June 2019
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WCAAP Board Election Update


We are pleased to announce our 2019-2020 Board of Trustees! We are grateful to each member of the board for their willingness to serve WCAAP members and Washington's children and families, and are confident that the Chapter is well-positioned for continued success in the coming year.



Advocacy Update: Spring into Action!
Wei-Jen Hsieh, MD, FAAP
Trustee, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

This is a perfect time for local meetings! 

I always find Advocacy Day to be incredibly invigorating. This year we hoped to carry forward the energy generated in Olympia and continue to meet with our legislators locally after the end of the legislative session. Earlier this month, a group of WCAAP members, including many early-career pediatricians, met with Senator David Frockt at the home of a chapter board member to hone our advocacy skills.

MMR Vaccine Exemption Law Change + Resources

New information & resources from DOH 

In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed a bill that removes the personal and philosophical option to exempt children from the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine required for school and child care entry. It also requires employees and volunteers at child care centers to provide immunization records indicating they have received the MMR vaccine or proof of immunity. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 10, 2019.


Congenital Syphilis Cases on the Rise
Jami Lewis, MD, FAAP
Mednax/Pediatrix
Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital

A new approach to screening and treatment

Washington, especially Spokane County where I practice neonatology, is experiencing a devastating rise in the incidence of syphilis cases in women. Not surprisingly, congenital syphilis cases have also been rising.  Cases seem to be related to increasing illicit drug use in women of childbearing age. The standard practice of screening for syphilis once early in pregnancy is failing to identify later maternal infections and opportunities to effectively treat the disease. 

Free Training: Pediatric Lead Screening and Results Reporting 
Catherine Karr, MD, PhD 
Nancy Beaudet, MS, CIH
NW Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU)
University of Washington


 
Learn what you need to know in a 20-minute, on-demand training
Most lead toxicity in the United States is subclinical. Only through blood lead testing can concerning exposures be identified. Health consequences of low level lead exposure include attention related problems, decreased cognitive ability and academic achievement, anti-social behavior, delayed puberty, and reproductive effects.



Fatherhood Voices Inform Health Transformation Opportunities
Amanda Krotke-Crandall
Innovation Coordinator 
WA Frontiers of Innovation

August conference will highlight father engagement

As a pediatric professional, you know that a child's well-being depends on many factors.  Your intake form probably asks many questions beyond medical concerns to gain a broad picture of a child's life.  One question it is important to review is the role a child's father has in the life of that child.  That piece of information can play an important part in your ability to support the child's physical and mental health.  Findings from an array of studies have overwhelmingly shown that children with actively involved fathers fare better across a wide range of domains.

Practice Managers: Join the Pediatric Practice Management Alliance
Kimberley Robbins
Clinic Administrator
Child and Adolescent Clinic, Longview

Pediatric practice management support and resources

Beside every successful pediatrician is a very skilled practice manager! The PPMA is a sub-organization of the Section on Administration and Practice Management (SOAPM) created to empower pediatric practice administrators and clinic managers to overcome the day-to-day challenges of running a pediatric medical practice.  Members of the PPMA have access to the brightest minds in pediatric practice management, the most creative and effective techniques to improve profitability, as well as many educational opportunities to help practice managers or administrators solve problems unique to pediatrics. 

Member Spotlight: Elizabeth Meade, MD, FAAP

Get to know your new WCAAP board president!

Elizabeth Meade, MD, FAAP moved to Washington state as a child and has lived here for most of her life, completing undergraduate and medical school at the University of Washington before moving to Los Angeles for residency at UCLA. She returned to Seattle in 2010 and has worked as a pediatric hospitalist and Chief of Pediatrics at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle since then.

Noteworthy

Congratulations New Fellows! 
Lizette Antig, MD, FAAP
Sriharsha Grevich, MD, FAAP
Jason Hauptman, MD, PhD, FAANS, FAAP
Matthew Test, MD, fAAP
Mariya Babyna, MD, FAAP
Sujatha Buddhe, MD, FAAP
Jonathon Freezer, MD, FAAP
Sarah Mahoney, MD, FAAP

The Washington State Medical Homes Partnership Project's Child Health Notes are a great resource for pediatric health care providers.  The most recent issue was on Early Intervention.  For a list of recent and archived Child Health Notes, you can visit their website.  

The American Medical Association is releasing new online training to help physicians talk to patients about firearm safety The course will help identify risk factors that could lead to potential for injury or death from a firearm, as well as communicate better with patients on the issue. The module is available for free on the AMA Ed Hub and qualifies for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

The House Committee on Education and Labor unanimously voted to advance AAP-supported legislation to strengthen the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). The Stronger CAPTA Act authorizes needed federal funding increases for services that prevent and treat child abuse and neglect and includes key AAP priorities, leading to meaningful change for vulnerable children and families. During the committee markup, the bill's lead sponsor Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) entered the Academy's letter endorsing the legislation into the congressional record. This   press statement   has more.

It's great to have a pediatrician in the House! Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) has also introduced the VACCINES Act of 2019, which aims to fund research into effective ways to encourage parents to vaccinate as well as a national communications campaign. Learn more here

CATCH HAS A NEW GRANT CYCLE! 
No Call for Proposals will be issued in June 2019. The Call for Proposals will be issued only once per year starting this November.  Here is the new timeline:
  *  November 1, 2019 Call for Proposals Released
  *  December 31, 2019 Application Deadline
  *  March 2, 2020 New Grantees Announced
  *  April 1, 2020 Projects Begin
  Grantees will have 12 months to complete their projects.
  At least one formal "check-in" with grantees, CATCH facilitators and AAP staff will occur during the course of the project period.
  Funding remains the same -- $10,000 for Fellows and $2,000 for Pediatric Trainees/Residents.
Questions? Concerns? Reach out to staff at   CATCH@aap.org.


WCAAP Webinars: Don't forget to take a look at our Webinars page for free CME e-learning on topics like behavioral health, developmental and autism screening, and adolescent and maternal depression screening. 
 

Coming Up: WCAAP Committee Meetings
Join us! Committees are a great way to meet other members and get involved with Chapter work! Watch this space for upcoming meeting dates and times for Chapter committees and interest groups. Most committees meet by phone for one hour. 

Health Care Transformation Committee 
June 18 - 8:00-9:00am
Meets monthly by telephone
Contact Mike Dudas  or Francie Chalmers to learn more.

Legislative Affairs Committee
In person: June 28, 10am-1pm, Federal Way
Phone: July 2, 7:00-8:00am
Meets weekly by phone during the legislative session & special session 
Meets monthly by phone during the interim
Contact  Lelach Rave or Beth Ebel to learn more. 

Early Childhood Committee 
Meets periodically by phone, 2x/year in person
Contact  Diane Liebe  to learn more. 

Sustainability & Engagement Committee 
June 25 - 12:00-1:00pm
Meets monthly by telephone
Contact Kim Hauff or Wei-Jen Hsieh to learn more. 
 
Vaccine Committee
Meets 2x/year
Contact John Dunn to learn more. 


News & Events
What's Happening? 
We bring education and networking events to providers all over Washington. Find all of our latest upcoming events plus offerings from our partners around the state on our website's Events page! 
Thank you to our sponsors: 
WA Chapter AAP | WA Chapter of the AAP | jdonahue@wcaap.org
 

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