing,” says Tara Moore, a participant in the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program who is studying molecular, cellular, and developmental biology in college. “I’m immensely grateful for the chance to explore my passions and develop my background as a biomedical researcher. This program has completely changed the trajectory of my life and shaped how I can make an impact on the world.”

“The Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute will have a far-reaching impact on thousands of health care professionals who come to train at CHLA,” says Alexandra Carter, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “Aarti brings significant expertise in health education that will position CHLA to build a pipeline of highly prepared scientists, clinicians, nurses, and more. I deeply appreciate The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation’s partnership in ensuring our hospital has the resources to educate, train, and develop a world-class health care workforce.”

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Since its founding in 1901, CHLA has delivered a level of pediatric care that is among the best in the world. Ranked one of the top 10 children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides comprehensive and compassionate care to one of the largest and most diverse pediatric patient populations in the country. The hospital is the top-ranked children’s hospital in California and the Pacific U.S. region for 2025-26. A leader in pediatric research, CHLA is among the top 10 children’s hospitals for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, translating scientific discoveries into life-changing treatments for patients around the globe. As a pediatric academic medical center, CHLA is also home to one of the largest graduate education programs for pediatricians in the United States. The hospital’s commitment to building stronger, healthier communities is evident in CHLA’s efforts to enhance health education and literacy, introduce more people to careers in health care, and fight food insecurity. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X, and visit CHLA.org.

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