Speaking of transitions, Chapter 2 is currently holding board elections for the 2024 – 26 term. On July 1, current vice president Dr. Melissa Ruiz will assume the role of chapter president. In this election, we will be selecting the next vice president / president-elect. Other positions on the ballot include secretary, treasurer, and members-at-large.

This is a vitally important process for our chapter. The chapter nominating committee did an excellent job in selecting a diverse and well-qualified panel of candidates, and every position on the ballot is contested. Candidate videos and written statements are located at https://aapca2.org/elections.

If you are eligible to vote (fellow and specialty fellow members), you should have received your ballot by email. Please vote and make your voice heard! The deadline for voting is May 31 at 11:59 pm. If you have not received a ballot or are having other challenges around voting, please contact us at chapter2@aapca2.org. Given that each emailed ballot is unique to a particular chapter member, please avoid asking colleagues for their link or sharing your link with others.

I would also like to thank all our members who attended the 2024 Advances in Pediatrics Symposium. It was wonderful having the opportunity to meet so many of you. There were a lot of residents and medical students in attendance, which was fantastic to see. You are the future of pediatrics, and I hope you see AAP-CA2 as your professional home! Please scroll down the newsletter for additional details and photos of the Symposium.

This month’s Member Spotlight features Lingie Chiu, MD, FAAP who is a member-at-large and chapter suicide prevention champion.

In the Trainees’ Corner, we are showcasing the winners of the 2024 Symposium Research Awards, along with CHLA pediatric resident Dr. Jake Lehman who was the recipient of a CATCH grant.

I would like to welcome our new chapter members and encourage them to get involved by joining a chapter committee. Information about our committees and other resources are available on our website, https://aapca2.org. Your support makes the work of this chapter possible!

Save the date for the following events:

May 28 – AAP-CA1: Mental Health Chapter Chat

June 7 – CHLA virtual conference: Strategies to Collaborate with Family and Patients to Advance Healthcare Outcomes

June 8 – Community event: Wearorange.org "Addressing Gun Violence" picnic

June 18 – AAP-CA2 Woodland Hills Town hall featuring Dr. Tanya Altmann

Best wishes,

Grant Christman, MD, MACM, FAAP

Chapter Elections are open. Only voting members may vote during the election. Please look for the email "Chapter Elections - Please Vote" and proceed to the ballot. Be sure to look at the videos and position statements before casting your vote. Please visit https://aapca2.org/elections/ to learn about the candidates for executive office and for the positions of Members At Large. The elections web page is open for all to view. The last day to vote is May 31st at 11:59 PM.

Symposium Highlights

By Niru Madduri, MD, FAAP

Chair, Newsletter Editorial Board

Our annual AAP-CA2 symposium on April 27, 2024 brought the wisdom and experience of several experts. Our presenters were a group of nationally recognized pediatricians who are doing impactful work. View the report

Voting is a Social Determinant of Health

We would like to thank the PedsRAP team for providing the video of Dr. Pan's lecture at the recent Advances in Pediatrics Symposium, Voting as a Social Determinant of Health. The video below is roughly one hour long, beginning with the lecture (30 minutes), followed by the panel of representatives from the climate, EDI and smoking cessation committees. You may watch the video by clicking the image below.

At this year’s AAP CA2 Symposium, we had our first-ever live podcast of PedsRAP, generously hosted by Dr. Sol Behar. The event kicked off with UCLA Pediatric Chief Residents Drs. Ozzy Obiwuru and Jennifer Bailey presenting a compelling patient case in a morning report format. Following this, UCLA Pediatric Co-Chief Resident Dr. Megan McKittrick and UCLA Pediatric GI attending Dr. Alvin Chan led an engaging discussion on diagnosis and management.

For more insights into the diagnosis discussed, don't miss out on the podcast!

Additionally, Dr. Behar interviewed chapter members Dr. Emma Burdekin from the AAP Section on Pediatric Trainees and Dr. Christine Thang from the AAP Section on Early Career Physicians. Together, they delved into the invaluable benefits of AAP chapter membership, reflecting on their journey from medical students to active members. 

Curious about how you and your colleagues can engage with the chapter? Tune in to explore further opportunities for involvement!

25 points of ABP MOC Part 4 credit

$750 at the end of the 4th cycle

• Baseline Data Collection (10 random charts)
• Three PDSA Cycles + Data Collection
• Monthly QI/data review calls

Please contact ucla.avc@mednet.ucla.edu or complete this Interest Form.



May Social Pedia Newsletter

• What's happening this month?

May is Mental Health Month. Plus information on May being Foster Care Awareness Month, The Screen Free Week initiative, Food Allergy Awareness Week (5/12 - 5/18), and updates to the Vaccine Misinformation Update Corner.

Access all resources in This Month's Issue

Is your pediatric practice interested in improving appropriate use of antibiotics in telemedicine? 

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is currently recruiting practices for a no-cost, 18-month program beginning in June 2024 to promote appropriate antibiotic use in telemedicine while improving patient and family satisfaction with antibiotic prescribing. Practices will learn directly from experts in infectious diseases, antibiotic prescribing, and tele-diagnosis and receive one-on-one coaching to implement sustainable improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious syndromes over telemedicine, including those common in pediatrics such as otitis media. Participants will learn how to determine when an in-patient visit is needed, how to handle uncertainty in diagnosis over telemedicine, and how to communicate effectively with parents. Participating providers will be eligible for continuing education units (CEUs), continuing medical education (CME) credits, and American Board of Pediatrics maintenance of certification (MOC) points.

Learn more and sign up for an informational webinar on the program website:

safetyprogram4telemedicine.org

Download Flier Here

Research Awards chair, Emma Burdekin, MD (Right) presents certificates of recognition to first place winners, Helen Setaghiyan (Center) and Meghan Patel, both medical students at University of California Riverside. You may read their research submission, Promoting Service Access and Equity in Inland Southern California, in a link below.

Promoting Service Access and Equity in Inland Southern California: A Community of Practice Approach to Reduce Caregiver Burden and Support Early Intervention for Children with Developmental Disabilities



Families of children with developmental disabilities (DD) living in an underserved, resource-poor geographic region, such as Inland Southern California, face unclear referral pathways, financial, language, and cultural barriers ... Read More!

Research Awards chair, Emma Burdekin, MD presents certificates of recognition to second place winner Gabriel Espinoza (Left) and third place winner Annie Tagvoryan (Right). You may read their research submissions in the links below.

Improving Timeliness of Hepatitis B Immunization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Espinoza, Gabriel, MD (LLU); Khan, Abdul Wasay, MD (LLU); Tsai, Chin MD (LLU); Larry Ngo, MD (LLU)

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital

Exploring Psychosocial Dysfunction in Children of Caregivers with Chronic Disease  

Shamieh Banihani1,2, Annie Tagvoryan1, Daniel Novak1, Ph.D, Alyssa Monroy3, Celia Aguilar3, Shloka Homa3, Natalie Cooley3, Howard Moss4, MD, Adwoa Osei1,2, MD

UC Riverside School of Medicine

We would like to thank all residents and medical students for participating in this year's research poster presentations.

We would like to congratulate CHLA pediatric resident Jake Lehman, MD for being recipient of a CATCH grant. His project aims to increase the accessibility of intranasal Naloxone (Narcan) in the reversal of opioid-induced accidental deaths. Specifically, his team has created a ‘Narcan Kit’ with intranasal naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and education materials for distribution to patients and families in the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Emergency Department. They hope to increase the distribution of Narcan Kits through further training of ED staff (attending, fellows, residents, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, etc.) on SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) and through the help of community partners (local adolescent substance use counselors and Team Awareness Combating Overdose). 

We'll Come To Your School or Hospital

Dear Medical Schools and Pediatric Residency Programs in AAP California Chapter 2, 

Are you interested in learning more about local advocacy efforts? Do you want to hear more about getting involved in AAP California Chapter 2? If yes, then please consider inviting our chapter leadership to your local pediatric interest group meeting, pediatric residency noon conference, or any other gathering. Our chapter leadership wants to connect with the trainees in the area so reach out to chapter2@aapca2.org to schedule an event at your medical school / residency program!

The Member Spotlight is written to highlight our chapter membership. Chapter members can submit personal narratives about themselves with a focus on how they maintain their physician wellness in the face of everyday struggles and challenges. Authors may also choose to highlight a practice, volunteer activities, QI projects, etc. The purpose of the spotlight series is to encourage and foster unity and support within the chapter.

Please complete THIS FORM to be considered for a future Member Spotlight in the AAP-CA2 Newsletter!

Insights from the Reach Out and Read National Leadership Conference in NYC

By Delesa Barnes

Reach Out and Read Inland Empire Program Coordinator

The Reach Out and Read (ROR) Leadership Conference held in New York City this May was a remarkable gathering of passionate advocates, dedicated healthcare professionals, and innovative program leaders, all united by a common goal: to promote early childhood literacy. Attending the conference each year... Read more

May Update  

This month’s immunization newsletters includes a new AAP Guide to Childhood Immunizations for new parents, important VFC program updates, new LACDPH vaccine preventable disease webpages, teen mental health toolkits, and health campaigns taking place this month.

View the full advisory, plus upcoming events, here.

Katherine Killmond, MD - Long Beach

Izabela Oluwole, MD, FAAP - Red Lands

Rita Rossi-Foulkes, MD, FAAP - Los Angeles

MEDICAL STUDENTS

Manuel Acuña - Bloomfield Hills

Lexy Anderson - Los Angeles

Simrina Desar - Riverside

Nora Galoustian - Granada Hills

Manali Ghadiali - La Palma

Raeven Grant - Los Angeles

Madeleine Lancaster - Redlands

Annie Tagvoryan - Burbank

Samantha Zimmer - Lancaster

Gasol Foundation (founded by NBA Champions Pau and Marc Gasol) is a nonprofit that works through programming, research, advocacy, and awareness to promote children’s wellness, with a focus on eliminating childhood obesity.



Every Gasol Foundation program incorporates physical activity and sports, healthy eating, sleep, and emotional well-being to improve the health of our children and their overall development. 

The Galactic Sports program consists of basic sports skills and wellness lessons for children ages 6-12. The program takes children through 10 weekly one-hour lessons in a sport (basketball, track and field, or soccer) while also engaging them on the importance of healthy habits.

Register for Galactic Sports Spring '24 and view the Gasol Foundation USA Galactic Sports Spring '24 programming map today! 

LEARN MORE: https://gasolfoundation.org/galactic-sports/

Learn about a Substance Use Screening &

Counseling Intervention for Adolescents!

Adolescent Substance use Prevention Intervention REsearch Study

ASPIRE is a research study testing whether an online system called the “CRAFFT Interactive” that offers:

• Pre-visit substance use screening of adolescents aged 14–17, and

• A Clinician Report tool that guides clinicians in delivering brief counseling

Can reduce alcohol &other substance use over 12 months. Read more...

Upcoming Events

CHLA’s HRSA-MCHB funded programs (LEND, DBP, GPE, LEAH, PPSMC, Community-Partnered Pediatric Residency Training in Mental and Behavioral Health, and Transforming Pediatrics for Early Childhood Grant) are hosting a free virtual conference this June!

The Strategies to Collaborate with Family and Patients to Advance Healthcare Outcomes Conference will be held virtually on Friday, 6/7 from 9am - 12:35pm PST.

RSVP HERE

Wear Orange invites you to a community picnic (bring your own food & drink) to honor victims & survivors as we work together to end gun violence. We will have speakers & tables with resources. The event will end with live music.

RSVP Here!

Are you interested in attending and speaking at the podium? Please contact Shahrzad at (626)-498-5468.

Date:

Saturday, June 8, 2024 11:30am-1:30pm

Location:

Cameron Park,

1363-1399 E Cameron Ave West Covina, CA 91790

In June, join Dr. Ken Saul and colleagues from the AAP-CA2 at another incredible townhall, hosted at Maggiano's in Woodland Hills. This event will include a discussion on important issues of the quarter: including Vaccine Updates, Ophthalmology, ENT, Derm and ID. The featured speaker will be Dr. Tanya Altmann, founder of Calabasas Pediatrics.

To RSVP, contact docksaul@aol.com or call (805)-494-1948.

Download The Flier!

Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference 2024

June 22 - 23, 2024

The Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference features nationally and internationally renowned experts skilled in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches who will present a diverse range of emerging clinical and research challenges, insights, and advances in the field of inflammatory brain disorders. Presentations are carefully selected to familiarize attendees with rapidly developing research and to educate clinicians on the latest understanding of treatment options. Both generalists as well as specialists in pediatric and adult medicine will find the conference valuable to their practices. The intended audience is pediatricians, family physicians, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, immunologists, neurologists, and infectious disease physicians. Though the conference is designed for physicians, all are welcome to attend.

The link to register and request admission fee be waived can be found on their official website. 

Download The Event Flier

Please visit our website: aapca2.org

Past issues of Peds@CA2 eNews: https://aapca2.org/publications/

Thank you to the 1,370 who follow us on X! @AAPCA2 and Instagram