Maine
The Maine Chapter was selected as the small chapter winner (one to 200 voting AAP Fellows) for its community-based initiative to build a statewide group called the Maine Resilience Building Network. Partners, including the chapter, Maine Quality Counts and the Bingham Program foundation, put on a two-day conference on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress. The event drew 260 attendees, including medical and behavioral health providers, school-based clinic nurses, educators, health care support workers, community service agencies and students.
The collaborative group, led by the Maine Chapter, also put on a legislative breakfast and information session to share data and potential community solutions around ACEs in Maine communities.
California Chapter 4
California Chapter 4 was selected as this year’s medium chapter winner (201-500 voting AAP Fellows) for its resident and early career physician engagement activities. The chapter assembled a Young Physician’s Committee that meets five times per year and holds at least four events each year.
Washington
The Washington Chapter was selected as the large chapter winner (501-1,000 voting AAP Fellows) for its efforts to ensure that pediatric voices are heard in health system transformation efforts and that children’s health improves under health care transformation.The chapter formed a Health Care Transformation committee, which helped ensure the state’s metrics for value-based payment for behavioral health would be relevant to pediatrics. The chapter leadership has continued to work with state Medicaid agency leaders to influence health care transformation.
Back row (left to right): Anthony Johnson, M.D., FAAP, District VII chairperson; Oscar “Skip” Brown, M.D., FAAP, District VII National Nominating Committee representative; Gary Floyd, M.D., FAAP, District VII vice chairperson; Stephen Meister, M.D., FAAP, Maine Chapter vice president; Eric Ball, M.D., FAAP, California Chapter 4 vice president; Michael Dudas, M.D., FAAP, Washington Chapter president; Wendy Davis, M.D., FAAP, District I vice chairperson; and Yasuko Fukuda, M.D., FAAP, District IX vice chairperson. Front row (left to right): Mark Ward, M.D., FAAP, Texas Chapter vice president; Tricia Hall, CAE, CMP, Texas Chapter executive director; Kimberly Cruzita Avila Edwards, M.D., FAAP, Texas Chapter president; Dean Jacobs, M.D., FAAP, California Chapter 4 pres-ident; Erin Harnish, M.D., FAAP, Washington Chapter vice president; Janice Pelletier, M.D., FAAP, Maine Chapter president; and Dee Kerry deHaas, Maine Chapter executive director.
Texas
This year’s very large chapter winner (more than 1,000 voting AAP Fellows) is the Texas Chapter, which was selected based on its work to improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates. The chapter supported members in their efforts to raise community awareness by working with school districts to add verbiage about recommending the HPV vaccine in a letter given to parents regarding required immunizations for students.
Committees
Advocacy
Committee on Federal Government Affairs (COFGA)
COFGA and its Access to Care Subcommittee secured an extension of Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding ($39.7 billion in CHIP block grant funding alone) through 2017 by advocating for the passage and enactment of the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act. COFGA and its subcommittee also succeeded in blocking negative child health policies from being attached to the legislation.
Committee on State Government Affairs (COSGA)
COSGA positioned the Academy to become the leading resource on Medicaid payment increase information and advocacy. COSGA also collaborated with the Section on Medical Students, Residents and Fellowship Trainees on the Pediatricians Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE) campaign.
Communication and Collaboration
Committee on Adolescence (COA)
COA collaborated with the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine on policy statements to increase communication and awareness, as well as to expand the reach and readership on key adolescent health issues, including confidentiality protections in the health care billing and insurance claims process; menstruation in girls and adolescents; and menstrual management of adolescents with disabilities.
Committee on State Government Affairs (COSGA)
COSGA and the Division on State Government Affairs (DOSGA) continue to focus on efforts to connect with chapters and advocates. COSGA/DOSGA developed the State Advocacy Blueprint to identify state policy trends that align with AAP concerns and to recognize opportunities for success. This Blueprint not only supports chapters in identifying key issues, but also provides information on current AAP policy, state level information and timely updates on these opportunities. Committee members and staff work with chapters, councils and sections on these key issues.Educational Excellence
Committee on Coding and Nomenclature (COCN)
COCN has been developing pediatric-specific materials and resources for members, including publications, webinars, websites, National Conference & Exhibition programs, section/council-specific education and answers to AAP Coding Hotline queries on the transition to International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). To date, COCN has offered four ICD-10-CM webinars; launched the Coding at the AAP portal website; and published Pediatric ICD-10-CM: A Manual for Provider Based Coding that includes only guidelines and codes relevant to pediatrics.
Committee on Continuing Medical Education (COCME)
In April 2015, COCME member Zoey J. Goore, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, and COCME education and innovations consultant Teri L. Turner, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.Ed., FAAP, facilitated discussions with managers of sections, councils, committees and chapters. An “ask the expert” teleconference also was held for AAP chapter executive directors.
Innovation
Committee on Medical Liability and Risk Management (COMLRM)
COMLRM developed and instituted a formal orientation process for new members, which includes nine orientation modules.Unsung Heroes
Committee on Native American Child Health (CONACH)
CONACH has been at the cutting edge of where the Academy is headed for the past 20 years. Long before anyone in the Academy was thinking about childhood obesity, CONACH was confronting it and looking for solutions. Long before toxic stress became a buzzword, CONACH was aware of the powerful connection between historical trauma and health in our communities. CONACH committee members work in a complex network of federal, state and tribal jurisdictions to improve the lives of Native American children.Young Member Involvement
Community Access to Child Health (CATCH)
CATCH offers grants to support pediatric residents in the planning and/or implementation of innovative, community-based initiatives that increase children’s access to medical homes, immunization services and health services not otherwise available.Councils
Advocacy
Christoph U. Lehmann, M.D., FACMI, FAAP, Council on Clinical Information Technology (COCIT)
Dr. Lehmann provides outstanding leadership to the Academy’s health information technology advocacy initiatives as medical director of the Child Health Informatics Center and through his participation in COCIT.Dr. Lehmann serves on the federal Health IT Policy Committee through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. His expertise has strengthened the Academy’s public comment on federal legislation and rulemaking for programs such as the Electronic Health Records Incentive Program (meaningful use), the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan and standards for certified electronic health record technology.
Communication and Collaboration
Sandra L. Friedman, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, Council on Children with Disabilities (COCWD)
COCWD Executive Committee member Sandra L. Friedman M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, was recognized for her thoughtful responses to external comments calling for a more comprehensive representation of care options in response to the clinical report Out of Home Placement for Children and Adolescents with Disabilities. Dr. Friedman is finalizing a companion document. Her collegial actions parallel her life-long advocacy efforts on behalf of children and youths with special needs and their families.
Educational Excellence
Laura Ferguson, M.D., FAAP, Council on Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Dr. Ferguson has been integral to the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of the council’s first Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part 4 project addressing health literacy. The project provided access to experts in quality improvement and health literacy, opportunities for networking and learning, and practical tools to help participants make and sustain practice change. This project is the first of its kind at the Academy to tie education offered at the National Conference & Exhibition to an MOC Part 4 project.
Member Recruitment
Michael Gittelman, M.D., FAAP, Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention (COIVPP)
Dr. Gittelman led efforts to increase membership of COIVPP. This began with systematic efforts to reach out to the corresponding authors of recent injury publications and lapsed COIVPP members. Programs to welcome new members also were developed. The council’s membership has increased by approximately 20% in the past two years.
Mark Minier, M.D., FAAP, Council on School Health (COSH)
Dr. Minier made two large contributions to the way COSH recruits and retains members. He developed a webinar with the previous chair called State of COSH to increase interest in the council’s work, engage members to stay connected and recruit new members. He also created the School Nurse-Pediatrician Partnership (SNAPP) Mini-Grant Program to promote creative, collaborative, community-based approaches to improve the health and academic success of students and inform community stakeholders (AAP chapter, school board, school district administration, school staff, parents, etc.) of the importance of the school nurse and pediatrician collaboration.
Unsung Heroes
Cheryl DePinto, M.D., FAAP, Council on School Health
Over the past two years, Dr. DePinto has increased efforts for several school health-related initiatives. She combines knowledge in adolescent health, school health and public health, which makes her the natural choice for reviewing policy, standards of practice, manuals and other publications.Sections
Advocacy
Section on Medical Students, Residents, and Fellowship Trainees (SOMSRFT)
SOMSRFT’s FACE Poverty advocacy campaign provides food security, access to health care, community building, and education on the community, state and federal levels.
Communication and Collaboration
Section on Hospital Medicine (SOHM)
SOHM’s Surgical Care Subcommittee is a model for interdisciplinary collaboration among surgical sections, including the sections on Surgery, Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery. These efforts aim to improve the care of pediatric surgical patients.
Educational Excellence
Section on Child Abuse and Neglect (SOCAN)
SOCAN offers collaborative programming on child maltreatment topics, including a plenary at the National Conference & Exhibition, international course on child abuse and neglect, imaging of child abuse course, PediaLink modules for trainees and an MOC Part 4 quality improvement module on photo-documentation.
Innovation
Section on Advances in Therapeutics and Technology (SOATT)
SOATT facilitated the Global Pediatric Clinical Trials Network to improve testing and dissemination of drugs and devices for children. The trials network, convened during the stakeholders meeting, developed a consensus statement and appointed an AAP liaison to the Critical Path Institute.
Member Recruitment
Section on Tobacco Control (SOTCo)
While it was a provisional section, the SOTCo recruited 336 new members, exceeding the enrollment goal of 200, while boasting a high retention rate. The membership drive included a new member welcome kit with resources that addressed tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure.
Young Member Involvement
Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (SONPM)
SONPM established Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists (TECaN). There is a TECaN member on each section committee and task force (including the Committee on Fetus and Newborn). TECaN provides resources, including web-based articles, travel awards and research support.
