A Snapshot of September
A Snapshot of September
Includes a Child Health Advocate Award for our very own member!
Resolutions from ALF, front and center,
And much more on the calendar.
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President's Column
Nelson Branco, MD, FAAP
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I started my August with two weeks away from my office and limited access to email. Of course, the week before and the week after vacation almost convinced me that taking time off was a bad idea. Almost, but not quite! Two weeks on the East coast in (highly vaccinated) Vermont and Massachusetts, riding my bike for a good cause in the Pan-Mass Challenge and visiting family and friends were exactly what I needed in these COVID-filled days.
There was no vacation for our chapter, though. Despite summer we are as busy as ever. While I was riding my bike, Isra Uz-Zaman, Dr. Nikki Webb and Dr. Raelene Walker were representing the chapter at the Annual Leadership Forum. I’ll let Dr. Webb fill us in on the ALF and the resolutions that the AAP Board is going to be considering over the course of the next year in her VP column. Thank you Nikki, Raelene and Isra for all of your efforts.
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I am thrilled to announce that our CA Chapter 1 member and California State Senator Dr. Richard Pan was awarded a 2021 AAP Child Health Advocate Award. This prestigious award is bestowed annually on a state government official for outstanding contributions to children’s health and well-being. As a California state senator, Dr. Pan has worked and advocated for children and pediatricians tirelessly and effectively. As stated in the award letter from Dr. Lee Savio Beers: “During your time as an elected official in California, your accomplishments to improve the health and well-being of children in the state has been unmatched among your legislator colleagues across the country. From removing the state’s philosophical and religious exemptions, expanding the number of conditions included in the state’s newborn screening panel, establishing Medi-Cal Children's Health Advisory Board to guide Medi-Cal policy affecting children, and all of your other legislative accomplishments has made California a leading state for children’s health and well-being.” Congratulations, Richard!
Our chapter held several webinars and Chapter Chats in August - all of these events were recorded and are available for you to watch and learn from even if you were not able to attend live. Click the title to access the recording:
We also have several new grants we are working on that we hope will help you take better care of your patients and improve the health of your community.
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Vice President's Column: Annual Leadership Conference
Nicole Webb, MD, FAAP
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August has been an eventful month! One of the most exciting and productive aspects of this month for me was the AAP Annual Leadership Conference (formerly the Annual Leadership Forum or ALF). Each year, leaders across the AAP, including Section, Council, Committee, District, and Chapter leadership, convene to learn and share knowledge. Due to considerations with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually this year and last.
While we all crave in-person interaction, one of the advantages of virtual meetings is the fact that more people are able to attend and participate. This was my first year attending the conference, as your newly minted VP, and it overlapped with another national meeting for me, so I was grateful for the flexibility to not have to leave my children during this time. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn and meet other leaders within the AAP, and to gain important insight to bring back to all of you in our chapter.
One of the things I most love about the AAP is that it is highly accountable to its membership. One of the main ways we achieve this at the national level is through the resolution process. If you feel there is an issue that the AAP is not addressing or could address more effectively, you can submit a resolution. For more information on how to do that, please visit the AAPCA1 ALF page.
One of the major purposes of the ALC is to review and vote on resolutions. This year, of the 59 resolutions, 10 were from our district, and all 10 were adopted! Each year, after voting on all the resolutions is completed, AAP leadership votes on the top 10 resolutions among those that were adopted. Over the years, the top 10 resolutions have had a huge impact on AAP policy and advocacy, and our district and specifically our chapter have a strong history of authoring resolutions which are not only adopted but chosen in the top 10.
This year was exciting because there was a tie for #10 so there are actually 11 top resolutions, and 3 of those were from our district. They are: “Establishing the United States as a Global Leader in Child Well-Being”, “Combatting Racism in Graduate Medical Education through Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Curriculum Changes”, and “Every Child Deserves Good Pain Control – Ending Structural Racism in Pediatric Pain Management”.
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The ACEs screening tool and initiative to address childhood trauma is a small step in a long history of pediatric research and programs on understanding how children thrive, and how we can support them. |
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Pediatric Perspectives:
Why Should Pediatricians Care About Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?
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by Renee C. Wachtel, MD, FAAP |
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As pediatricians, we focus upon the health and well-being of the children that we care for in our practice. We are well aware that parents bring to the family a wealth of experiences, both good and bad, that influence both family function and their parenting. However, while the link to child development has been theorized, limited actual research has demonstrated the mechanisms of these links and given us a way to intervene. |
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ACEs Aware Resource for Placer-Nevada County Region |
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Wrapping up National Immunization Awareness Month
Morgan Leighton, MD, MPH, FAAP
Immunization Chapter Champion
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As you probably know, August was National Immunization Awareness Month. As back-to-school season continues into September, here are some immunization advocacy and communication resources for you and your practice! If you are looking for specific resources or information about immunization, please feel free to reach out through the chapter.
Routine Immunization resources:
Regarding vaccine hesitancy and communication:
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Climate Change and Health Task Force Updates
Amanda Millstein, MD, FAAP & Lisa Patel, MD, FAAP
Co-Chairs
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Protecting Kids from Wildfire Smoke: Actions for California Schools
Every year, millions of children are exposed to wildfire smoke, which in the short-term can cause asthma attacks and increased risk for upper respiratory infections and in the long-term can cause reduced immune system functioning, changes in DNA and increases in blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular and lung diseases later in life. As smoke and wildfire seasons intensify due to climate change, investment in school infrastructure and education campaigns are urgently needed to protect kids’ health. Here is how we can act now to help our kids:
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2nd Annual NorCal Symposium for Climate, Health, and Equity |
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Join us for our 2nd annual NorCal Symposium for Climate, Health, and Equity on Friday, September 24th, 2021 from 12pm-6pm for health professionals and students concerned about the climate crisis and invested in climate justice. This is a collaborative event being planned by UCSF, UC Davis, and Stanford and will include a mix of virtual learning with an in-person networking event. The symposium this year places community engagement at its core with sessions on:
- Food systems
- Wildfire and air pollution
- Sustainable healthcare
- Medical and Community Education
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AAPCA Multi-Chapter Chat: Climate Change & Children's Health
Wednesday, September 29 from 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm
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AAP CA declared a Climate Health Emergency in 2020 and recognized that “climate change threatens the physical and mental health of all children.” Please join us for our first statewide event on this topic. We will discuss the effects of climate change on children’s health and explore how we can respond to this challenge as pediatricians and health professionals.
We will be joined by Aparna Bole, MD, Chair of the AAP Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change, who will provide an overview on this subject. Following Dr. Bole’s presentation, we will be joined by panel members Amanda Millstein, MD, primary care pediatrician in Richmond, CA and co-founder of Climate Health Now, and Vi Nguyen, MD, Kaiser Permanente San Diego. They will share with us their experiences as pediatrician climate advocates. Moderated by Marnie Granados, MD, Children’s Hospital Orange County.
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The SGA Side
Your Key to State Government Affairs
Nora Pfaff, MD, FAAP and Zarah Iqbal, MD, MPH, CFAAP
SGA Chapter Representatives
We will have SGA updates for you next month, but in the meantime, AAPCA1 has signed on to a couple of local, state and federal efforts to advance the health of children:
We encourage you to advocate and amplify these further by circulating these sign ons to your networks and coalitions.
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Opportunities for Your Benefit |
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2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments: Resources and Guidance
The AAP is now recruiting for the Infection Prevention and Control ECHO
This ECHO serves as a forum for pediatric health care providers to improve knowledge, skills and self-efficacy around infection prevention and control strategies. This project offers 2 tracks:
Track 1: 8 monthly educational ECHO sessions
Track 2: 8 monthly educational ECHO sessions plus 8 monthly quality improvement (QI) ECHO sessions, applying QI methodology.
This ECHO will launch in October 2021. More information can be found in the recruitment flyer. Complete the program application here. Contact Alexis Katzenbach, Program Manager, ECHO Initiatives at akatzenbach@aap.org for additional information.
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September 8 - December 8: ACT 2021: Making Our Voices Heard - LEARN MORE!
September 29: Multi-Chapter Chat: Climate Change and Children’s Health - REGISTER HERE!
November 18-21: The 42nd Annual Las Vegas Seminars at Caesars Palace - SAVE THE DATE!
December 4: 6th Annual Pediatric Puzzles CME Conference - SAVE THE DATE!
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Become a Newsletter Editor! |
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Add our social media accounts to get the latest chapter updates!
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Donate to AAPCA1 on Amazon Smile: AAP California Chapter 1 Foundation
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Your membership makes a difference for children in California, thank you!
The AAPCA1's ability to advocate on behalf of children is only as strong as the support we receive from our members. Encourage your colleagues to join today by visiting the AAPCA1 website.
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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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Executive Committee:
President: Nelson Branco • Vice President: Nicole Webb
• Secretary: Janice Kim • Treasurer: Nivedita More • Past President: Raelene Walker
Executive Director: Isra Uz-Zaman
Board Members:
North Valley MAL: Thiyagu Ganesan • Sacramento Valley MAL: Lena van der List • Central Valley MAL: Deborah Shassetz • South Valley MAL: Vacant • San Francisco MAL: Vacant • Santa Clara MAL: Meera Sankar • San Mateo MAL: Neel Patel • North Coastal MAL: Jeffrey Ribordy • Monterey Bay MAL: Graciela Wilcox • Alameda MAL: Reshem Agarwal
• Contra Costa/Solano MAL: Omoniyi Omotoso
Pediatric Insider News Editors:
• Mika Hiramatsu • Deborah Shassetz • Alyssa Velasco
Staff:
• Executive Assistant: Sabah Elias
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