We have an annual tradition of publishing the remarks shared by the annual winner of the Joseph St. Geme, Jr., Leadership Award. This award, given at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting, is selected by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations, an umbrella group of seven academic organizations, to the person who best exemplifies the highest standards in academic pediatric leadership. This year’s St. Geme Awardee is Dr. Elena Fuentes-Afflick, Vice Dean for the UCSF School of Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Dr. Fuentes-Afflick’s acceptance speech (10.1542/peds.2023-062832) given this past April is entitled “The Magic of Yes” and is being early released as a special article this month in Pediatrics.
Dr. Fuentes-Afflick addresses how we are often inclined to say no more than “yes” where we are faced with a request or decision that involves engaging in efforts that go beyond our daily responsibilities such as community advocacy, but that saying “yes” can be game-changing not only for the person who says it but for improvements in children’s health. Dr. Fuentes-Afflick recounts her own experiences of what happened when she opted to say “yes” that certainly exemplifies why she is the recipient of this year’s award. Her saying “yes” led to her changing and improving the health and wellbeing of Latino and immigrant communities and resulted in better health outcomes for women and children. By saying “yes,” Dr. Fuentes-Afflick reminds us all that we can make a difference, especially when it comes to advocacy efforts at a local, regional, and national level.
Congratulations Dr. Fuentes-Afflick and thanks for not only sharing your remarks on the power of saying “yes,” but for energizing all of us to remember why we are pediatricians and why our role as child advocates is so critical for the wellness of our patients and for ourselves. Reading this special article is a definite “yes.” Link to it and see why.
