In this Issue:

• Inaugural WCAAP Lifetime Achievement Award
• Mental Health Awareness Month: Suicide Risk Screening and Safe Storage
• Equitable Care Question of the Month
• Vax Corner
• Register Now for WCAAP's Addiction Treatment in Pediatrics ECHO
• Assist a WCAAP Practicum Project with a Short Survey

WCAAP News & Information

• Rafton's Round Up
• Empowering Communities: FAST-B Program in Oak Harbor
• Upcoming Equitable Care Webinar: Minority Stress on July 10
• Recruiting Now: WA-CHIP Immunization Learning Collaborative: Cohort 7
• Register Now: Safe Babies Court Team and Foster Care Webinar

Noteworthy

• Open ELAC Pediatrician Seat
• New Trauma-Informed Care Newsletter from AAP
• Oak Harbor FAST Program in Whidbey News-Times
• Preliminary Report on Anti-Palestinian Racism and Negative Health Impacts

Resources

• AAP's Statement on the Effects of Armed Conflict on Children
• Protecting Student Mental Health in the Face of Antisemitism and Islamophobia
• Additional FAST Training Opportunities
• Free Zoom Training "ABA Referral and Approval Process" for Medicaid in WA
• "Strategies to Promote Safety Protocols in Youth Suicide Prevention" Webinar
• Registration is Now Open for 19th Annual Pediatric Bioethics Conference

Who's Who at WCAAP

Inaugural WCAAP Lifetime Achievement Award: Honoring Dr. Edgar Marcuse

Beth Ebel, MD, MSc, MPH, FAAP

WCAAP Board President

Many of you have worked alongside Dr. Ed Marcuse professionally and personally, a testament to his 40 years of service as a general pediatrician, as a professor at the University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Public Health, and as medical director at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Marcuse embodies WCAAP’s values and the values to which we all aspire including:

• Being a dedicated and effective Advocate, creating widespread, measurable, and lasting impacts on child health and child health equity;
• Mentoring, collaborating with, and devoting time to others;
• Demonstrating Longevity of commitment to improving the lives of children, teens, and families;
• Placing Relationships above all else – building Community and connecting others to make Washington a better place. 

It is our honor to announce the inaugural WCAAP Ed Marcuse Lifetime Achievement Award, of which Dr. Marcuse will be its first recipient this year.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month: Suicide Risk Screening and Safe Storage

In addition to the ongoing stressors young people face, this part of spring 2024 includes most school districts’ spring breaks, three major religions’ important holidays, a rapidly approaching end of the school year, and impending state testing. Young people might feel that their routines have been disrupted or their links to protective factors and supports outside the family are interrupted. 

Routine suicide risk screening during tumultuous times is good clinical practice. We recommend activating regular and routine mental health screening for all adolescents in your care. Connecting young people with culturally relevant supports can also help prevent social isolation and support positive identity development.

Home safety is an important part of mitigating identified suicide risk. We recommend providers encourage families to securely store all medications and drugs, including over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil, and allergy medicine. It is also critically important for families who own firearms to secure or remove their firearms if there is a mental health concern with a family member since firearms have high lethality in suicide attempts. 

Equitable Care Question of the Month

6 yo M presents to clinic with 3 days of cough, congestion, and difficulty breathing. He has a history of asthma and was admitted to the hospital last year for an asthma exacerbation secondary to a viral illness. Current symptoms started 3 days ago and have been worsening.

The family is out of patient’s albuterol inhaler.  Review of the patient’s chart shows he has not been in for a routine well-child check for 2 years. When asked about routine well-child checks, mother states that she lost her job and, as a result, was not able to afford a rent increase leading to eviction, and has lost access to health insurance for her child through her work. Her family has been living with a friend where there is a cat. Mother is worried this may be triggering her child’s asthma. Due to new living circumstances, Mother states she has had difficulties scheduling an appointment. What is the best plan of care for this child today?

May Vax Corner: Measles Outbreaks

Frank Bell, MD, FAAP

Vaccine Committee Co-Chair

Although measles was declared officially ‘eliminated’ in the US in the year 2000, cases of measles have continued to occur and to spread every year since that date, and 2024 is no exception. By the end of April the CDC had announced a total of 128 cases for the year, involving 20 jurisdictions including Washington state, noting that this number is already greater than the total number of cases reported in 2023. Measles is highly-transmissible and a threat to children who are unimmunized or unprotected by immunization, including those who are immune-compromised.

Measles virus is one of the most infectious agents known to man - of every 10 susceptible people exposed to an individual with measles, 9 are likely to become infected. Measles can be transmitted to healthcare workers and to patients for up to 2 hours after an infected child has left the exam room. Fortunately, measles is eminently preventable: measles vaccine is safe and highly-effective in reducing the risks of infection and of feared complications.

Register Now for AAP Addiction Treatment in Pediatric Settings ECHO

WCAAP is recruiting healthcare professionals to be a part of the AAP Addiction Treatment in Pediatric Settings ECHO. This ECHO serves as a forum for pediatric health care professionals to increase knowledge and capacity regarding the treatment of substance use disorders in the medical home setting, with a focus on opioid use disorder. ECHO sessions will take place from 12-1pm PT on:

• May 21
• June 11
• June 25
• July 9
• July 23
• August 13
• August 27, and
• September 10.

Professional credits are available. Click here or on the image above to view the flyer and register via the button below. Please contact cmccarty@wcaap.org with any questions.

Assist a WCAAP Practicum Project with a Short Survey:

Better Identify Hospital-Based Pediatric Care

The Washington Chapter of the AAP is working to better identify how hospital-based pediatric care is provided across Washington. We are gathering information to better understand where clinicians in Washington refer children who need hospitalization and why. In this brief survey, we ask about local hospitals, services available, where you choose to refer your patients when services are not available, and how you make those decisions. 

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and responses are completely anonymous. Ultimately, data from this work will be used to help identify areas and communities with limited pediatric acute-care resources within their communities to support advocacy work and disaster preparedness. Thank you for your time!

Rafton's Roundup

Sarah Rafton, MSW

WCAAP Executive Director



Last month, WCAAP member Doug Eisert was awarded the Leah Layne Memorial Health Leadership Award for the difference he has made in vaccinations and public health in Wenatchee, and this month WCAAP member Ed Marcuse is being honored by WCAAP for his lifetime of service improving child and adolescent health across Washington.

Working directly with Doug and Ed and these recent awards have given me the opportunity to reflect on why our staff-team and I love serving you and WCAAP. WCAAP members are typically selfless advocates who take the time at 7AM or 7PM to join together to make Washington a better place for kids and families. Daily our team and I witness WCAAP members’ expertise, innovation, commitment to measurable change, passion, and kindness, and the difference these qualities make in our collective ability to improve health and health care.

Thank you for inspiring me and for all you do for Washington State! In the past week alone, I have had the privilege of joining forces with pediatricians and partners to fight gun violence, advance behavioral health integration in primary care, improve relational health in the first years of life, and reduce missed opportunities to vaccinate kids in clinic.

If you are already active with us at WCAAP, thank you for all you do. If you are looking for ways to deepen your involvement in our community, please check out our Committees, Advocacy work, and other opportunities to help improve the well-being of children, teens, and families in Washington.

WA-CHIP Immunization Learning Collaborative: Seeking Clinics for our 7th Cohort

Marina Martinez, Program Manager

Our seventh cohort of the WA-CHIP Immunization Learning Collaborative is kicking off in September 2024 and we are seeking clinics across WA state, particularly South Seattle, or with 50% or more patients on Medicaid.

Since 2019, the WA-CHIP team has helped improve child and adolescent vaccination rates at over 50 clinics. In 2023 alone, we impacted over 36,000 children and adolescents. Missed opportunities to vaccinate children decreased by 14% and missed opportunities to vaccinate teens decreased by 8%. 10 Immunize WA awards were given to clinics in our learning collaborative in 2023.

Through WA-CHIP we provide coaching and resources from expert faculty from WCAAP, Seattle Children’s, the Washington State Department of Health, and Public Health Seattle & King County, as well as a community of peer clinics from which to learn. The project helps clinics implement meaningful, feasible, and sustained focus on childhood and adolescent vaccines, and includes an equity lens to support each

participating clinic to identify health care gaps for their patient population by race, ethnicity, and language. MOC and CME credit are available.

While taking on something new might be hard to imagine today, WA-CHIP can support your clinic’s focus and efficacy overcoming vaccine gaps and reclaiming a focus on preventive health care.

To learn more, contact Marina Martinez at mmartinez@wcaap.org, or download the flyer below.

WCAAP's Oak Harbor FAST-B Program Highlighted in the Whidbey News-Times

According to Sara Lucero, principal at Olympic View Elementary School in Oak Harbor, a push for a course focusing on behavioral health in young people came from a dire community need. “There’s not a lot of mental health support in Island County, and there’s really not a lot of mental health support or behavioral support for families, for students,” she said. “Our idea was if there’s nothing out there, can we come up with something?”

The program was made possible by Oak Harbor pediatrician Dr. Amy Garrett, Lucero said. She presented a grant available through the Department of Health, facilitated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and helped brainstorm the best ways they could use it.

Open ELAC Pediatrician Seat

The Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) is looking for a Pediatrician to fill its vacant seat. The Council plays a pivotal role in the early learning system as an advisory body to DCYF on statewide early learning issues that contribute to the ongoing efforts of building a comprehensive system of quality early learning programs and services for Washington’s young children and families. Here is the direct link to ELAC’s members and regional advisors. If interested, please contact Kailani Amine, KAmine@wcaap.org

More information can be found by clicking on the included document image.

AAP Launches Trauma-Informed Care Newsletter

This newsletter, which will be sent bi-monthly, will keep you informed about trauma-informed care activities, highlight resources, and share important updates with pediatricians and other pediatric healthcare professionals who are interested in learning more about trauma-informed pediatric care.

To learn more, contact us at traumainformedcare@aap.org, or visit the AAP's trauma-informed care webpage at: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/trauma-informed-care/

New Survey Reveals Harmful Effects of Discrimination Against Palestinians and Allies

The Anti-Palestinian Racism Research Group (APRRG), consisting of researchers, physicians, and psychologists who are committed to empirically studying the impact of anti-Palestinian racism on individuals and communities across all sectors of civil society, released preliminary findings from a new national survey on racism against Palestinians.

“Through our work as pediatricians and psychologists, we began to realize that anti-Palestinian racism was impacting both Palestinians and non-Palestinians,” said Dr. Lama Rimawi. “Because anti-Palestinian racism is under-recognized and under-studied, many people were unaware of what they were experiencing and felt isolated. These results demonstrate that anti-Palestinian racism is affecting much larger numbers of people than previously realized with potentially significant negative health effects.”

Upcoming FAST Training Opportunities

Please register for the waitlist even if these trainings are full. If demand on the waitlist is high enough, we will schedule additional training dates sooner.

• FAST-Anxiety May 15, 2024
• FAST-Depression June 4, 2024
• FAST-Behavior July 9, 2024
• FAST-Trauma July 30, 2024
• FAST-Parenting Teens August 13, 2024
• FAST-Early Childhood September 16, 2024

Register Now for "ABA Referral and Approval Process" for Medicaid in WA

Friday, May 31 2024 8:30-12:30 via Zoom

The Washington INCLUDE Collaborative has been working with autism Centers of Excellence (COEs), BCBAs and Medicaid Managed Care organizations to identify strengths and challenges in the current COE system for ABA referrals and authorizations. These lived insights and experiences significantly influenced the training and supporting materials.  

Please register at the button below, or review the flyer for more details.

Register Now for "Strategies to Promote Safety Protocols in Youth Suicide Prevention" Webinar

Thursday, June 6, 2024 10 - 11am

Note: this webinar will not be recorded



Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people 10-24 years of age in the United States (US), and rates have been rising for decades. In this first of three webinar series hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), participants will learn about:

• Increasing knowledge of strategies that can create time and distance between a young person experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors and use of lethal means, such as firearms and over the counter medications.
• Understanding the role of lethal means counseling as an effective part of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy for youth.
• Demonstrate approaches to partner with families about ways to reduce youth access to lethal means as an effective strategy to support a young person who may be at risk for suicide.  

Please register at the button below or review the flyer for more details.

Registration Open for 19th Annual Pediatric Bioethics Conference

Join the 19^th Annual Seattle Children’s Pediatric Bioethics Conference this year from July 18th - 20th. July 19^th & July 20^th will be the Thinking Big, Responding Ethically: Big Data and AI in Pediatrics, hosted by the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care. July 18^th will be the second nursing ethics conference, Nursing Ethics: Today’s Realities and Tomorrow’s Challenges, hosted by Seattle Children’s Center for Pediatric Nursing Research. The registration conference fee includes CME credit or certificate of attendance. To learn more, view the agenda, and to register, visit the Pediatric Bioethics Conference website here.

Sarah Rafton, MSW

srafton@wcaap.org

Executive Director Organizational strategy, community partnerships and operations

Board and Executive Committee, multiple WCAAP committees

Kailani Amine, MHA

kamine@wcaap.org

Director

Grant Oversight, Contract Management

Early Childhood Programs

Early Childhood Committee

First Year Families

Sarah Nau, MSW

snau@wcaap.org

Communications Director

Internal and external communications, media relations and PR requests, Legislative and Membership Committee

Elexis Jackson

ejackson@wcaap.org

Administrative Coordinator

Operational and Board support, GATHER, Equity Committee and Legislative, Membership, and Transformation Committee support

Ali Goodyear, MPH

agoodyear@wcaap.org

Program Manager

Community Health Worker Learning Collaborative

Marina Martinez

mmartinez@wcaap.org

Program Manager

WA-CHIP

Immunization Learning Collaborative

Vaccine Committee

Colleen McCarty, MPH

cmccarty@wcaap.org

Program Manager

Parent Involvement

Champions for Youth

Local Health Jurisdiction Programs

DeAnna Dudley Pittenger, BSN, RN-CPN

ddudley@wcaap.org

Program Manager

Special Projects HPV Immunization Learning Collaborative

Leslie Graham, MSW, LICSW

lgraham@wcaap.org

Program Manager

Special Projects

Behavioral Health Learning Network

Community Health Worker Learning Collaborative

Michelle Tolman, MPH

mtolman@wcaap.org

Data Manager

Amber Ulvenes

aulvenes@wcaap.org

Legislative Liaison

Join us! Committees are a great way to meet other members and get involved with Chapter work. Watch this space for upcoming meeting dates and times for Chapter committees and interest groups. Most committees meet by phone or via Zoom for one hour, and we welcome anyone who is interested.

Legislative Affairs Committee

Next meeting June 4, 2024, 7:00-9:00am*(This is an an extended meeting to plan for 2025 legislative priorities)

Meets weekly via Zoom during the legislative session

Meets monthly via Zoom during the interim + ad hoc as needed

Contact Elexis Jackson for meeting info.

Contact Crystal Shen to learn more about the committee. 

Equitable Care Committee

Next meeting May 28, 2024, 12:15-1:15pm

Meets monthly via Zoom

Contact Elexis Jackson for meeting info and to learn more about the committee.

If interested in joining, please fill out this application.

Early Childhood Committee 

Next meeting June 5, 2024, 7:00 - 8:00am

Meets every other month via Zoom

Contact Kailani Amine for meeting info.

Contact Mary Ann Woodruff or Emily Ferrell to learn about the committee.

First Year Families Committee

Next Meeting May 30, 2024, 8:30am - 3:30pm in person

(Usually meets monthly via Zoom)

Contact Kailani Amine for meeting details and Committee information.

Vaccine Committee

Next Meeting May 17, 2024, 7:00-8:00am

Meets monthly via Zoom

Contact Marina Martinez for meeting info.

Contact Frank Bell or Maria Huang to learn about the committee. 



Champions for Youth Committee

Next Meeting: May 15, 2024, 8:00-9:00am

Meets monthly via Zoom

Contact Colleen McCarty for meeting details and Committee information.

Membership Engagement Committee 

Contact Sarah Nau for meeting info.

Contact Amanda Monnahan or Cora Breuner to learn about the committee.  

Health Care Transformation Committee 

Next Meeting May 24, 2024 7:30-8:30am

Meets every other month via Zoom

Contact Elexis Jackson for meeting info.

Contact Rick Levine or Sarah Rafton to learn about the committee.