Dinah Godwin, M.S.W., associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and director of social work at the Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Autism at Texas Children’s Hospital, is passionate about making a difference in her community and teaching others how to do the same. As a social worker for more than 30 years, Godwin is dedicated to patient care, working face-to-face with families of children with developmental differences and contributing to the causes she cares about.

“I joke with my husband, who just retired (that) he was born for retirement,” she said. “I’m the one who will struggle.”

Since joining Baylor 13 years ago, Godwin has become an educator that teaches pediatric residents, fellows and social work interns about the complexities of developmental pediatrics and the importance of community resources. At the Meyer Center, her work has supported families navigating developmental diagnoses such as autism, attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disabilities. When a family receives a new, often daunting diagnosis, she and her fellow social workers offer emotional support and steady guidance to assist them with navigating their options.

As a critical member of the multidisciplinary team serving these families, her expertise brings a systems-based understanding to care, teaching medical trainees to appreciate the real-world challenges families face. Her role also emphasizes the significance of every team member because collaboration, equity and the focus on interdisciplinary care is what will help patients most, she said.

“Our team here is so collegial that everybody’s very comfortable communicating with each other, and it’s a very collaborative team,” Godwin said. “I think that’s unique for trainees to see.”

She also is a Baylor donor, giving through payroll deduction to support community service and education initiatives.

“I believe in supporting the mission,” she said. “It’s not a painful level of giving, but it’s steady, and Baylor made it easy. Baylor does so many things within the community and with education, and those are important parts of my role as a social worker.”

For Godwin, contributing in this way underscores her professional work and highlights her alignment with Baylor’s priorities, from communicating the importance of community connections to giving time off for volunteer work. And donating is yet another way she can invest in the bigger picture — the way Baylor pursues its community mission, trains its learners and strives to deliver tomorrow’s medicine today.

“Why would I not give?” she said.

Her story is a reminder that philanthropy is not always a grand gesture; often it’s quiet, steady support from people who sincerely believe in the cause and find a way to do what they can to help.

“Knowing that my giving makes a difference — for Baylor’s community efforts, for the students — is rewarding,” she said.

Join Dinah Godwin and show your support

Baylor’s first-annual giving day — Give Big Day — is Sept. 16, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show support. Visit bcm.edu/givebigday to donate or share, or contribute by payroll deduction.

Story by Baylor College of Medicine’s Office of Institutional Advancement