2017 - January Edition
   Welcome to the January 2017 edition of our monthly e-Newsletter.
Edward Curry, MD, FAAP President, AAP-CA2

First, let me wish everyone a Happy New Year!
 
The Chapter had a very active and productive 2016, during which we held a total of 13 events, with 364 members in attendance. Chapter members benefited by obtaining CME credit in far more events than just our annual symposium. Additionally, the dynamic discussions during Town Halls provided several forums where pediatricians voiced their concerns and opinions, actively learning from guest speakers and their peers.
 
The Chapter held three Town Hall Meetings on Developmental Screening and Autism in Studio City, Santa Monica, and Pomona. A total of 72 pediatricians attended those events, along with representatives from organizations with a special interest in these services (211 and First 5 Los Angeles). Dr. Larry Yin provided concise pearls, emphasized the utilization of standardized developmental screening tools, and shared real patient videos depicting children with evident developmental delay and behaviors suggestive of Autism.

In partnership with First 5 San Bernardino, we provided a total of five (5) informational Town Halls in three different cities within San Bernardino County: City of San Bernardino, two in Rancho Cucamonga, and twice in the city of Victorville. We enrolled 9 practices in the Reach Out And Read Program, and  provided Bright Futures Guidelines education.

We partnered with First 5 Ventura County to create a link between services offered and pediatricians in the area. Additionally, we partnered with Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) in San Bernardino County, and with AltaMed in Los Angeles, to join forces in upcoming quality improvement projects.
 
We hosted the 27th Annual Advances in Pediatrics at the Sheraton Universal Hotel with over 100 attendees providing both CME and MOC part 2 credits.
 
We initiated implementation of a free MOC Part 4 HPV Vaccination QI Project, aimed at improving HPV vaccine initiation through strong provider recommendation. Hosted a four-hour in-person Learning session on December 10, and 11 practices are in the second cycle of data collection.
 
In the area of State advocacy, AAP-CA experienced great successes in 2016. Forty-three AAP-CA supported bills were signed by the governor into law. All five AAP-CA opposed bills were defeated. All four AAP-CA supported statewide ballot measures were passed by the voters, as were the three local ballot measures supported by AAP-CA. Led by State Government Affairs representatives, the California Chapters made historic progress in the areas of child poverty, child food insecurity and obesity, youth exposure to nicotine and tobacco products, funding gun violence prevention research, improved safety for children undergoing anesthesia in pediatric dental procedures, and quality assurance and support for services for children with special health care needs.
 
As we go forward into 2017, old Chinese Proverb  "May we live in interesting times" seems very appropriate. With the changing political environment, significant changes to children's healthcare needs loom big.  It is important for American Academy of Pediatrics at National, District, and Chapter continue to champion the healthcare needs of all our children.
 
The legalizing of recreational Marijuana produces another threat to the health and well being of our children. Chapter and District will be involved with State Legislation to protect our children from direct advertising, unsafe packaging, and any other threat marijuana could pose.
 
In order to champion these issues at the state and local level, the chapter will need additional funding.  Chapter 2 has not had a dues increase in over 9 years.  Starting January we will have a dues increase of $30.  Half of this dues increase will go to AAP District IX to support state advocacy, while the other will be used by the chapter to support local advocacy and chapter activities.
 
During 2017 on Federal Level, National AAP will provide ongoing Advocacy for Children health care issues with support from the Chapter and our members. District IX and the Chapter will continue to advocate for Child Health in Sacramento. We will be providing regular updates on legislation related to children.
 
For 2017 the Chapter will continue to offer multiple Town Halls with CME credit.  Our Annual Pediatric Conference to be held at the Universal Sheraton will offer an attractive early bird Registration fee of $149 for Chapter member only. 
 
The Chapter will continue to offer MOC part 4 Quality Improvement Projects for chapter members.  Our Annual Pediatric Conference will offer MOC part 2 credit.  National AAP and the Chapter will continue to be a voice for improvement of MOC process. 
 
We have a number of committees that will need members, and we will reach out to you to become involved in the chapter. The Chapter is committed to create value for AAP California Chapter 2 members.
 
My sincere hope is that our chapter members continue to support the Chapter and recruit other pediatricians as we move forward for what could be a challenging year for Children Healthcare. 
 
Thank you for your support in 2016. Wishing everyone the best in 2017.
 
Ed



Edward Curry M.D.  F.A.A.P
President, AAP-CA2

Feature Article - State Advocacy
Dental Board of California Makes Determination
Paula J. Whiteman, MD, FACEP, FAAP
CFMC Representative, AAP-District IX  
Immediate Past President, AAP-CA2 
 
Not one more healthy California child should suffer a potentially preventable death in a dental chair, if anything can be done to prevent it... Not one more.

The Dental Board of CA(DBC) met again, this time in San Francisco for a two-day meeting.  Part of this meeting focused on the Pediatric Anesthesia Report (PAR) and the deadline for their recommendations to the legislature in response to Caleb's Law.

As you may remember, I traveled north 3 other times to testify in front of the DBC to advocate in regard to the single operator anesthesia model, where the dental profession simultaneously performs the anesthesia without a second trained and competent professional in the room to monitor the patient's airway and level of sedation. I can now report that the DBC has made a decision in the right direction.   Read the story  ...   Watch the Video

(On Right) AAP-CA2 Immediate Past President Paula Whiteman, MD, FACEP, FAAP, representing AAP-CA, addresses the Dental Board of California.   (On Left) California Dental Board President, Steven Morrow, DDS responding to the recommendations from stakeholders. 


New Media Plan Toolkit Available for Parents on HealthyChildren.org
Corinn Cross, MD, FAAP
              Treasurer, AAP-CA2                 Council on Communications and Media

Corinn Cross, MD FAAP
Council on Communications and Media, Executive Board
 
The AAP's Council on Communications and Media has two new policy statements, "Media and Young Minds"  and   "Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents" , as well as a corresponding Technical Report,  "Children and Adolescents and Digital Media", out in the November issue of Pediatrics. These statements outline the changing relationship children and teens have with media. While the policy statements allow for us to discuss what we know and map out what still needs to be researched, the toolkit on HealthyChildren.org gives pediatricians and families the guidance and tools they need to parent, now.
 
Media has become ubiquitous in our daily lives. For children and adolescents, this includes school time, free time and homework time. Media is used for communication, education and recreation. The policy statements and technical report outline something that many parents have realized -- the 2 hour limit just isn't enough advice. Screen use is so nuanced and weaved into our day that parents need more guidance.
 
As busy pediatricians, we don't often have the time to delve into media use in our office visits but recommending parents visit the website and create a Family Media Use Plan is something we can find the time to do. Creating a Family Media Use Plan is an important step in helping parents realize that they can, and should, still "parent" their children's online life and be aware of, and hopefully approve of, their online and media choices.  The toolkit discusses screen free zones and times, device curfews and where devices should charge overnight. It talks about displacement and the need to maintain a healthy balance, which includes an appropriate number of hours of sleep for age as well as 1 hour of physical activity a day. Parents are encouraged to co-play, and co-view media with their children and to research apps and shows through sites like Common Sense Media so that they can be aware of content and age appropriateness. The toolkit introduces the ideas of diversifying media experiences and encourages parents to think about what their family's values are and to ensure that their child or adolescent's media experiences are inline with those values.
 
Many parents feel overwhelmed when it comes to parenting, device use and media choices. The online resource gives parents concrete tools to navigate this new area of parenting.

Measles Outbreak in Los Angeles - 11 Cases to Date

LADPH
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is working to control an outbreak of laboratory confirmed measles. To date, 11 cases have been identified and contact investigations are ongoing at a variety of exposure venues widely distributed throughout Los Angeles County. What actions can you take to help?  

Please click here to read the letter from Franklin D. Pratt, MD, MPHTM, FACEP, Medical Director of the Immunization Program at LACDPH.

In Memoriam
Allan S. Lieberthal, MD, FAAP
February 27, 1946 - December 25, 2016 

Allan Stuart Lieberthal, M.D., 70, passed peacefully at home in Agoura Hills on December 25, 2016. He is survived by his wife Yoletta, his sons, David, Adam, Josh and Joshy, his four-daughters-in-law, and his grandchildren, Benji, Abby, Jordan, Oliver, Lily and Alexandra as well as his sister Carol and a full and vibrant extended family. He was the son of Jack and Cecille Lieberthal, a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Illinois School of Medicine, he served the community for over thirty-five years as a pediatrician at Kaiser-Panorama City. Dr. Lieberthal was president of AAP-CA2 from 2004 to 2006, a continuous mentor and leader in quality improvement initiatives, a major contributor to policy development at the American Academy of Pediatrics, a colleague - a friend. He was a good man who meant well for everyone and who truly lived the words, "first, do no harm." He will be greatly missed. 

Quality Improvement - Initiatives That Improve Patient Care - 25 Points MOC Part 4

AAP-CA2 HPV QI Project

Providers representing eleven practices attended the HPV Quality Improvement in-person training on December 10, 2016 at The Maxwell House, in Pasadena. Topics included an in-depth look at the HPV vaccine as a cancer prevention measure, QI methodology, as well as a review of the baseline data of each practice. The g oal is to systematically improve HPV vaccination initiation rates in 11 and 12 year old teens during five cycles of strong provider recommendation, followed by series completion. Practices will participate in monthly webinars and utilize the AAP's Quality Improvement Data Aggregator to upload data.



The AAP-CA2 HPV QI Team

In The Community
November 16th. Town Hall in Studio City

AAP-CA2 Member At Large, Daniel Bruckner, MD, hosted a Town Hall at Bistro Garden in Studio City on November 16. This dinner/e ducational session was generously sponsored by Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). Kiarash Sadrieh, MD - Director, Child Neurology Training Program at CHLA spoke on headaches, and, CHLA Rheumatologist Michal Cidon, MD spoke on Arthritis for the General Pediatrician.

Dr. Sadrieh shared the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria website, on which the members of the Classification Committee have published their work for the last three years. Please visit https://www.ichd-3.org

Following the feature presentations, Dr. Bruckner engaged the audience with topics of interest, including a brief presentation by pediatric dentist Jill Cohen Lasky, DDS on the uses of fluoride toothpaste. Dr. Lasky also emphasized on the importance of having dedicated staff providing anesthesia during pediatric dental procedures requiring general sedation.


December 6th - Ventura County Board of Supervisors - Prop. 64 (Marijuana)

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors held a community forum during their 10-hour long regular meeting on December 6, 2016. Among the fifty five agenda items was item 42,  Addressing Medical Marijuana Regulations in Unincorporated Ventura County; and Directing Staff on Follow-Up Actions Related to the Adult Use of Marijuana Act and the Preparation of Medical Marijuana. In attendance representing pediatricians were Sun Moon Lee, MD, FAAP, Associate Medical Director at Pediatric Diagnostic Center, and AAP-CA2 Executive Director, Tomás Torices, MD, who spoke on behalf of the membership and the Academy expressing concerns about marijuana advertisement, packaging, and parental education. You may access the documents submitted by the public prior to the forum. Ventura County has developed a Marijuana FAQ document, as well as a video series by How High Ventura County.

(Left) Ventura County Board of Supervisors Chair, Linda Parks, takes comments from the audience  during  an  open  forum on December 6, 2017. (Right) AAP-CA2 Executive Director, Tomás Torices, MD addresses  the Board  with  concerns regarding children safety with the recent legalization of marijuana in California.

December 7th - AAP-CA2 Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting

The AAP-CA2 Board of Directors and special guests met in Pasadena on December 7 for the last quarterly meeting of 2016. 
AAP-CA2 would like to thank the members of the Board for their tremendous support and guidance as we ended a year of great accomplishments, and look forward to a prosperous 2017.

(Standing, from left) Guest Tamar Chorbadjian, DO, MPH, FAAP; Member-At-Large Claudia Wang, MD, FAAP; Immediate Past President Paula J. Whiteman, MD, FACEP, FAAP; guest Timothy L. Degner, MD, FAAP; Disaster Preparedness Committee Chair Millicent Wilson, MD; Past President Elliot Weinstein, MD, FAAP; San Bernardino-High Desert Area Representative Damodara Rajasekhar, MD, FAAP; Member-At-Large Grant Christman, MD, FAAP; Santa Barbara Area Representative Brian Santacrose, MD, FAAP; Member-At-Large Mona Patel, MD, FAAP; Vice President Alice Kuo, MD, PhD, Med., FAAP; District IX Resident Representative Christine Thang, MD; Early Career Physician Representative Melissa Ruiz, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Kaiser Permanente Resident Representative Alina Leung, MD.
(Sitting, from left) Member-At-Large Cindy Baker, MD, FAAP; Secretary Susan Wu, MD, FAAP; Member-At-Large Chris Landon, MD, FAAP, FCCP, CDM; President Edward Curry, MD, FAAP; Member-At-Large Ken Saul, MD, FAAP; and Treasurer Cori Cross, MD, FAAP.
AAP-CA2 Events - Save the Dates!
January 17, 2017 in Santa Barbara
Brian Santacrose, MD, FAAP AAP-CA2 Area Representative
Santa Barbara County

CALM (Child Abuse Listening Mediation) of Santa Barbara is hosting a Town Hall/Open House for community pediatricians.  Learn about: 
  • Santa Barbara Resiliency Pilot Project; using the ACE screening tool and embedding behavioral health in a pediatric setting.
  • PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy) a simple but effective intervention for children with externalizing behaviors and parental attachment issues.
Speakers: Deborah Holmes, LCSW, Dr. Andria Ruth, MD, and Miriam Cislo, LMFT

This event is sponsored by CALM, and is Co-Hosted by AAP-CA2 Santa Barbara Area Representative Brian Santacrose, MD, FAAP.

CALM's mission is to prevent, assess, and treat child abuse in Santa Barbara County through comprehensive services for children, families, and adults.

Date: January 17, 2017 at  6:30 PM. 
LOCATION:1236 Chapala St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.  Downstairs Conference Room.

Click here to REGISTER  for January 17th. in Santa Barbara.

January 18, 2017 in San Bernardino -  Town Hall / Dinner Meeting
Edward Curry, MD, FAAP President, AAP-CA2

Please join AAP-CA2 President, Edward Curry, MD, FAAP for an evening of professional development in San Bernardino.

Topic:
"Bright Futures Guidelines -  Improving Preventive Care in Your Practice Without Burden"

Speaker: Edward Curry, MD, FAAP, President, AAP-CA2 
CME Accreditation: 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Plus, Featured Presentation
Reach Out and Read®
Let's make reading doctor-recommended in San Bernardino County!
Presented by First 5 San Bernardino

Date: January 18, 2017 at  6:00 PM. 
LOCATION: First 5 San Bernardino, 735 East Carnegie Drive #150 San Bernardino, CA 92408 

Click here to REGISTER  for January 18th. in San Bernardino.
Register via Fax:  Print/view flyer

February 8, 2017 in Woodland Hills -  Town Hall / Dinner Meeting
Ken Saul, MD, FAAP Member-At-Large AAP-CA2

Please join AAP-CA2 Member-At-Large Ken Saul MD, FAAP as he hosts an evening of professional development at Maggiano's.

Topic:  "When It Isn't Just Physiologic Jaundice"

Speaker: CHLA Gastroenterologist, Danny Thomas, MD

Date: February 8, 2017 at  6:30 PM. 
LOCATION: Maggiano's of Woodland Hills.

RSVP: Please email Dr. Ken Saul  to save your seat. View/Download Flyer

February 16, 2017 in City of Industry -  Town Hall / Dinner Meeting
Larry Yin, MD, MSPH, FAAP

Developmental Screening and Early Detection of Autism for General Pediatricians
CME Accreditation: 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Please join AAP-CA2 Member-At-Large, Mona Patel, MD, FAAP, and AAP-CA2 President, Edward Curry, MD, FAAP, as they host an educational session on the topic of Developmental Screening.  Funded by AltaMed Health Service through First 5 LA.

This event is to promote the use of validated, standardized screening measures to identify children at risk for developmental delay and autism, as well as an overview of community resources to address identified developmental delays. It will be an exciting overview of validated screening measures that can be easily incorporated into the general pediatrics visit.

Presented by Larry Yin, MD, MSPH, FAAP. Dr. Yin studies disparities among the underserved populations, developmental disabilities, screening and intervention at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Date: February 16, 2017 at 6:00 PM. 
LOCATION: AltaMed Corporate Headquarters, in East Los Angeles.  2040 Camfield Ave.  Los Angeles , CA 90040


  

Save the Date!
Advances in Pediatrics Symposium 
Saturday, April 22, 2017  at the Sheraton Universal Hotel

Lawrence F. Eichenfield, MD
Featured Faculty
Lawrence F. Eichenfield, MD
Lecture: Atopic Dermatitis.
Breakout: Challenging Rashes

Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield is Chief of Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology, and Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, was a pediatric resident and Chief Resident at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and completed his dermatology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Read more...





Jerome Front, LMFT
 "Morning Mindfulness"
 
Please join us for a deeply peaceful, and instructive way to start your day.   Experienced Mindfulness teacher Jerome Front, LMFT, will be guiding us in a down-to-earth, and practical experience of mindfulness.   This guided meditation will provide you with a useful, mind-body process that you can use beginning today for relaxation and to manage stress. This session can also be foundational for y our clinical understanding and application.  

Jero me  is a year-round Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, a faculty position he has held since 1999, where he developed the "Mindfulness & Psychotherapy" Graduate Course. Jerome has taught two weekly meditation classes and maintained a clinical private-practice in Studio City since 1994. In 1995 he created and began facilitating the experiential training method called the "Mindful CEU Retreat Workshop" for helping professionals and educators in Los Angeles.  Read more...

Opportunity for  Residents

Attention Pediatric and Medicine-Pediatric Residents

We would like to share with you an opportunity to showcase your scholarly projects from residency at the upcoming AAP-CA2 Advances in Pediatrics Symposium on April 22, 2017.
The abstract submission deadline is Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 11:59 PM PST.
Click here for more details.  We look forward to receiving your abstracts and having you join as at this annual symposium!

AAP National Event
NEW Course - Practical Care of the Adolescent and Young Adult
Co-sponsored by the AAP Section on Adolescent Health (SOAH) and the Section on Med-Peds (SOMP)
February 9-12, 2017
Anaheim, CA
 
This new course will provide attendees with a state of the art review of key conditions affecting adolescents and young adults, as well as the preventive measures that are critical to improving the health and quality of life outcomes for this patient population. This 4 - day course will include practical updates in cardiovascular health, reproductive and sexual health, dermatology, sports medicine, and mental health, as well as strategies for caring for this age group in the office setting. The program schedule also allows for some free time so attendees can take advantage of the Disneyland® Resort and other nearby attractions.
 
Check out the full course schedule and instructions for claiming MOC Part 2 credit at shop.aap.org/adolescent2017. 
Early Bird registration ends January 9, 2017. 

Survey - Please Help Us Reform Policies and Services.
Survey: Autism - Physician Practice Patterns
 


A graduate student at Stanford University School of Medicine is partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 2 to conduct a survey about practice patterns of physicians taking care of children and families with autism. The goal is to help us learn how to provide the best care we can.
Please help this effort by taking a 5-minute anonymous survey.

Please Click here to begin

CDC Updates & LAHAN Alerts
Join the CDC Listserv
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is happy to offer a free email subscription service, which allows CDC.gov users to receive alerts by e-mail when new information is available. With a subscription profile, you get the updated information on the items of interest to you automatically without having to return to the Web site and check for changes. Click to Subscribe 

Join the LAHAN Listserv  
To receive communications from the Health Alert Network, Sign-up here.
It takes less than two minutes to sign up.  
 
Visit the LAHAN website.

Submitting Articles for Publication in Our Newsletter


 

Have you written original clinical work you would like to share?

Do you have any news that you would like to publish in our newsletter?


AAP-CA2 invites you to submit your ideas, accomplishments, news, pictures...

For article submission guidelines, please click here.

 
Advertise in Our Newsletter

AAP-CA2 invites you to advertise in our newsletter
AAP-CA2 publishes its electronic newsletter, Peds@CA2, which is emailed to its 1,700+ members on the first weekend every month. Chapter members and non-profit organizations receive a 50% discount. Please follow the link below for more information.

For advertisement rates and guidelines, please   click here.
If you are interested in advertising, please  email the Chapter.
Charitable Donations
AAP-CA2 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Please consider a tax-deductible charitable donation to one of our many programs. 
  • The Medicine-Biological Sciences Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships to exceptional high school students each year.
  • The Committee on Service, Education, and Mentoring, which awards scholarships to pediatric residents for outstanding research projects. 
  • The S. Michael Marcy Memorial Lecture, which helps sponsor a portion of our annual Advances in Pediatrics Conference in his honor.

AAP-CA2 Video: We Are The AAP-CA Chapter 2 -  2016


Thank you for your support
Sincerely,
AAP-CA2
PO Box 94127 Pasadena, CA 91109
(818) 422-9877
Please visit our website at  http://aapca2.org/