IN THIS ISSUE:

  • AAP COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools and Promotion of In-Person Learning
  • AAP COVID-19 Interim Guidance: Return to Sports and Physical Activity
  • Massachusetts Medical Leaders, including the MCAAP, support our public health officials
  • MCAAP Statement re: the Pediatric Services at Tufts Medical Center
The following guidance was released
by the AAP on January 28th:


MCAAP members are invited to attend the next
AAP COVID-19 Town Hall 

From the AAP:

Join the next AAP Town Hall on Thursday, February 3 at 7 pm CT. This bi-weekly series of virtual town halls links members with leading experts to discuss emerging issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The February 3 event will feature experts in infectious diseases, sports medicine, and post-COVID conditions (long COVID).

Expert Panelists:

Susannah “Suz” Briskin, MD, FAAP
Executive Committee Member, AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness
Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Sports Medicine at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
Head Team Physician for Hathaway Brown School and Assistant Team Physician for Case Western Reserve University
 
Sarah Risen, MD, FAAP
Faculty, Department of Pediatric Neurology and Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
 
José R. Romero, MD, FAAP, FAAAS, FIDSA, FPIDS
Member, AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases
Immediate Past Chairperson, CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Arkansas Secretary of Health; Director, Arkansas Department of Health
Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
 
Register here.
Massachusetts medical leaders, including the MCAAP,
support our public health officials.

Click here for the full statement.
MCAAP Statement re: the
Pediatric Services at Tufts Medical Center

Dear MCAAP Members:
 
Many of you have reached out to us over the past couple of weeks expressing your surprise and concern regarding the announcement that Tufts would be closing their inpatient pediatric services. We will continue to monitor the situation as we gain a better understanding of the implications of these changes. We will do what we can to advocate for the needs of our patients, their families, and our members who will be impacted by this closure. 

We will be sharing the statement below through various channels:

The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics believes strongly in the availability of convenient access to high-quality inpatient and specialty services for the children of Massachusetts, as well as ample opportunities for medical students to obtain a robust exposure to pediatric education as part of their training. We are concerned about the impact of the recent announcement by Tufts Medical Center to close their pediatric inpatient services. It is critical that considerations be made to ensure that the patients and families who have relied on Tufts for pediatric services continue to have access to receive high quality affordable medical care. 

Tufts not only provides necessary services to children in the local neighborhood; the institution has also been responsible for training countless pediatric residents and medical students over the years. We hope that the educational needs of these trainees have been considered so their education will not be negatively impacted by this decision. Educating the next generation of physicians and other healthcare providers is an essential mission of all academic medical centers and the inclusion of a strong education in pediatrics is essential. We also hope that the faculty who have dedicated themselves to this specialty and to teaching will have appropriate assistance in transitioning to new positions.
MCAAP| 781-895-9852 | 860 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02451 | www.mcaap.org