Editor’s note: Voting for AAP president-elect, at-large board member and district offices will take place from Aug. 17 through Aug. 31. The president-elect winner will serve as AAP president in 2024. The winners of the at-large board seat and district offices will be seated on the Board of Directors on Jan. 1, 2023.
Q. The AAP has developed an Equity Agenda. Describe your experience with the development and/or implementation of equity initiatives within your community, practice or institution, and how you would support furthering the AAP Equity Agenda.
Benjamin D. Hoffman, M.D., FAAP
Portland, Ore.
Growing up in a multiracial family, I have borne witness to the impacts of racism and intolerance. Nurtured by our parents, my siblings and I all chose careers dedicated to advancing social justice. I have focused my entire career on addressing disparities and fighting for equity for children, families and communities. As a cisgender, White man, I recognize that I have benefited from unearned privilege. As a result, I have endeavored to advance equity and mitigate disparities in all that I do.
I have always practiced in safety-net clinics. I began my career on the Navajo Nation, where I built a community-based coalition focused on addressing injury disparities. I returned to academics, becoming a leader in advocacy training and residency program director. I have mentored dozens of trainees from diverse backgrounds, many of whom now hold leadership positions.
In my current roles, I led the establishment of a departmental vice chair for equity, diversity and inclusion, the first at our university. Last year, we worked with Black and Latinx community-based organizations to expose the impacts of racism on children and youths with special health needs in our state.
Even before the pandemic, the safety nets for kids were threadbare. The last few years have magnified these deficits, forcing us to reckon with hard truths and propelling us to action.
The AAP Equity Agenda provides a roadmap to begin to address historical injustices, reflecting ideals I will fight tirelessly to advance. My life and career have prepared me to do nothing less.
Warren M. Seigel, M.D., M.B.A., FSAHM, FAAP
Kew Gardens, N.Y.
Built upon the Task Forces on Diversity and Inclusion and Addressing Bias and Discrimination, the AAP Board of Directors has formed a Board Committee on Equity. I have been honored to be a committee member since its inception and have participated in the writing and dissemination of Words Matter: AAP Guidance on Inclusive, Anti-biased Language. Additionally, we have been instrumental in supporting the switch to gender neutral pronouns on HealthyChildren.org.
In New York, I am proud to be leading and implementing efforts to address equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) from planning through implementation and have appointed a districtwide EDI champion who is responsible for coordinating statewide efforts. I am deeply committed to actively recruiting a diverse selection of candidates for all nominations, appointments and elections in our district.
Our chapters have wholeheartedly embraced these efforts in various ways. One chapter is addressing workforce issues while another is doing membership outreach to under-represented pediatricians. Our third chapter is providing education to equip members with the knowledge, skills and capacity to combat racism, providing trainings on unconscious bias and how to create an anti-racist organization.
I remain committed to ensuring that our membership and leadership reflect the diversity of our state and communities. We will continue to help chapters identify and implement strategies to support EDI among our members and promote equitable health outcomes for children and their families.
I take great pride in the downstream effects of my efforts at the organizational level that have made positive differences in the institutions, practices and communities in which we work.
Candidates announced for at-large board member, district offices
AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBER
Terri D. McFadden, M.D., FAAP, of Atlanta
Joelle N. Simpson, M.D., FAAP, of Washington, D.C.
DISTRICT I
District chairperson
Patricia Flanagan, M.D., FAAP
DISTRICT II
National Nominating Committee
Eric Beyer, M.D., FAAP
Lisa Handwerker, M.D., FAAP
DISTRICT V
National Nominating Committee
Nakia Allen, M.D., FAAP
DISTRICT IX
National Nominating Committee
Katherine Williamson, M.D., FAAP
There are no position vacancies in Districts III, IV, VI, VII, VIII or X.
