Dedicated to the health of children and adolescents.

August 2022

President's Perspective

by Gretchen Homan, MD, FAAP

I am happy to introduce myself as your new KAAP president. I am a pediatrician in Wichita and have been on the KAAP board for many years. I have two boys who keep me busy and I think it is so cool that as part of my regular work I can always learn more about children and then try to understand my own kids better. Recently I was feeling reassured about the start of the new school year after my kids received their COVID booster. Then, a couple of days later, I watched my almost 16-year-old ride his bike down the street and removed his helmet when he thought he was out of view. Some decisions I can make for them and others I can guide them on and still they need to practice making their own decisions. Our children, mine, yours, and the children in our communities mean everything. They really are our hope and future, and they deserve all the best we can give them. Through this perspective, I wish to partner with you over the next two years to take care of our children and support you as their pediatricians.

Some of my goals include connecting with you all to be sure that the KAAP is a resource and support for you. I believe communication is a key component to facilitate this important work and if there is anything you feel KAAP could help you with please reach out. If there are questions you have or resources you need that would help make things easier, please let me know.

I am so grateful to work with the excellent KAAP staff and I continue to be super impressed by the accomplishments we have achieved together. Please take a minute to reach out to me or check the website (kansasaap.org ) to see what is new and what might fit for your needs. I hope to see you all in September for the fall Progress in Pediatrics CME meeting in Wichita.

Executive Director Update

by Melissa Hudelson

Earlier this month the Kansas Chapter was awarded the “2021 Outstanding Chapter” award from the American Academy of Pediatrics at the Annual Leadership Conference. Kansas has a strong tradition of bringing this honor home and I am very excited that the hard work of our leadership and chapter members was recognized during this challenging time. Thank you to our 2021 Executive Committee: Kristie Clark, MD, FAAP, Gretchen Homan, MD, FAAP, Grace Brouillette, DO, FAAP, and Lisa Gilmer, MD, FAAP who have given generously of their time, energy, and expertise to the Chapter.

KAAP leadership is focused on supporting your work as Kansas pediatricians and we want to connect with you to find out how we should be prioritizing our efforts. Can we meet up for lunch, happy hour, or a Zoom call to touch base? Many of you have already heard from me, but I still have plenty of space on my calendar to fill. Please let me know if we can connect to talk about KAAP resources available and how we can best work for you, mel.hudelson@kansasaap.org, (913) 530-6265.

Legislative Update

Following the primary election, the Legislature and policy issues have been minimal. Interim legislative committees will begin in earnest next week up until the general election draws closer on November 8th. We anticipate an increase in activity in the next couple of months.

Undoubtedly, the biggest news over the last few weeks was the August primary and the defeat of both the anti-abortion constitutional amendment as well as several moderate incumbent candidates. The primary on August 2nd saw some of the highest voter turnout in recent history, with roughly 923,000 Kansans getting out to vote. (This, compared to 457,598 voters in the 2018 primary and 636,032 voters in the 2020 primary). Voters handily rejected an attempt to change the state constitution and remove protections for abortion, with 59% voting no. The overwhelming defeat of the amendment has perhaps given Governor Kelly a boost as November 8 th approaches. Read the full report.

Thursday, August 25th

12 pm CT

Nationally recognized pediatrician Dr. Todd Wolynn will talk through your role as a vaccine supporter both in the exam room and online where your patients are reachable. FREE CME/CNE available.

Details and Registration

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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

Summer 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.”

August marks the two-year anniversary of the Board of the Kansas Chapter of the AAP’s creation of the DEI Task Force. We quickly became a standing committee when the board recognized this important issue must remain at the forefront of the organization. Over the past two years, we have welcomed new members to the committee, provided educational webinars, updated the website, and provided guidance to the board. This year we will be partnering with other organizations to offer educational opportunities for our members.

On June 27, 2022, the AAP released the new policy statement, Eliminating Race-Based Medicine. The statement explores the historical context of race-based medicine and how many myths about race were perpetuated by early medical texts. It also explains why the AAP retired the clinical practice guideline for Urinary Tract Infection: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of the Initial Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Febrile Infants and Children 2 to 24 Months. For years, this guideline recommended providing different care to children based on race due to a theoretical but unproven lower risk of UTI for children of color. The retirement of this policy provides an important example of what happens when we pause and look at guidelines through an equity lens. There is a lot of work to be done, and we need all of our voices to be heard. Thank you for the participation and continued support of our phenomenal committee members! Committee meetings are open to all KAAP members and occur on the first Tuesday of every other month from 12:15 PM – 1 PM. Our committee is still seeking new leadership. It is up to each of us to use our position and power to keep this important work moving forward. If interested in participating on the committee or serving as committee chair or co-chair, please contact KAAP Executive Director, Mel Hudelson at mel.hudelson@kansasaap.org. Please visit our webpage 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.

Have You Registered?

Don't miss Progress in Pediatrics Fall 2022 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita on September 16th! The pediatricians on our planning committee have curated a timely and exciting agenda that includes abdominal pain/anxiety, vaping, ADHD, and more.

Agenda and Registration

Vaccine Liaison Update

by Mallory Laur

COVID-19 Vaccine

The vaccine rollercoaster continues! The highlight of the summer was approval of COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 and under. While vaccines are now available, uptake has been slow across the state. We are hearing a few reasons for this. One is staffing issues, limiting availability of COVID-19 vaccine clinics for patients. Another is that parents of young kids simply are not aware that a vaccine is available to them. And last, parents are choosing to wait either due to prior infection, questions on safety, or to see if updated vaccines are released to better combat Omicron variants. A few points to this:

We know how challenging staffing continues to be for you. As a reminder, KAAP is offering stipends to help with vaccine uptake. These dollars can be used to recognize your staff for helping with vaccine administration, like buying gift cards, lunch or t-shirts. Download the application here.
We encourage you to post on social media and send letters or notices to eligible families that the COVID-19 vaccine is now available for kids under age 5. Let me know if you would like template letters to send to families or social media resources.
Two vaccines are safe and effective for kids ages 5 and under, and now is the time to get vaccinated. If you missed last week’s COVID-19 vaccine town hall with Dr. Robert Wittler, view the recording here.

Monkeypox

Monkeypox spread and risk to children is still low, but we want you to be aware of resources available. For the latest information, view AAP’s answers to your monkeypox questions. KDHE also has a five-step plan for recognizing, reporting and treating monkeypox across the state.

National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. While child and adolescent immunization rates have hit a historic low due to the pandemic, there is a silver lining – pediatricians continue to be the most trusted source for families when it comes to vaccination. To help learn more ways to combat vaccine hesitancy and leverage social media to reach parents, tune in to KAAP’s webinar with nationally recognized pediatrician and speaker, Dr. Todd Wolynn, on Aug. 25. Register here. Free CME and CNE is available.

Please reach out with any way I can support your practice with the COVID-19 vaccine, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, or your vaccination rates as a clinic. You can reach me at mallory .laur@kansasaap.orgor vaccines@kansasaap.org.

Let's Have Some Fun!

Join us on Thursday, September 15th at 6 p.m. for a fun social event with your fellow KAAP members at Chicken N Pickle in Wichita. Registration is $15 and includes dinner, pickleball and games. There will be a cash bar available. We can’t wait to see you there! Click here to purchase tickets for you and your guests.

KPF Update

Michelle Horst has joined the Kansas Pediatric Foundation as the Operations Manager. She will manage the Turn a Page. Touch a Mind.^® (TAP-TAM) program and foundation development including the Kansas Kids Fund grants. Michelle has a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology and volunteers as the donation coordinator at Rose Brooks, Domestic Violence Shelter. Michelle is excited to continue to grow the TAP-TAM program and find new and exciting ways to increase partnerships for KPF.

Three new TAP-TAM sites have been approved in the month of August and will begin to hand out books once training has been completed. There are currently 140 TAP-TAM sites with more than 740 participating physicians and medical providers who ensure children have access to books and their caretakers are educated on the importance of reading to children daily.

Please reach out to Michelle Horst, michelle.horst@kansasaap.org with any questions or to recommend potential sites to become a TAP-TAM site.

Thursday, Sept. 29 and Friday, Sept. 30

Salina, KS

Child Abuse Review and Evaluation (CARE) Training

It takes a team with a coordinated, comprehensive medical response to protect Kansas children from abuse and neglect. In collaboration with Board-certified Child Abuse Pediatricians in Kansas, Child Abuse Review and Evaluation (CARE) Providers are specially trained to recognize abusive injuries and provide a medical evaluation for children under five years of age when abuse is suspected.

The training is free and includes hotel room for attendees more than 30 miles away from the training, meals and mileage reimbursement.

Details and Registration

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.