Dedicated to the health of children and adolescents.

May 2022

Executive Director Update

by Melissa Hudelson

I enjoyed seeing members in person at our Progress in Pediatrics – Spring 2022 CME meeting in April. I have missed the personal connection with members that we haven’t had in the last couple of years, so I have decided that I am taking some road trips this summer and into the fall to see you! I want to know how things are going, what KAAP can be doing to support your work, and to let you know about resources available. I hope to use these conversations around the state to guide the new KAAP strategic plan that the Board of Directors will be working on in the spring of 2023.

I will be reaching out in the next couple of weeks to schedule meetings with members, so I hope you will allow me to bring you lunch, meet me for dinner or happy hour so we can catch up. Please don’t hesitate to call or email me if you would like a visit, mel.hudelson@kansasaap.org, (913) 530-6265.

KAAP Legislative Update

by Dena K. Hubbard MD, FAAP

GOOD NEWS!

One of my favorite quotes from Stacey Abrams’s presentation at the AAP Advocacy Conference was “educate, advocate, agitate.” That’s exactly what KAAP members and staff did this year!

The regular 2022 Kansas legislative session has concluded. This session was one where our offense and defense teams were critical. Legislators will be meeting next week to deal with Congressional maps (currently at the Kansas Supreme Court) and vetoes. Sine die, the official end of the session, will likely occur in late May or early June. Thanks to our KAAP public policy committee and KAAP members for advocating for Kansas children! Here’s a brief summary of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the 2022 session.

The Good:

Offense:

CARE Network Policy & Funding Proviso “Adrian’s Law”

KAAP was invited to present to the Joint Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight on behalf of pediatricians regarding the proposed Adrian’s Law recommendations requiring physical evaluation of potential child abuse victims. Drs. Jennifer Hansen and Emily Killough along with KAAP lobbyists, legislative staff, and KAAP ED Mel Hudelson have been instrumental in representing KAAP and pediatricians, educating legislators in Topeka, and writing HB 2632. The CARE proviso creates a triage system in Kansas for reviewing child abuse reports and education for physicians and other clinicians to provide childcare exams. While the bill did not pass, the Omnibus budget includes a one-year proviso that enacts the policy for one year and includes the funding of $757,000 for 2023. We will be back with a new bill for the 2023 legislative session, and we are thankful for the hard work from Dr. Hansen, Dr. Killough, and Mallory Lutz, the KAAP lobbyist who helped get this program off the ground!

Read the full update

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

by Tyler K. Smith, MD, MPH and Kelly Kreisler, MD, MPH

Spring greetings from the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)! Our committee’s vision is “for KAAP to lead the way and be a role model for pediatricians, patients and families, and the community in diversity, equity, and inclusion.” We honor, recognize, and celebrate observances about diversity, equity, and inclusion occurring in the spring months including Easter, Passover, Arab American Heritage Month, Ramadan, Jewish American Heritage Month, National Minority Health Month, Black Maternal Health Week, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, PRIDE Month, and Juneteenth.

So much has happened in the last two years and in recent months impacting children, adolescents, families, and the KAAP community. People are trying to survive, but more importantly, learn to thrive in the “new normal” of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines are available to children five years and older with hopes for vaccine availability to infants and toddlers in the coming months. Children and families in Ukraine continue to be negatively impacted by the war with Russia including a lack of access to quality medical care and adequate nutrition. National formula shortages highlight the socioeconomic disparities and inequities experienced by resource-limited, marginalized families and communities. Health care rights, options, and choices are currently being called into question by lawmakers and legislators impacting people’s autonomy over their bodies and ability to make personal, health care decisions. As pediatricians, we advocate for the children, adolescents, and families we serve to promote the optimal health and wellbeing for all of our patients.

It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve the KAAP as co-chairpersons of the Committee of DEI. Drs. Kreisler and Smith will both be stepping down from their position and enthusiastically welcome KAAP members to lead this important committee. If interested in serving as committee co-chairperson or participating on the committee, please contact KAAP Executive Director Mel Hudelson at mel.hudelson@kansasaap.org. Please visit our webpage at for educational resources and continued learning about diversity, equity and inclusion including the AAP policy statement, The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health. The Committee of DEI meets the first Tuesday of even months from 12 Noon – to 1 p.m. with the next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Vaccine Liaison Update

by Mallory Laur

We are heading into the summer with high hopes that kids ages 5 and under will soon be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA announced a tentative timeline with meetings set for June 8, 21 and 22 to review submissions for updates to both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech emergency-use authorizations to include the younger population. The regimens are different with Moderna proposing two doses, using one-fourth the strength of an adult dose, and Pfizer proposing a three-dose regimen, at one-tenth the strength of the adult dose.

It is important that families have the opportunity to be vaccinated from their trusted providers. If there are barriers to your practice providing the COVID-19 vaccine, please let us know how we can help. KAAP has funds available to support you, whether it is to buy a freezer, support staff or purchase other items to help in vaccine outreach. Download the application here. As a reminder, ultra-cold storage is no longer required for the Pfizer vaccine, and you can place orders as small as one vial.

Lastly, KAAP is creating a network of pediatric practice and clinical managers across the state to connect, ask questions and share resources. If you would like your manager to be apart of this, please send their contact information to mallory.laur@kansasaap.org.

I am here to support you, so please reach out with thoughts or questions that you may have regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, or your vaccination rates as a clinic. I can be reached at mallory.laur@kansasaap.org or vaccines@kansasaap.org.

Save the Date!

Progress in Pediatrics Fall 2022

Friday, September 16th

Hyatt Regency Wichita

Look for agenda and registration details soon!

KPF Update

The Turn a Page. Touch a Mind.® (TAP-TAM) early literacy program continues to grow in 2022 and bring literacy resources to families across Kansas. Four new sites have been added to the program this year adding an additional 22 physicians and other health care providers. One of our new participants learned about TAP-TAM through a social media post from a current site about their Dr. Seuss celebration week. This special book order opportunity is held the first week of March and we offer our sites the ability to purchase books that are normally over their budget. KPF Staff also sends out supplies to participating clinics (coloring pencils, crayons, stickers, bookmarks and hats) which makes the week special. 52 TAP-TAM sites participated in the book ordering and handed out nearly 1500 Dr. Seuss books!

We are proud to share the latest map showing where in Kansas TAP-TAM sites are giving out books. As you can see, we now have most of the state covered and this success would not be possible without your contributions to the Kansas Pediatric Foundation. You can help us fill in the gaps in the map by connecting Denae Hart with clinics in those areas. You can reach Denae at denae.hart@kansasaap.org.

Help Medicaid Patients Prepare for End of Public Health Emergency

Since the start of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), the State has stopped processing renewals when additional information was required from beneficiaries. The renewal process will resume at the end of the PHE. Currently, the PHE is scheduled to end on July 15, 2022, but it may be renewed by the federal government for 90 days at a time.

Pediatricians can help patients with timely renewal by sharing this important information with Medicaid patients and their caregivers:

Ensure the State has your most current contact information by calling the Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884. Medicaid beneficiaries who have an MCO can also update their contact information with their MCO.
When you receive notices/requests from KanCare, be sure to respond timely.
Register on the Consumer Self Service Portal (CSSP), link your KanCare case to your registration and authorize the State to send you ALERTS via text.
See the FAQ document posted on the KanCare website.

Schedule Maternal Depression Screening Trainings with Free CME

On January 1, 2021, KanCare began paying for maternal depression screening. KAAP is offering Maternal Depression Screening trainings for practices that include free CME and a lunch stipend for your office. Contact Mel at mel.hudelson@kansasaap.org for more information or to schedule your training.