Elizabeth Jones
Pediatric nutritionist and noted author (Good Nutrition for Your Baby) Elizabeth G. Jones is the founding chair of the Foundation for the Children of the Californias. With her visionary leadership, this tri-national foundation (a Mexican, Canadian, and US collaboration) constructed Hospital Infantil de las Californias in Tijuana, that region's first full-service pediatric specialty centre for children, treating patients regardless of their ability to pay. She also spearheaded an outreach program to engage impoverished communities.Elizabeth G. Jones graduated from the University of Alberta in 1955 with a Bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics. In 1956, she moved to California where she began as a pediatric staff nutritionist at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, giving nutritional advice to many Hollywood stars. It was here that Jones was first began providing health care to children in Tijuana, Mexico. She recognized that there was a need for a pediatric clinic but none existed at the time. In the 1980s, Jones partnered with Dr Gabriel Chong to establish the Hospital Infantil de las Californias.
Jones has established many successful nutrition programs. She was one of the first professionals to make a major contribution to the renewal of breastfeeding at the institutional level, and she implemented Kangaroo Care, which sees mothers or medical team members carry malnourished infants skin-to-skin, providing human contact to help them thrive.
Among her many honours, in 2003 she was named a World of Children Cardinal Health Children's Care Award Honouree for her international contributions to the well-being of children. A dedicated teacher, she holds appointments at San Diego State University, University of California in San Diego, and Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexico.
In 2003, she became a World of Children Cardinal Health Children's Care Award Honoree for her contributions to the well-being of children. In 2004, she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award.