Paula J. Whiteman, MD, FACEP, FAAP
President, AAP-CA2
Representative, AAP-District IX CFMC

Welcome to the April 2015 edition 
of our monthly Newsletter.

 

 

April 25th CME Conference

Registration continues for our 26th Annual Southern California Postgraduate Pediatric Conference, "Advances in Pediatrics" to be held at the Universal Sheraton in Universal City, CA  on Saturday, April 25, 2015 . Our conference will feature the S. Michael Marcy Memorial Lecture. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending. This year the main focus will be topics related to pediatric emergencies. The registration fee is lower from last year and there will be over 7 hours of CME. We anticipate MOC.

SGA
In concert with the AAP-CA State Government Affairs Committee, our district held its annual legislative leadership day at the beginning of March. Representatives from each California chapter traveled to Sacramento to meet with various members of our California State Assembly to advocate on behalf of our members and our patients.
We spoke with our legislators to discuss several bills that affect children, including Bill 277, co-authored by Senator Richard Pan, MD, FAAP, which aims to repeal the personal belief vaccine exemption. Please see below for photos from that day, as well as the main AAP talking points.

ALF
The American Academy of Pediatrics' Annual Leadership Forum (ALF) took place mid-March in Schaumburg, Illinois, attended by over  550 chapter officers, committee, council and section chairpersons, guests, and staff . The voting members ultimately adopted 110 resolutions from the 117 considered and discussed . Nineteen final resolutions were from our district, including the #1 and #7 resolutions.

The #1 resolution, which this year was written by a pediatric resident from UCSF, Dr. Peter Cooch, focused on the "Legal and Mental Health Needs of Undocumented Immigrant Children." The #7 resolution, which was a combined resolution from chapters 1 & 4, addressed "Universal Screening for Hunger/Food Insecurity During Office Visits."

At ALF, we were pleasantly surprised and honored to learn that we had even been considered for the award for outstanding very large chapter. Also, our chapter video was the first showcased - one of only three selected from across the nation.

Our very own, Dr. Chris Harris, received an award in recognition of his outstanding service as the outgoing chair of the Section Forum Management Committee (SFMC) and for serving on the SFMC from 2009-2015.

The Outstanding Council Award at the 2015 ALF for Member Recruitment went to the Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care Chair, Moira Szilagyi, MD, FAAP, who also has the additional distinction of being our newest AAP-CA2 member. New York's loss is our gain!

I took office as our district's representative to the Chapter Forum Management Committee (CFMC). The CFMC is responsible for the ALF and coordinating all the resolutions. Dr. Yasuko Fukuda's term as District Vice Chair was extended by one year in order to synchronize with that of the District Chair.

We had the chance to meet and spend time with our exceptional AAP president-elect candidates, Dr. Lynda Young and Dr. Fernando Stein. You will hear more about these candidates as the election cycle progresses.

Featured Article
We have an interesting article this month focusing on natural supplements in breastfeeding written by Martha Rivera, MD, FAAP, who not only has practiced pediatric infectious disease, but has now branched off into alternative medicine.

Programs and Contributions
Fourteen Santa Barbara County High Schools received a letter from our chapter with the announcement of the 16th year of our High School Medicine-Biological Sciences Scholarship (HSMBSS) Program. AAP-CA2 rotates through all the counties and this year's turn is Santa Barbara. Scholarship finalists will be interviewed in early May, and winners will be notified in late May 2015. Two Winners will be selected, one will receive $1,000, and the other $500.00.

A special thanks to our secretary, Chris Landon, MD, FAAP, FCCP, CDM, for his generous contribution to our high school MBS scholarship, mentioned above, and our resident research award programs.

We would like to thank Dr. and Mrs. Murray Feingold, Dr. Stuart L. Goldstein, The Marcy Family Trust, and Dr. Bill Mason for their generous donations to the S. Michael Marcy Memorial Fund.

Those wishing to make charitable contributions to the chapter may do so by sending a check made out to: AAP-CA Chapter 2. If desired, please specify in the memo line the particular program you wish to support, such as, the HSMBSS Fund, the Resident Research Award Fund, or the S. Michael Marcy Memorial Fund, and mail it to:

American Academy of Pediatrics, CA Chapter 2
P.O. Box 94127
Pasadena, CA 91109

Please feel free to get involved locally by contacting our chapter 2 executive director.
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

 


Sincerely,


Paula Whiteman, MD, FACEP, FAAP
President, AAP-CA2
Representative, AAP-District IX CFMC

 

Featured Article
Martha E. Rivera, MD, FAAP

Breastfeeding, Integrative Medicine, and The Use of Herbs As Lactogogues

Martha E. Rivera, MD, FAAP


 
     This article is a bridge in my training in general pediatrics, pediatric infectious disease, and integrative medicine. The combined study and practice of these disciplines have broadened my understanding in the basics of nutrition, prevention, immunity, and supplemental herbs to increase human milk supply that is essential to the health of the growing infant.


 
    Nutrition in early life is critical in development. It has a major role inmodulating gene expression, therefore having effects later in life. The health benefits given to the infant by breastfeeding have been strongly studied. There have been significant decreases in risks of infections (NEC, otitis media), allergy, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Various forms of childhood and adult onset cancers have decreased.  Read more... 

 

AAP Committee on Pediatric Workforce
Chris Harris MD, FAAP

Summary of AAP-CA Chapter 2 Workforce Data

Chris Harris, MD, FAAP

  

I am happy to report that the analysis of the workforce surveys fielded by the AAP Committee on Pediatric Workforce have been completed! 


 
You might find the information related to experiences referring patients to medical subspecialists

/surgical specialists over the last year particularly interesting. Nearly 1 in 3 pediatricians in our Chapter felt that the availability of specialists was either fair or poor; nearly 6 in 10 felt that the wait times for children to see these physicians was either fair or poor.   Click here for the summary of the CA-2 workforce data.

 

 

Additional resources are listed on the second page of the AAP State Pediatrician Workforce Survey that you will find helpful if you are interested in additional information on physician workforce topics.


 

 

Have You Registered?  $199 for CA2 Members
AAP-CA Chapter 2 Presents: 
The 26th Annual Southern California 
Postgraduate Pediatric Conference
Featuring the Inaugural S. Michael Marcy Memorial Lecture


   
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Sheraton Universal Hotel
Universal City, CA


Scroll below to see our Faculty

 

2015 Annual Leadership Forum - Highlights

(Front Row, from left) AAP-CA2 Vice President Edward Curry, MD, FAAP; AAP-CA2 President Paula Whiteman, MD, FAAP, AAP-CA4 Vice President Dean Jacobs, MD, FAAP; AAP-CA3 President Wendy Wright, MD, FAAP; and AAP-CA3 Executive Director Meredith Kennedy, MPH. (2nd. Row) AAP-CA4 Executive Director Letitia Clark George, MPP.

Leadership from AAP-CA Chapters 2 and 4 discussing resolutions.



UCSF Pediatric Resident, P eter Cooch, MD, presents his resolution to the Forum. His resolution,  addressing the "Legal and Mental Health Needs of Undocumented Immigrant Children." was voted #1 


Robert Vinetz, MD, FAAP, presenting his resolution that the Academy research and educate AAP members about Financing Universal Health Care. His resolution was adopted.















  








Dr. Paula Whiteman presenting one of her many resolutions to the Forum.
CQN4 Asthma - QI Project
Practices Implement QI Measures in Asthma Management

 

Eleven practices have joined AAP-CA2 in the AAP Chapter Quality Network Asthma Phase 4 Project. With only two months into the project, reports show an improvement in the number of patients receiving Optimal Asthma Care, a measure consisting of four components:

  1. Assessment of asthma control
  2. Stepwise approach used to identify treatment options or adjust therapy
  3. Asthma action plan
  4. On a controller medication if a persistent asthmatic.   

 

Image above shows data representing four participating practices. The goal for this metric is for 90% of patients to be receiving Optimal Asthma Care.


 
Congratulations to the following practices:

  

Cesar Chavarria, MD, Inc.
Loma Linda University Health Care
Los Angeles Christian Health Center
Mandalay Bay Medical Group
Mission Pediatrics
Pediatric Diagnostic Center
Santa Paula West Pediatric Clinic
Sierra Vista Family Medical Clinic
Santa Barbara Asthma Consortium

Santa Barbara Asthma Consortium

Cottage Children's Hospital

Sansum Clinic -  Allergy/Pulmonology

Sansum Clinic - General Pediatrics 



 
Next CQN4 Event: Learning Session 2 (LS2) - Webinar, on 4/14/2015 at 6:30 PM


 

 

The goal of this project is to systematically change physician care practices in accordance with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NHLBI/NAEPP) asthma guidelines.


ADVOCACY - State Government Affairs

Representatives from all four California chapters met with State Legislators at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, on March 3, 2015. Discussion points included our support of the following Bills: LA-HPAC: Sac Capitol office

SB 277 - (Pan & Allen) Vaccines, builds on existing laws to create a "vaccine-preventable illness safe zone" in schools.

AB 366 and SB 243 - two identical bills to provide critical stability to health care provider networks within the Medi-Cal program.

Eight Bills impacting poverty and food insecurity in children: SB 3, AB 11, AB 15, SB 23, AB 35, SB 38, AB 43, and AB 47.

Four Bills to prevent youth nicotine addiction (tobacco and e-cigarettes):  AB 768, SB 140, SB 151, and SB 591.

AB 53 - Rear-facing car seats.

While not a bill, a request was voiced to support measures that will protect the existing California Children's Services (CCS) which is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2015.

 


Representatives from all four California Chapters, with Richard Pan, MD, FAAP

At the State Capitol steps. (from left) AAP-CA2 President Paula Whiteman, MD, FAAP, AAP-CA CEO Kris Calvin, AAP-CA District Chair Stuart Cohen, MD, MPH, AAP-CA2 Vice President Edward Curry, MD, FAAP, and AAP-CA2 Area Representative Damodara Rajasekhar, MD, FAAP
Dr. Rajasekhar and Dr. Whiteman meeting with Assemblyman Jay Obernolte.
 


 

Awards and Recognition

   

Chris Harris, MD, FAAP received an award for his six years of dedication to the Section Forum Management Committee. Congratulations, Dr. Harris!

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics 

Proudly presents this certificate to 

 Christopher E. Harris, MD, FAAP

In Recognition of Distinguished Service as a 

Medical I Action Group Chairperson 

of the Section Forum Management Committee 2009-2015

 

 

 

Moira A. Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP  received the  Member Recruitment award for her work with residents and fellowship  trainees. Dr. Szilagyi is the Chairperson for the Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care.  

 

Member Recruitment

Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care

Moira A. Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP - Chairperson

In 2014, residents and fellowship trainees were offered free membership 

 which resulted in 14 residents and 1 trainee joining the council within the first two months.

 

Training Opportunities

REDUCING SECONDHAND SMOKE EXPOSURE

Dr. Jyothi Marbin, a pediatrician in Oakland CA, works with a program called CEASE (Clinical Effort Against Secondhand  Smoke Exposure)  California , which teaches pediatric providers (through their hospitals and clinics) to reduce secondhand smoke exposure by providing nicotine replacement therapy prescriptions and referrals to the CA Smoker's Helpline to families where parents smoke. Click to view the CEASE California website


 

The program has been funded by the American Academy of Pediatrics in Northern California, where they've done about 20 trainings already, and they now have funding from First 5 California to disseminate CEASE to 75 practices in Southern California. The training is free and takes about an hour. 


 

Dr. Marbin is offering trainings to practices in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, as these are two of the top five counties with the highest rates of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure in CA.  Ideally, this is for busy FQHCs serving low-income children and families.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Marbin directly at [email protected]


 

You may read Implementation of a Parental Tobacco Control Intervention in Pediatric Practice as published in PEDIATRICS. Click here to access the article.

 

 Helping Babies Breathe Master Trainer Workshop

April 18-19, 2015 on the UCLA Campus.  It will be offered as a satellite course following the UC Global Health Day Conference being held April 18th.  This is the only time this course is being offered on the West Coast.

 

Helping Babies Breathe has already been shown to  decrease the stillbirth rate by as much as 25-50% when implemented in resource poor areas with already high neonatal mortality. Access the article

 

Click to obtain Course Information

Click Here to REGISTER NOW!  

 

For more information, contact:  Sonia Romero, RCHSD/UCSD Emergency Medicine, (858) 966-8036

 

Coming Events

April 8 - Dinner Meeting


"The Foster Care and Adoptions interest group explores topics of interest to pediatricians who enjoy the challenges and rewards of working with children and families going through the transitions of foster care and adoption. We will have our first meeting on Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 PM at "The Backyard at 4518",  located just down the street from CHLA.

Dr. Suzanne Roberts will be talking about the impact of toxic stress in childhood on lifelong health. Please come and join us for good food and good company. The dinner is self-pay, and the restaurant allows BYOB with no corkage fee. Please call Janet Arnold-Clark at (626) 862-1940 to RSVP."

 

When: Wednesday, April 8th.

Where: The Backyard at 4518", 4518 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Time: 6:00 PM

Cost: Self pay


April 25 - Have You Registered?  $199 for CA2 Members
AAP-CA Chapter 2 Presents: 
The 26th Annual Southern California 
Postgraduate Pediatric Conference
Featuring the Inaugural S. Michael Marcy Memorial Lecture



  

Saturday, April 25, 2015
Sheraton Universal Hotel
Universal City, CA



Faculty

 


 
From Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, Department of Infectious Diseases will be Mark Sawyer, MD, FAAP. He is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and a Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist at the UCSD School of Medicine. Dr. Sawyer will give the inaugural S. Michael Marcy Memorial Lecture, entitled: Emerging Infections: The Bugs Are One Step Ahead And They Are Moving. As Dr. Sawyer is on the RedBook Committee, he will also speak on the Red Book: What You Must Read In The New Edition! For more about Dr. Sawyer, please READ MORE

 

 


 
Elizabeth R. Sowell, Ph.D. is Director of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory and Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. She will be speaking on the impact of prenatal exposures, such as marijuana, on later brain development. This is a very important and timely topic as more and more states legalize marijuana. For more about Dr. Sowell, please READ MORE.

 


F
rom Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine will be Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, FACEP, FAAP. She is a Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Vice Chair and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine as well as the Director Pediatric Emergency Medicine and EMS Fellowships. Dr. Gausche-Hill will talk about how to prepare your office for pediatric emergencies and discuss challenging real-life cases that have presented to pediatric practices. For more about Dr. Gausche-Hill, please READ MORE.

 

 

 


 

From the CA Poison Control Center will be medical toxicologist, Cyrus Rangan M.D. FAAP FACMT. He will be speaking on the latest drugs of abuse children and adolescents may be getting into as well as challenging toxicologic cases. Dr. Rangan is the Director of the Bureau of Toxicology & Environmental Assessment at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. He is an attending and consulting Medical Toxicologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles as well as a clinical instructor at the USC/Keck School of Medicine. For more about Dr. Rangan, please READ MORE.

 

 


From UCSF will be pediatric dermatologist Jeff Sugarman, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP, FAAD. Dr. Sugarman is an Associate Clinical Professor in Dermatology at UC San Francisco and in private practice as the Medical Director of Redwood Family Dermatology in Sonoma County, CA.  He will be speaking on "Rashes that are potentially serious or life threatening and their mimickers " as well as "Dermatology potpourri: Unknowns and case-based pediatric dermatology". For more information about Dr. Sugarman, please READ MORE.

 

 

May 10 - 

Volunteering Opportunity on Mother's Day 




For the last six years, Foster Care Counts and volunteers have hosted foster families for a day of food, games, family, and celebration, and each year is more fun than the last.  On Sunday, May 10th, hundreds of volunteers will once again make Foster Mother's Day memorable for the 2,000 foster parents and children invited to take part in a special event in their honor. If you are interested in volunteering, please follow the link below.   Click to learn more, and sign up!

 

June 10 - 

Town Hall Meeting, hosted by Ken Saul, MD, FAAP 



Topic: Anaphylaxis
Location:  Maggiano's  in Woodland Hills.
More details will be announced in May. Click to RSVP

Submitting Articles for Publication in Our Newsletter


 

Have you written original clinical work you would like to share?

Do you have any news you that would like to publish in our newsletter?


AAP-CA2 invites you to submit your ideas, accomplishments, news, pictures...

For article submission guidelines, please click here.

 

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Thank you for your support
Sincerely,
AAP-CA2
PO Box 94127 Pasadena, CA 91109
(818) 422-9877
Please visit our website at  http://aapca2.org/