After spending five days with thousands of fellow pediatricians being inspired by clinicians, researchers, advocates, patients and parents at the 2018 AAP National Convention and Exhibition in sunny Orlando, my excitement began to wane as my plane approached a cold, wet Kansas City on an uncertain election night. With my vote already cast, all I could do was wait for the returns and try to stay warm.

 

By the end of the night, the voices of nearly a million Kansans had spoken. Leading up to election day, many of the contests were predicted to be anyone's guess but at the end of the day, the closest margin turned out to be a narrow victory for the Kansas Jayhawks. Children stand to be some of the biggest winners of the midterm election. Changing course on school funding, immigration and healthcare are key priorities for many of our newly elected officials. I anxiously await the opportunity to meet Governor-Elect Kelly, potentially at our Advocacy Day on February 12th and Congresswoman-Elect Davids' office number will soon be programed into my cell phone. I am optimistic about the prospect of the KAAP partnering on issues that affect children in Kansas, but I am not particularly patient. Nothing happens quickly in Topeka or in D.C. so how do we make a difference right now even if only for one child? By picking up our sword and shield to protect those who need it the most.    

 

For me the most memorable talk at the NCE was the keynote address at the opening plenary presented by Adam Foss, JD, a former district attorney in the juvenile division of the Boston DA's office. An advocate of criminal justice reform, he shared his own story of being a young black man protected by a shield instead of being sent to jail. Through statistics and personal stories, he implored pediatricians to help black children overcome obstacles early in life. He challenged us to do something, to be part of a "a new civil rights movement" with a shift in focus from incarceration to transformation for black youth. His emotional conclusion-"Each of you has the opportunity to stick your arm into that pipeline and pull out one kid. Exercise your sword and shield, because when you do, amazing things will happen."

 

Amazing things are already happening as members of the Kansas Chapter exercise their swords and shields to change the lives of children facing obstacles. Dr. Liz Musil and the Foster Care Taskforce are working with state agencies to implement a standardized health information form for children in foster care. Their voice and determination to get this done right is a sword for children in foster care. With a newly awarded grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, Dr. Gretchen Homan will pilot a project in several high Medicaid practices using regular encounters as opportunities to educate families about the importance of adult vaccinations in order to increase adult immunization rates. Her willingness to apply for and lead this grant is a shield for infants not old enough to be fully vaccinated against diseases such as whooping cough and influenza.

 

The unique swords and shields we carry as pediatricians can make a difference in the lives of those we care for every day- a black child, a Muslim child, a migrant child, a child with special health care needs, or a pregnant mother fighting opioid addiction. When we use them to protect someone who has less than we do, to protect against discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability or age, we will indeed become leaders in Mr. Foss's new civil rights movement.