Whereas it is February
Whereas it is February, season for resolutions
We’re working on our communications
Understanding social contexts and vulnerabilities
And expanding our achievable possibilities.
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Vice President's Column: Resolved
Nelson Branco, MD, FAAP
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Whereas:
January is a time for evaluating the year just past and planning for the year to come.
Whereas:
On a yearly basis the AAP solicits input from its members through the Annual Leadership Forum (ALF) resolution process.
Whereas:
seeking to improve, grow, serve others and develop new and healthy practices are goals shared by pediatricians and the AAP organization alike.
RESOLVED:
that in my role as Chapter VP I encourage all Chapter members to participate in the ALF by reviewing and commenting on the resolutions of interest to them, and to look for ways to improve their own health, well-being and happiness.
This is the season for resolutions. At a recent Chapter 1 Executive Committee meeting, we began by talking about our own goals for the new year. Among the comments about exercise, more time with family, more sleep, efficiency and prioritizing, common themes emerged. All of us were resolved to think critically about the activities we were participating in and to spend more time doing those that felt most meaningful. I’m sure many of you feel the same way. You may or may not share my cycling mileage goal, but I’m guessing we both want to end 2020 feeling like we took care of ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.
The other type of resolutions the Chapter Board has been thinking about are ALF resolutions. The Annual Leadership Forum is how our AAP collects input from its members to set priorities for the board and the organization. Our Chapter and District were prolific – there are 19 resolutions being submitted and supported by District IX. Everyone will have a chance to review and comment on the ALF resolutions beginning February 3. Keep an eye out for information from the AAP about how to do this. I’m looking forward to being at ALF for the first time and would love input from all of you on the many resolutions that will be presented and discussed.
I hope that your 2020 is off to a good start, and I hope the year is filled with health, happiness and challenges that strengthen and teach.
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Comment on AAP 2020 Resolutions
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AAP members can now review and share comments electronically on resolutions for the Annual Leadership Forum (ALF) by clicking on this link:
https://resolutions.aap.org
An important aim of the ALF is to incorporate diverse perspectives in the discussion and debate of leading pediatric issues. Your comments are important to the AAP leadership and representatives of our district, chapter, committee, council, and section who will attend the ALF and vote on resolutions. The comment period is open until
Friday, February 28.
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Secretary & Communications Director Column
Janice Kim, MD, MPH, FAAP
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Earlier this year, pediatricians pondered about what each could do about Climate Change, found each other, and now
Amanda Millstein
and
Lisa Patel
are building an even bigger community having founded the chapter’s Climate Change Task Force. There have been quiet hopes of restarting the Life After Residency program that many remember fondly. An opportunity arose when National AAP offered a grant to help programming for residents. Thanks to this and our newly minted Early Career Physician Chair,
Tashya Whitehead
, we’ll be able to restart the Life After Residency program this spring! These are just two ways in which the AAPCA1 has been able to connect people and ideas. At our most recent Pediatric Puzzles conference in December, members shared some practical needs. A couple were searching for pediatricians for short-term coverage or long-term placement. Another had been floating an idea about early childhood education and was exploring how to connect with others who’ve done something similar. Currently, we’re exploring thoughtful ways to share job opportunities and structuring task forces for innovative ideas.
Since dipping my toes into AAPCA1, I’ve found an amazing group of pediatricians who are dedicated to children through their own practices, yet seem to find time and enthusiasm to promote child health in other ways through their chapter involvement and beyond. I’ve found a nice home-y feel from being a part of the AAP. With our new website and absolutely organized, enthusiastic, and dedicated Executive Director,
Isra Uz-Zaman
, I am hoping that – in time – we can be a “home base” to listen to the pediatricians’ needs and create connections and community that are the first step to solutions.
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CME Events for Early 2020
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Chapter Spotlight: Alya Ahmad, MD, FAAP
What is Health Disparity?: The Social Context and Vulnerabilities that Challenge Health Care in the San Joaquin Valley of California
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Call it white privilege or health disparity, it appears to be two sides of the same coin. We used to consider ethnic or genetic variants as risk factors and prognostic to health conditions. Yet what has become more relevant are the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) as causal to disease prevalence and complexity to health care.
This was made more evident in one of the many examples of care I encounter daily as a pediatric hospitalist in the San Joaquin Valley region. A 12-year-old Hispanic boy is admitted with a ruptured appendix and develops a complicated abscess with an extensive hospitalization due to this complication. Why? Did he have the genetic propensity for this adverse outcome? Was it because he was non-compliant with his antibiotic regimen? No.
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Climate Change and Health: Next Meeting
If you are interested in climate change and health, we invite you to our next meeting on
Tuesday, February 11th at 6:30 pm at Patxi's in San Francisco!
We will have pizza and other delicious food, courtesy of AAP-CA1. The restaurant is located at 822 Irving Street and is an easy walk from the N-Judah MUNI for those coming from within San Francisco.
Please RSVP to Lisa Patel if you can make it (
lisa.patel@gmail.com
).
Please also feel free to invite any other members of AAP Chapter 1 who are interested in attending!
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The SGA Side
Your Key to State Government Affairs
Nora Pfaff, MD, FAAP and Zarah Iqbal, MD, MPH
SGA Chapter Representatives
The AAP-CA State Government Affairs committee recently met to review 24 new proposed bills that have a direct or indirect effect on the health of children. During these meetings, we discuss whether or not we want to support, oppose, or “watch” a bill and find out more before taking a formal stance. Stay tuned to learn which bills we end up supporting! Here is the link to watch:
We also discussed some upcoming events including Legislative Day 2020 which will occur in May and provides a chance for chapter leaders to gather at the state Capitol and visit legislator offices to advocate on behalf of our patients.
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Opportunity for Your Benefit
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For SOPT (Section on Pediatric Trainees): Resident Research Grants
Deadline:
February 28, 2020
In an effort to enhance the development of research skills among physicians in training, the American Academy of Pediatrics administers the
Resident Research Grant Program
. This program gives residents the opportunity to conduct independent research projects and present their findings. The
2020 application
is available now online and is due February 28, 2020. Please contact Jeannine Hess with any questions at 800/433-9016 ext 6176 or via email at jhess@aap.org.
AAP National Committee Member Nominations
We encourage you to apply for vacant AAP National Committee Member positions. Please visit
Deadline to apply:
February 21, 2020
Questions about the positions or process, email: nominations@aap.org
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February 20, 2020:
The Changing Landscape of Atopic Dermatitis - CME Webinar -
REGISTER NOW!
April 25, 2020:
Spring CME Conference, Fairfield (Topic: Adolescent Health) -
SAVE THE DATE
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Our mission is to promote the optimal health and development of children and
adolescents of Northern California in partnership with their families and communities, and to support the pediatricians who care for them.
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President:
Raelene Walker •
Vice President:
Nelson Branco
•
Secretary:
Janice Kim •
Treasurer
: Nivedita More •
Past President:
John Takayama
Executive Director:
Isra Uz-Zaman
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