Advocacy Update: Medicaid Rate
Jennifer Donahue
WCAAP Communications Manager
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Access to quality, timely health care is essential for children to grow up healthy and reach their full potential but due in part to the low rates paid by Medicaid, there are communities in our state where people covered by Apple Health for Kids can't access pediatric health care.
That's why WCAAP advocated for the state to continue the Affordable Care Act's increase of Medicaid rates to parity with Medicare when the federal increase expired in 2015, and why we continue to advocate for the state to raise the Medicaid rate to Medicare levels across the board. It has been a long process, but thanks to WCAAP members' tireless advocacy we have made great strides in educating legislators about the issue.
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Retreat Report: Charting the Future
Rupin Thakkar, MD, FAAP
President, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
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Annual retreat brings chapter leaders together
This past weekend our board of trustees and committee chairs gathered in Leavenworth for our annual retreat. We briefly celebrated our many achievements over the past year: increased supports to families seeking behavioral health care and increased the Medicaid rate for pediatric care, we exceeded our goals for growth in membership and set a new record for participation in advocacy day, our healthcare transformation committee put on two fantastic population health forums and supported numerous practices, we hosted engaging listening sessions throughout the state, and we provided education to over 400 providers statewide on population health, developmental screening, depression screening, and adolescent health. But our annual retreat is less about reflecting on the past year and more about charting our future.
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Got Behavioral Health Integration?
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Do you currently have behavioral health integration for children and adolescents in your primary care practice, including a masters-trained or doctorate trained counselor or coordinator? If so, we would like to learn more about your experience. Please contact
Tatiana Sarkhosh to connect to future behavioral health integration opportunities.
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Immigration Policy Affects Kids
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New "public charge" regulations proposed - you can help!
The Department of Homeland Security has announced regulation changes to the US Government's "public charge" policy which could affect the health of 20 million children in the U.S. Almost nine in 10 of these children are U.S. citizens.
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Breakfast with Dr. Colleen Kraft
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ctober 26, 2018
7:00AM-8:30AM
Swedish First Hill - Seattle
Join the WCAAP as we welcome American Academy of Pediatrics president
Dr. Colleen Kraft to Seattle on October 26th for a breakfast & discussion about immigrant child health.
Dr. Kraft will discuss how U.S. policies regarding undocumented immigration affect the children coming to our southern border and what the AAP is doing to oppose the practices of detention and family separation and protect the health and human rights of immigrant children and families.
Our thanks to Swedish Pediatrics for their support of this event!
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Caring for Washington's Immigrant Families
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WCAAP members Elizabeth Dawson Hahn and Vaidehi Pidaparti have just produced
WCAAP's Immigrant Health Toolkit
which has resources for you as a clinician to support Washington's immigrant families, including what benefits immigrant children are eligible to receive. We will be walking through this toolkit with Drs. Dawson-Hahn and Pidaparti on webinars on November 8th and 9th - you can register here:
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Easy Access to Interpreters
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Help from the Health Care Authority
One in four children in the US is a first or second-generation immigrant, and a majority of immigrant children have at least one parent with Limited English Proficiency (LEP.) Federal law requires health care providers to offer and provide interpreter services at no cost to patients with LEP. Unfortunately, many times providers do not meet this requirement and rely on ad hoc interpreters such as family members or untrained staff, exposing children to increased risk for errors or misunderstandings, and/or placing a child in a difficult emotional position to serve as an interpreter. Through Apple Health for Kids, interpretation is available.
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Keeping Kids Safe: Support Initiative 1639
Kerry Harthcock, MD, FAAP
Trustee, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
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Protecting children from firearm injury and death
I am sure you have been there. One drink in and the group has successfully bypassed talking about our President but has landed on firearm safety and the senseless killings occurring in our schools. The group quickly polarizes into two groups: firearms owners protecting their 2nd Amendment rights as they see them and the gun-fearful afraid that every firearm represents the potential for murder. Both groups echo the emotions of fear and need for security. By the second drink, good points are made by both groups.
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Screening for Autism: What Can Primary Care Providers Look For?
Ruth McDonald, MD
Seattle Children's Vice President of Medical Affairs
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Early signs, tips and resources
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social communication and the presence of repetitive behavior. There are seven symptoms of ASD.
Three social communication symptoms:
- Limited social reciprocity
- Decreased nonverbal communication
- Difficulties making relationships
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Tips for Keeping Young Athletes Safe and Healthy
Sonal S. Avasare, MD, FAAP
Medical Director of Swedish Pediatric Specialty Care
Swedish Pediatric Nephrology
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Tips to share with families
We all know exercise is an important factor in maintaining an active and healthy life. However, over-exercising can lead to the rare, but serious complication of rhabdomyolysis. There has been a recent increase in rhabdomyolysis among teen athletes, so it is important to recognize the warning signs and learn how to prevent them.
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Free CME: Great MINDS - AS3D Standardized Autism Screening Training webinar now online!
You can better serve the children in your practice and strengthen your familiarity with autism screening and the referral process by participating in this Great MINDS AS3D eLearning course. Presented by an experienced physician, this course covers:
- Why you should use a screening tool.
- How to integrate use of a screening tool into your practice.
- Appropriate documentation.
- Results, resources, and referrals.
Learn more and register on our Webinars page!
This Week in Vaccine Hesitancy is a brief weekly email produced by Voices for Vaccines that summarizes current issues which may be raised by vaccine hesitant parents. The September issue debunks stories about flu vaccine causing miscarriages, doctors refusing vaccines for their own children, and HPV vaccine causing infertility.
Save the date! Washington Firearm Tragedy Prevention Network is holding it's fall meeting in Federal Way on Tuesday, November 13, 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Free CME: Depression screening webinar: To encourage more depression screening, Washington's Medicaid health plans now reimburse for adolescent depression screens with CPT code 96127. If you are considering incorporating depression screenings into your practice, we have a new webinar training available, thanks to generous support from Amerigroup:
Register Online.
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Coming Up: WCAAP Committee Meetings
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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
Meets monthly by telephone
Legislative Affairs Committee
November 6, 7:00-8:00am
Meets weekly by phone during the legislative session & special session
Meets monthly by phone during the interim
Early Learning Committee
Next meeting in person November 10 - 9:00am-12:00pm/SeaTac
Meets periodically by telephone and annually in person
Sustainability & Engagement Committee
October 23 - 12:00-1:00pm
Meets monthly by telephone
Vaccine Committee
Meets 2x/year
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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!
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| Thank you to our sponsors:
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