Advisory Board

Dr. Heidi Schaeffer, MD, is a Florida-based physician and nationally recognized leader in human trafficking awareness, intervention, and advocacy for abused, neglected, and vulnerable children. Named a 2025 Boca Magazine “Hometown Hero,” she is widely respected for advancing education, legislation, and cross-sector collaboration in healthcare and social services.

Specializing in Internal Medicine, Dr. Schaeffer earned her MD from the University of Miami and completed her residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She holds faculty appointments at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies and Florida Atlantic University’s College of Medicine. She serves on the MD Board of Directors at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Schaeffer is a founding member and President-Emeritus of the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches, serves on the executive board of ChildNet, and supports/advises multiple community organizations, including Flite Center and Sweet Dream Makers.

Her leadership has been honored with numerous awards, including the Florida Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Advocate of the Year, ChildNet Child Champion of the Year, and the Florida Commission on the Status of Women’s Spirit of Community Award. Through philanthropy and education—including the establishment of the Dr. Heidi Schaeffer Resilience, Hope, and Healing Fund and the B.R.A.V.E.R.Y. research Fund at FAU—she continues to shape systems of care, train future professionals, and strengthen protections for those most at risk.