The 2016 national AAP election for president-elect and district officers will begin on Oct. 21 and conclude on Nov. 21. Look for an email message from the AAP election coordinator in October with your personalized link to the ballot. No other login information will be required.
Members will be asked to choose their next president-elect: Michael T. Brady, M.D., FAAP, or Colleen A. Kraft, M.D., FAAP. The winner will serve as the 2018 AAP president.
Voters also will elect district officers in six out of 10 districts: district chairpersons (who serve as AAP Board members), district vice chairpersons and National Nominating Committee representatives. Visit coverage of the candidates in District I, District II, District IV, District V, District VII and District IX. The new president-elect and newly elected district officers will take office on Jan. 1, 2017.
AAP News election coverage continues at http://www.aappublications.org/collection/voters-guide and at the AAP Election Center, www.aap.org/election (login required). Read profiles of the president-elect candidates at http://bit.ly/295ddV2 and http://bit.ly/28XxCIa.
If you have any questions on the election procedures, contact Katie Friedman at 800-433-9016, ext. 4296, or [email protected].
All members are urged to vote.
The AAP president-elect candidates were asked, “As the medical home evolves in pediatrics, describe the role of the pediatrician in this context.”
Dr. KraftColleen A. Kraft, M.D., FAAP
Cincinnati, Ohio
Here’s a familiar sentence. “Dr. Kraft, someone else can see Jade if she’s sick, but we must see you for her ___________ (well visit, ADHD, school problems, behavior, etc.).”
Pediatricians span the milestones of childhood, from the delivery room to the newborn nursery; the first vaccines or the first fever at night; through temper tantrums, toilet training, the first day of kindergarten; learning disabilities and sports injuries; bullying and high school graduation. It is the pediatrician who fosters the relationship that builds the skills, competencies and confidence of our families and patients.
As the pediatric medical home evolves, we have the opportunity to expand both access and quality of pediatric care. Team-based care includes roles for nurses, care coordinators, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers, legal partners, educators and home visitors. Nontraditional tools such as telehealth and virtual teams have potential to improve health care access for both primary and subspecialty care for children. The medical home could also evolve to include additional options for health care delivery, including school-based clinics, colleges, mobile clinics, patients’ homes, public housing projects, retail clinics and juvenile detention facilities.
The opportunity in this “broader” medical home lies in the design of clinical, operational, communication and administrative workflow that keeps children and families at the center. AAP leadership must address the challenges of poor quality disruptions to pediatric medical care as a threat to children’s health. Pediatric leadership is essential as we navigate the inter-connectivity of scope, complexity, cost, revenue and quality of this “broader” medical home.
Dr. BradyMichael T. Brady, M.D., FAAP
Columbus, Ohio
Evolution of the medical home is essential as we move from a disease-focused health care delivery system to a wellness- and population-focused approach. Pediatricians need to drive this evolution, not just respond or acquiesce to it. No one better understands the potential benefits of the medical home than a pediatrician.
Pediatricians are uniquely qualified to champion health and wellness-focused care for children. Pediatricians have always been engaged in disease prevention and health maintenance through developmental screening, anticipatory guidance, vaccine administration, family-centered care and child health advocacy. The evolving medical home offers the possibility to enhance care delivery by expanding the array of services available.
Obesity, school-related problems, mental and behavioral health conditions — all would best be managed through these expanded services within the medical home. Families facing poverty, violence, domestic abuse and other stressful circumstances would benefit as well from the medical home’s family-centered care, since no child’s health exists in a vacuum. Nutritionists, developmental specialists, mental health providers, social workers and home visitation services could complement the pediatrician’s ability to address the usual health concerns and improve evaluation and prevention strategies. Pediatricians would serve as the head of a medical home team that can address all needs of patients and families.
Pediatricians and the AAP need to be the leaders in determining the best structure for the medical home and, crucially, establishing the most appropriate payment process to support the expansion of essential health and psychosocial services, assuring every child has the opportunity to achieve maximum health and well-being.
