Dear MCAAP Members,
As you may have read in the most recent MCAAP newsletter, the Forum, the MCAAP 2021 election will fill Board vacancies for congressional district representatives in MA Districts 4, 6, 7, & 9. Individuals are eligible if they are voting members of the Chapter and live or work in one of the vacant districts.
If you would like to learn more about these positions or submit names of nominees, please contact Cathleen Haggerty at [email protected]. Nominations must be received by February 19, 2021.
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Dear MCAAP members,
As your MCAAP Delegate to the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) and past MCAAP Board member, I wanted to reach out to you to consider submission of a resolution for the MMS Annual House of Delegates (HOD) Meeting.
For those of you not as familiar with the process, a resolution is a proposal that asks the MMS to take a position or consider an action. It is a method to help establish two general types of policy within the MMS: health policies and directives. Health policies are statements of philosophy, based on professional principles and scientific standards, which define what MMS stands for as an organization. Directives are action items that propose a strategy for accomplishing an objective and/or to activate the MMS's health policies. Once a resolution is submitted to the HOD, it is discussed and voted on to be considered as an official item of business for the upcoming year.
For this spring, the MMS has started its resolution submission process and resolutions are due on March 2, 2021. Here is a sample resolution and here is a template for resolution submission.
If you need assistance in developing and preparing a resolution or have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Drs. Lloyd Fisher ([email protected]) and Mary Beth Miotto ([email protected]) can also help with the process.
Thank you for considering this important advocacy opportunity!
Sincerely,
Michelle Dalal MD, FAAP, DipABLM |
 AAP Advocacy Conference - April 11-13, 2021
The MCAAP is providing a limited number of stipends to Chapter members to help defray the registration costs for interested members. If you are interested, please state why you would like to attend the AAP Advocacy Conference and how you will plan to be involved in the Chapter after attending the conference. Preference will be given to members who have not previously attended the conference. For more information, contact Cathleen Haggerty at [email protected].
If you are part of an AAP section or Committee, you may want to check to see if they are offering scholarship opportunities as well.
From the AAP:
There is a new Congress on Capitol Hill. And as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, children need a strong voice in Washington. Newly elected leaders need to hear from pediatricians like you!
Register TODAY for the first-ever virtual AAP Advocacy Conference - formerly named the Legislative Conference - and help us speak up for children across the country.
The conference will take place April 11 - 13, 2021. On the final conference day, participants will attend virtual meetings with their congressional offices and others from their state to discuss a timely child health issue.
Each year, the conference brings together pediatricians and pediatric trainees from across the country who share a passion for child health advocacy. This year's virtual conference will feature distinguished guest speakers, advocacy skills-building workshops and child health policy issue sessions.
Participation in each day of the conference is required, and there will be a mix of live and pre-recorded sessions. The curriculum is designed to prepare all attendees for their virtual congressional meetings and builds on the previous day's sessions.
Speaker announcement!
Participants will hear from Stacey Abrams, (pictured left) who served as Democratic Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives for seven years prior to running for Governor of Georgia. She launched Fair Fight Action after the 2018 gubernatorial election to ensure every American has a voice in our election system.
To learn more and to register for the conference, please visit AAP.org/AdCon. Early bird registration closes on February 28.
We hope you can join us this spring and thank you for your ongoing advocacy on behalf of children!
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Even during COVID-19, motor vehicle crashes continue to be a major problem. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that crash deaths are up by 4.6 percent so far in 2020 and 13.1% for the 3rd quarter (compared to 2019). While the data is preliminary, the suspicion is that increased speed on open roads is to blame.
On another note, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is reporting that pedestrian fatalities rose by 53 percent from 2009-2018. Most of these increases occurred in urban areas at night. Details of this report can be found at:
All of these issues can provide important opportunities for discussions between pediatricians and their patients.
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Policies and Procedure for Newborn Members:
Eligibility, Enrollment and Payment
Bulletin 305 details the changes in newborn managed care enrollment that MassHealth implemented on 1/1/21. Inspired by stakeholder feedback, these changes are the culmination of efforts in recent years to improve member and provider experience during the first outpatient visits after birth and to better support the family's voluntary selection of a health plan for their child.
In addition to other changes noted in the bulletin, parents will have the opportunity to choose their baby's PCP directly on the Notification of Birth form.
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For more information, please click here.
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The Massachusetts Chapter of the
American Academy of Pediatrics E-Newsletter
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