In February's Cold..

In February's cold, pediatricians unite,

Hearts devoted, knowledge takes flight.

Cozy exam rooms, where stories find voice,

Guiding with love, in health, they rejoice.

President's Column

Nicole Webb, MD, FAAP

I want to take a moment to recognize Dr. John Takayama's commitment and effort in providing valuable insights into the resolution process. I encourage all interested individuals to reach out early if they are considering submitting resolutions, allowing the chapter to extend the necessary support. Your proactive engagement is crucial, and I appreciate your participation.

Vice President's Column

Neel Patel, MD, FAAP

Hope and Connection



As we think about 2024 and all its hope, I’m humbled to think of the possibilities. As we still recover from the pandemic, I still think it’s important to leave space for reflection, healing and growth. Our ability to connect may have even been permanently altered, but much of what we need as social creatures doesn’t change. We know that we all connect in a variety of different ways and use different media to navigate the world. I hope that we, as a chapter, can continue to honor our diversity and try as much as possible to be inclusive and equitable across our chapter. So, it’s with this lens that I invite each one of you to participate this year in some way with the various activities offered by the chapter, whether it be big or small. I encourage you to get involved!

We hope to offer ways to connect in person, one of them being area director sponsored events closer to where you live in the chapter, recognizing that our chapter covers a large region. This does not necessarily need to be a social get together (those are indeed fun!) but local connection can have all sorts of looks. Consider getting a team together this year to walk or run for charity or it may be a picnic gathering in the summer. The outdoors in our region commands respect and gives overwhelming beauty that can uplift us and bring us together. Or it could be some other way to connect, as the real joy is not in the actual activity but in the wonderful individuals who attend.



So, I hope you are inspired to get involved, participate in something, and have some fun at the same time. Please keep an eye out for more opportunities, hopefully easier and closer to home. Bring forth ideas to your area directors (listed here) We would love to hear from you. I hope your year has taken off. I can’t wait to see where we go! 

Neel

Equity Corner

Amna Khan, MD, FAAP

Happy Black History Month, fellow AAP members and colleagues. This month we celebrate the impact and the profound contributions of the African Ancestry community to our society at large. As a pediatrician, I always look forward to this month as an additional opportunity to educate myself and create actionable items that deepens my commitment to comprehensively caring for this community.  

I would like to share this quote, from the powerful author and journalist Isabel Wilkerson, that I introspectively revisit yearly.  

“Radical empathy, on the other hand, means putting in the work to educate oneself and to listen with a humble heart to understand another's experience from their perspective, not as we imagine we would feel. Radical empathy is not about you and what you think you would do in a situation you have never been in and perhaps never will. It is the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it”. - Caste: the Origins of our Discontents

This quote masterfully takes my heartfelt feelings and translates them into words. We all have the ability to utilize our physician platforms to advocate for communities who historically have been the most disenfranchised and marginalized throughout time. I do not have the lived experience of my fellow African American but I can commit to practice radical empathy and find impactful ways to ally myself in our mutual, ongoing quest for equity and justice. I encourage everyone to consider how this quote reflects upon your role in pediatrics and strive to first, educate yourself about a racial health inequity that affects this community and that you encounter daily within your clinical practice. The next step is to mobilize that new education into an actionable item that creates positive change for the community—these can be small interventions that are built upon over time or larger projects supported by AAP grants and programming. As your AAPCA1 chapter leadership, we encourage you to reach out to us for any potential resources in bringing your idea to fruition for the betterment of the community.  

There are many wonderful books that are highly instructive in describing the history of inequity in medicine within our African American community.  

My top 3 suggestions include: 

Medical Apartheid, by Harriet Washington 

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America, by Linda Villarosa 

Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson 

For additional resources and commentary, please check out www.thepeoplespediatrician.com or you can reach me at thepeoplespediatrician@gmail.com

In solidarity,

 Amna Khan, MD FAAP

EDI Champion, Chapter 1 AAP

AAP's Leadership Conference Resolutions: Looking Back, Looking Forward

John Takayama, MD, FAAP

District IX Representative, Chapter Forum Management Committee (CFMC)

It’s February and just in time to draft and discuss Resolutions - no, not the New Year’s kind, but AAP Leadership Conference Resolutions! Any chapter member can submit a resolution to the Academy to advocate for change - to improve the health and well-being of children, youth and families; to support pediatricians; and to make AAP a better organization. Resolutions should address the Academy’s mission, core values, or strategic plan (https://www.aap.org/en/about-the-aap/strategic-plan/); and ask the Academy to take action on a specific issue not already addressed or to establish a new program or activity.

In August, 2023, six resolutions from authors in our chapter were adopted at the annual Leadership Conference. The following are the resolutions and how entities within the academy responded:

The 2023 cycle for Resolutions is almost complete; just in time for the 2024 cycle to begin. If the above resolutions have piqued your interest, if you have been thinking about ways the Academy can improve health care for children, youth and families, and support pediatricians, this is the time to begin drafting a resolution. Resolutions use a specific format that includes a “whereas” (statement of significance, i.e., why the resolution should be considered) and “resolved” (specific steps the AAP should take). Resolutions often include key action verbs such as advocate, collaborate and educate. For more information about how to write and submit resolutions, please go to the AAP Collaborate Website, https://collaborate.aap.org/alf/Pages/home.aspx the deadline for submitting the 2024 resolution is April 1, 2024. It’s always a good idea to submit your resolution for chapter sponsorship at least several weeks before the deadline.

John I. Takayama, MD, MPH, FAAP (takayamaj@gmail.com)

District IX Representative, Chapter Forum Management Committee (CFMC)

The SGA Side

Your Key to State Government Affairs

Nora Pfaff, MD, FAAP and Anna Kaplan, MD, FAAP

SGA Chapter Representatives

AAPCA1 has signed on to two letters of support on climate change and medicaid:

•  Highlighting the Family First Act, the sign on letter urges Congress to prioritize family-based care, reject the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2023, and maintain Medicaid support. It emphasizes the ongoing effort to reduce institutionalization and strengthen community-based mental health services for children in the child welfare system.
• We also supported climate change by advocating for a 2022 law (SB1137) that restricts toxic oil drilling within 3,200 feet of vital facilities, including healthcare centers and homes. The campaign, aiming to safeguard communities from health risks associated with oil wells, particularly emphasizes the well-being of children, while opposing Big Oil's efforts to overturn this crucial law. 

For the most up-to-date information on AAP California bill positions, letters, and outcomes from the current California Legislative year, go to www.aap-ca.org/bill. For the latest organizational advocacy updates follow @AAPCADocs on Twitter. If you have questions and/or are interested in knowing more about certain legislation, reach out to our State Government Affairs Chapter Representative Nora Pfaff, MD, FAAP and Anna Kaplan MD, FAAP at info@aapca1.org.

Developmental Disabilities: Update for Professionals

John Takayama, MD, FAAP

AAP Annual Leadership Conference Rep, District IX

One in six children in the U.S., about 17% of children age 3 through 17, have one or more developmental disabilities according to the CDC. While we tend to focus on timely screening and identification to optimize effective services for our patients, recent public discussions have uncovered gaps in our overall approaches. 

When Britney Spears provided testimony several years ago about how being placed under conservatorship suspended her rights to make a variety of decisions, this cast light on a fraught system for decision making for people with developmental disabilities, prompting a needed discussion on disability rights. Just last year, California passed AB1663, which establishes supported decision-making as an alternative to probate conservatorship.

This past summer, Stefanie Ames and her colleagues published a seminal study in Pediatrics on perceived disability-based discrimination in the care for children with medical complexity and disability (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37357731/). They interviewed caregivers and described that discrimination could be manifested in limited access to care, substandard care and dehumanization and identified clinician knowledge, apathy and assumptions as drivers of such discrimination.

Learn more to improve care for children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities, by attending the virtual 23rd Annual Developmental Disabilities - Update for Health Professionals, scheduled for March 7 and 8 Featured speakers will address, in addition to the two topics described above, systems change, health equity, health care transitions, trauma informed care, neurodiversity in patient care, autism, cerebral palsy, health policy, assisted communication, sexuality and so much more. 

Register before early bird ends Jan. 31): https://virtualce.ucsf.edu/DD and here is our link to the course agenda. For questions, please email Gaelen.Lombard@ucsf.edu.

See All Available Pediatric Jobs on our Job Board!

Opportunities for Your Benefit

Dive Into The Implications of ACEs on Interpersonal Relationships and Healthcare

Join us for a compelling evening of learning and networking at our upcoming CME dinner focused on the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on interpersonal relationships and healthcare. This event is tailored for physicians and healthcare providers keen on enhancing their skills in engaging and treating patients with a history of ACEs.

Date: February 28th, 2024

Time: 6:00 PM - Check-in | 6:30 PM - Dinner and Program

Location:

Hillcrest Plaza

210 Julie Drive

Yuba City, CA 95901

ACEs Health Champions Gathering

Dr. Cross and Mr. Turkheimer will discuss international strategies for combatting online Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM), including stopping CSAM producers from historically advantaged countries from exploiting

poor children in historically disadvantaged countries.

Date: February 23th, 2024

Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM via Zoom

Healthy People 2030 Grant Opportunity on Social Media as a Real Tool in Pediatrics - Applications Due March 11

Healthy People 2030 — the Healthy People initiative launched on August 18, 2020. Building on knowledge gained over the past 4 decades, Healthy People 2030 sets national objectives to address the nation's latest public health priorities. Healthy People 2030 presents a comprehensive, nationwide health promotion and disease prevention agenda. It is designed to serve as a road map for improving the health of all people in the United States. Healthy People 2030 represents the fifth time the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed 10-year health objectives for the nation.

Annually, AAP chapters compete for up to four (4) grants of up to $25,000 each, made possible thanks to donations to the Friends of Children Fund. In 2024, the ''Social Media as a Real Tool in Pediatrics'' grant theme encourages chapters to create programs that address and encourage healthy and safe behaviors,  communication, and relationships on social media platforms with and between children, adolescents, caregivers, pediatricians, and the community.

Submit applications by March 11, 2024!

February 21 Resolution Writing Workshop for the Annual Leadership Conference REGISTER HERE

March 7-8 UCSF Livestream Conference 23rd Annual Developmental Disabilities REGISTER HERE

May 13-14 Legislative Day in Sacramento SAVE THE DATE

Executive Committee:

President: Nicole Webb • Vice President: Neel Patel

• Secretary: Resham Kaur • Treasurer: Amita Saxena • Past President: Nelson Branco

Executive Director: Yolanda Ruiz

Board Members:

North Valley MAL: Thiyagu Ganesan • Sacramento Valley MAL: Lena van der List • Central Valley MAL: Deborah Shassetz • South Valley MAL: Sireesha Palkamsetti • San Francisco MAL: Maya Raman • Santa Clara MAL: Bindya Singh• San Mateo MAL: Jackie Czaja • North Coastal MAL: Jeffrey Ribordy • Monterey Bay MAL: Graciela Wilcox • Alameda MAL: Renee Wachtel • Contra Costa/Solano MAL: Omoniyi Omotoso

Pediatric Insider News Editors:

• Mika Hiramatsu • Deborah Shassetz • Alyssa Velasco

Staff:

Executive Director: Yolanda Ruiz • Project Coordinator: Sana Sayyid •

Marketing Assistant: Arathzy Portillo