2025 Award Honoree:
Nancy Debra Simms, MD, FAAP
The Ray E. Helfer, MD, Award is presented each year by the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to highlight the contributions of a pediatrician in local and national efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. Dr. Helfer, a pediatrician, educator and pioneer in the prevention of child abuse, conceived the idea that “Children’s Trust Funds” should be created in each state to ensure that our nation’s children grow up nurtured, safe and free from harm. Every year, state children’s trust and prevention funds provide more than $300 million in direct funding, technical assistance and other supports to statewide and community-based child abuse prevention strategies.
Dr. Nancy Debra Simms is a board-certified Child Abuse Pediatrician, with over three decades of service to the protection and well-being of children. Dr. Simms practices as a full-time Child Abuse Pediatrician at the Center for Child Protection and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids Michigan. Dr. Simms earned her Doctor of Medicine from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1992, following a Summa Cum Laude graduation from the Honors college at Wayne State University with a B.S. in Psychology.
In 1995, Dr. Simms was appointed to the Lieutenant Governor Connie Binsfeld Children’s Commission, a state-wide investigative body established under Governor John Engler. After reviewing Michigan’s laws, policies, and practices related to child welfare with the goal of improving outcomes for children across the state, the Binsfeld Children’s Commission made recommendations regarding family preservation and family support services and released a report, “In Our Hands” (1996).
Upon completing her pediatric residency at DeVos Children’s Hospital Dr. Simms was accepted into the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). She was placed in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where she gained valuable experience working with Native American/tribal populations, as well as Amish and Mennonite communities. During her time in Mt. Pleasant, Dr. Simms founded the Child Maltreatment Evaluation Team (CMET) to provide specialized evaluations for children suspected of experiencing abuse or neglect.
In 2001 Dr. Simms transitioned to full-time practice for child abuse services when she was employed by the Holland Hospital Foundation. In 2005 Dr. Simms was recruited by the DeVos Children’s Hospital as a solo child abuse medical practitioner for many years. In 2009, after 12 years of practice in the field of child maltreatment, Dr. Simms was one of the inaugural class of Diplomats of the American Board of Pediatrics for certification of Child Abuse and Neglect Pediatrics.
Dr. Simms practices as a full-time Child Abuse Pediatrician at the Center for Child Protection and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids Michigan. She is the Medical Director for the Ed and Nancy Hanenburg Children’s Advocacy Center in Holland Michigan. At the Center for Child Protection Dr. Simms provides consultations for many other Child Advocacy Centers in rural areas lacking availability of local child abuse medical services.
Dr. Simms has played an important role in shaping child protection policy in Michigan. She has served for many years on multiple advisory committees and task forces. Dr. Simms provides active relationships with multiple child death review teams and helps recommend policy and statutory changes related to child fatalities while also helping to guide statewide efforts in prevention, education, and training.
Dr. Simms’ leadership in multiple grant-funded initiatives in MI has significantly shaped training, evaluation, and medical responses to child maltreatment statewide. She also led a statewide education and training program (2010–2013) focused on enhancing the knowledge and skills of frontline child welfare professionals. This included designing and delivering training modules for new CPS, adoption, and foster care workers, and conducting advanced workshops on the medical aspects of child maltreatment.
A passionate educator, Dr. Simms is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and teaches medical students, residents, and fellows at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She frequently delivers presentations and conducts trainings for Child Advocacy Centers, government agencies, law enforcement, judicial entities, philanthropic foundations, community groups, and faith-based organizations to help raise awareness and provide education on recognizing and responding to child maltreatment.
Dr. Simms has been honored as a recipient of the Champion for Children Award from Children Trust Michigan (2024) and numerous other awards related to her powerful work on behalf of children. Dr. Simms is formally recognized as an expert in Child Abuse and Neglect Pediatrics in 35 Michigan counties. She has testified in state and federal criminal, family, and administrative court proceedings.
Dr. Simms is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a member of the Council on Child Abuse and Neglect. She is also a member of the Ray E. Helfer Honorary Society and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.
Working in an emotionally demanding field like Child Abuse Pediatrics presents many challenges. According to Dr. Simms, “I am a woman of faith and consider it a blessing to hold a position that allows me to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. My Faith has been a powerful protective factor against burnout, a buffer against emotional exhaustion from vicarious trauma, and a source of strength during difficult times. I am sincerely honored and grateful to be chosen as the recipient of the 2025 Ray E. Helfer Award.”
