Active in April
Active in April
AAPCA1 has a number of events, ongoing, stable
Along with elections, spring conference, new book club and more, we are grateful
As we continue to work on immigrant health and school reopening for you, to enable.
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President's Column
Raelene Walker, MD, FAAP
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Spring has arrived, vaccines are getting into arms, COVID cases are finally decreasing, and our chapter is BUSY! I would like to start by strongly encouraging everyone to listen to these three amazing chapter members, all national leaders, especially in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion issues regarding anti-racism and advocacy for Black people. Here are links to some of their recent activities. Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH, FAAP, Tiffani Johnson, MD, and Pam Simms-Mackey, MD, FAAP, who was elected in January 2021 as Board Chair for the California Wellness Foundation. Please join me in continuing to listen to them and follow their leadership. (Humble brag: Dr. Simms-Mackey was a year ahead of me in residency and my senior resident on several rotations and eventual chief resident, so I’ve had the honor to follow her for many years. And I still have an awesome mug from Highland Hospital featuring a photo of our team!)
Here are several chapter events that I’d also like to highlight. All of these are/will be outstanding.
School Reopening in the Age of COVID (held 3/23—please see recording below):
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I’d also like to officially welcome Dr. Jeff Ribordy, MD, FAAP to our chapter board as Member-At-Large (MAL) from the North Coastal region. Dr. Ribordy has been emcee at our chapter CME events for several years and a long time active member, and will be completing the term of MAL that opened when Dr. Lauren Steele, MD, FAAP moved out of the area. On a related note, we are still in the process of seeking candidates for our chapter elections, until April 7. We have upcoming openings for Vice President, and several MAL positions. If you are interested, please reach out quickly and consider applying!
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I would also like to bring attention to the AAP Toolkit for Telehealth that was released late March. This is a comprehensive set of information, templates, and ideas to help pediatricians and practices optimize telehealth in all ways – from clinical efficacy to reimbursement. In closing, I’d like to share the word cloud from our most recent chapter board meeting. The prompt was: What one word describes how you felt when you received your COVID vaccine? I hope we are all feeling all these things.
As always, I have tremendous gratitude for you all and all that you do.
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Elections for AAPCA1 Board of Directors
Nomination Deadline: Wednesday, April 7, 2021
John I. Takayama, MD, MPH, FAAP
Immediate Past President and Nominating Committee Chair
Run for office! Our chapter is currently soliciting nominations for elections to the positions of Vice President and of MAL (Member-at-Large) representing four regions. Chapter executive leadership is composed of the President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Communications Director and Treasurer. The Vice Presidency is the most important elected position because the Vice President serves for an initial 2 years, then automatically transitions to President for 2 years, and Immediate Past President for the final 2 years, for a total of 6 years. The position comes with enormous responsibility, that of providing leadership for one of the largest chapters in the U.S., and serving as chief spokesperson for issues that affect children, their families and pediatricians in Northern California.
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Figure 1. Vice President is elected and serves for 2 years; then automatically becomes President for 2 years and Immediate Past President for 2 years; thus, total term is 6 years. |
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MAL’s (Members-at-Large) represent the 11 regions that make up our chapter; each MAL serves for a two-year term, with the option to continue for a subsequent two-year term. The critical responsibility of the MAL is to understand and discuss issues that affect children, families and pediatricians in their respective regions and to vote on and provide leadership for initiatives and policies to improve their health and well-being. This year, there are MAL openings in Region 2 (El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Yolo Counties), Region 3 (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties), Region 5 (San Francisco and Daly City) and Region 11 (Contra Costa and Solano Counties). Any active Chapter member who lives or works in those regions is eligible to apply.
If you are interested and want to learn more, please contact us at [email protected]. If you would like to apply (i.e., self-nominate), please complete the application at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nominations2021-22 by Wednesday, April 7. The Chapter Nominating Committee will review all applications and forward a slate of candidates to the national office of the AAP. Ballots for election will be sent to all chapter members towards the end of April, with announcement of election results anticipated in June.
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CME Committee Update:
Register for our Adolescent Health Conference!
Mika Hiramatsu, MD, FAAP
CME Committee Co-Chair
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Have you noticed the scary increase in mental health issues among your patients, particularly the teenagers? And how all those optimistic “screen time limits” went out the window when virtual education began with the COVID pandemic?
Our postponed-from-last-year Adolescent Health Day, revamped and modified to address these COVID-related questions, is coming to a device near you on Saturday, April 24. Speakers include Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD on risk-taking behaviors in adolescents, Dr. Shashank V. Joshi, MD, FAAP psychiatrist, addressing adolescent mental health, and Shafia Zaloom, adolescent health educator on media use. Just to remind you -- Dr. Halpern-Felsher is associate director of the adolescent fellowship program at Stanford and creator of a youth and parent toolkit for tobacco education. Dr. Joshi is a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford and winner of an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017. Ms. Zaloom is a popular community sex educator who has been profiled in the New York Times and recently published “Sex, Teens and Everything In Between”.
These important lectures will be followed by your choice of 2 out of 4 small group break-out sessions, which include chapter favorite Dr. Seth Ammerman, MD, FAAP on motivational interviewing, therapist Steven Peterson, LCSW on adolescent substance abuse treatment, adverse childhood experiences screening in adolescence with Drs. Miriam Rhew, MD, MPH, FAAP and Deirdre Bernard-Pearl, MD, FAAP and physician burnout and wellness with Dr. Hailey Nelson, MD, FAAP. Small group size is capped at 30 participants each, so don’t miss out!
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Upcoming Event: Adolescent Health CME Conference |
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The 4 Pillars for Safe Schools |
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Check out this video on the 4 Pillars of Safe School Reopening! Feel free to share with your networks!
This video was created by the "Hexperts": Dev Patel, Joshua Edwards, Monika Mukerji, Supriti Bhopale & Sushant Bhopale.
Courtesy of Dr. Neel Patel, MD, FAAP
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Introducing our Chapter Book Club!
Nicole Webb, MD, FAAP and Graciela Wilcox, MD, FAAP
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Dear fellow pediatricians,
Wanna join our AAPCA1 book club?
What better way to get to know some of the wonderful individuals that make up our pediatric community than over a discussion of a thought-provoking book.
We will meet virtually every three months for 90 minutes or so to hear each others’ thoughts and unique perspectives.
In the process we will get to know each other a bit and, most importantly, have fun!
Comfy casual, pets and beverages welcome.
Best,
Gracie and Nikki
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Check Out Our Newest Op-Ed! |
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Project Firstline is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national health care workforce infection prevention and control (IPC) training collaborative that aims to educate all 6 million US health care workers with the foundational understanding of IPC to protect the nation from infectious disease threats, such as COVID-19. The AAP is one of several partners in this initiative. AAPCA1 seeks to foster a collaborative space for pediatricians to discuss COVID-19 related concerns, and improve their capacity to better the health of children and their families during this turbulent time. |
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Protecting People from Pathogens, Part II |
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Welcome to the second blog post for the CDC Project Firstline/AAP Partnership! In this blog post, we will address the following topics:
- Infants born to mothers with COVID-19
- Practical strategies for telehealth
- Addressing PPE shortages
- Workplace exposures
In our first case study, you are the PCP for a family with a new infant on the way. Shortly before her due date, the pregnant mother develops a cough, and subsequently tests positive for COVID-19. With early signs of labor, she is admitted to a local hospital.
Prior to delivery, the mother calls your office to ask for your advice on how to best protect her infant during and after delivery. She states the hospital is offering options to either room in with her infant with PPE, or to have her infant separated at birth. What would you recommend to the mother?
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In Other AAP News:
On Call Podcast Looks at Effects of Racism on Children's Health
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In this special episode, Tiffani Johnson, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, joins hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, to talk about race and racism and their impact on child health. Listen here. Pediatrics On Call is supported by Johnson & Johnson, the global health care company.
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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
The SGA committee has been very busy during this legislative cycle—meeting every other week on average to review proposed bills and determine the position of AAP-CA. School reopening has remained one of our top priorities and we have been working with various stakeholders to advocate for reopening, as well as make sure that current reopening plans reflect CDC guidelines.
Since January, we have reviewed hundreds of bill proposals on a variety of topics that affect the health and well-being of children and families—including bills to promote racial equity, bills to address food insecurity in our state, extending some of the benefits and programs available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and bills aimed at child safety (such as drowning prevention). We want to thank Chapter 1 members, many of whom have directly contacted us with specific requests for bill support—and we continue to encourage all of you to reach out if you have questions about a specific bill or feel that AAP-CA should take a particular position (either in support or opposition) on a bill.
For the most up to date information on AAP California bill positions, letters & outcomes from the current CA Legislative year, go to aap-ca.org/bill. For latest organizational advocacy updates follow @AAPCADocs on twitter. If you have questions and/or are interested in knowing more about a certain legislation, reach out to our State Government Affairs Chapter Representatives Nora Pfaff, MD, FAAP and Zarah Iqbal, MD, MPH at [email protected].
Initiatives the Chapter Signed-Off On:
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Opportunities for Your Benefit |
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Call for Nominations to the PediaLink Editorial Board:
AAP is searching for qualified candidates to serve on the Editorial Board of PediaLink. They are seeking Academy Fellows with a strong interest in online learning, medical education, and continuous professional development. To apply please complete the online PediaLink Editorial Board Nomination Form. A description of the responsibilities of editorial board members is attached. The deadline for receipt of nomination materials is May 15. A complete application consists of the online PediaLink Editorial Board Nomination Form, a current CV/resume, and a completed AAP Full Disclosure Statement. The additional required materials (CV and disclosure statement) should be emailed to [email protected] in Word or PDF format. If you have any questions, please email Lisa Donato at [email protected] or call at 630-626-6723.
Participant Call Out for Provider-Parent Communication on Vaccine Decisions:
California Polytechnic State University’s Laure R. Kolodziejski, Ph.D. is conducting interviews as part of a research study on provider-parent communication and vaccine decisions. They are interested in hearing from health care providers who regularly treat patients ages 6 and under. The interview will take approximately 30 minutes - 1 hour and will be conducted via Zoom. You will be asked questions about how you communicate with parents in your practice and how you respond to questions or concerns about childhood vaccines. If you are willing to participate, please fill out this Google form (https://forms.gle/jB35eC3Hkw34R6AZA).
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April 6-7: Advocating for Advocacy - REGISTER!
April 8, 6:30-8:00 PM: Returning to Youth Sports in the COVID Era - REGISTER!
April 14, 6:00-7:00 PM: COVID Conversations: Instilling Trust in the COVID Vaccine & Beyond - REGISTER!
April 21, 7:00-8:30 PM: Communicating with Families About Public Charge in a Clinical Setting - SAVE-THE-DATE!
April 24: Spring CME Conference: Adolescent Health - REGISTER!
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Add our social media accounts to get the latest chapter updates!
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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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President: Raelene Walker • Vice President: Nelson Branco
• Secretary: Janice Kim • Treasurer: Nivedita More • Past President: John Takayama
Executive Director: Isra Uz-Zaman
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