According to a survey-based study recently published in Academic Pediatrics, 86% of pediatricians counsel the families of children 1 – 4 years of age on drowning prevention. This is also the highest risk group, with drowning being the leading cause of death according to CDC data. While drowning prevention has been a top advocacy concern of Chapter 2 (together with the other three chapters in California), there is clearly more work to do. Drowning prevention is featured in this month’s Tweetiatrician Update, with links to social-media-ready safety tips, graphics, and other information. Many of you are avid social media users and will be able to put these resources to good use for your patients and their families!

I would also like to call attention to some of the exciting articles featured in this month’s newsletter. Dr. Christine Thang writes about cleft lip and palate care in recognition of July being national Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month. In The Quorum, Dr. Kamaal Jones discusses the impact of climate change on child health, and calls attention to state and federal legislative efforts to address this growing challenge.

If you are a new pediatric intern or a medical student interested in pediatrics, you might be seeing this newsletter for the first time. Welcome! I hope to hear from you about how this chapter can better support your career aspirations in pediatrics. Please check out the Trainees’ Corner below. There is a welcome message from our resident representative, Dr. Emma Burdekin, as well as a special feature of Dr. Elizabeth Volpicelli’s quality improvement project to bring Adverse Childhood Events screening to the UCLA resident continuity clinic.

Cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) are two of the most common birth conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 1 in 600-700 births [1]. National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month in July was established to raise awareness for the infants, children, teens, and adults with craniofacial conditions. As pediatricians, we play an important role in helping children and families with clefts, especially when working together with multidisciplinary team care centers. Read more...

The Climate Crisis is Heating Up

As a scorching heat wave makes its way through California and the US, we are once again reminded of the tangible impacts of the earth’s shifting climate. The first week of July was the hottest week in world history. Water temperatures in the Florida Keys hit a record 97 degrees Fahrenheit. As of the time this article is being written, Death Valley, California is on track to hit the highest temperature ever reliably recorded ... Read more

As you are likely aware, suicide is a leading cause of death among young people. National data indicate worsening trends in suicidality and mental health over the last decade. To address this, AAP has partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to establish a community of AAP and AFSP Suicide Prevention Ambassadors that will be trained in community partnership strategies. Are you interested in this project? Read more ...

AAP-CA2, in collaboration with Anti-Vaping Champions at UCLA, is recruiting practices interested in participating in a Quality Improvement project. The focus is to incorporate vaping screening, counseling, and treatment referrals during visits for pediatric patients.

Receive 25 points of ABP MOC Part 4 credit for your participation, $400 at the end of the 4th cycle, plus up to $300 for participating in the Clinic Learning Collaborative meetings every other month ($50 Amazon card per meeting attendance x 6).

Please contact ucla.avc@mednet.ucla.edu or complete this Interest Form.

To all the Tweetiatricians out there, the AAP provides monthly content ideas to facilitate your communication with your followers. Follow the links below to access templated content for your messages.

Drowning Prevention

Elizabeth J. Volpicelli, MD; Christine Thang, MD

There is a critical need and demand for learning how to effectively integrate ACEs screening and trauma-informed care into the pediatric primary care practice. The purpose of this report is to describe the lessons learned following a quality improvement project aimed to implement the ACEs Aware screening algorithm into a resident-led primary care pediatric clinic.. Read more...

The AAP Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program is seeking applications for the position of District Resident CATCH Liaison (DRL) in Districts I, VIII, IX and X. The suggested term for this position is 2 years starting in October 2023. CATCH’s mission is to support pediatricians to collaborate within their communities to advance the health of all children. Our vision is that every child in every community reach optimal health and well-being. Learn more about the responsibilities and activities of the position. The deadline to apply online is August 31, 2023. Note: At the end of the online application, you must upload a current copy of your CV and a letter of support in PDF format to submit a completed application. Questions about the position and how to apply can be directed to Maggie Kelly. 

We would also like to invite any interested trainees to submit a piece for the newsletter (guidelines here). Look out for next month’s issue! We are thrilled to be sharing a piece focused on gender affirming care written by Dr. Esther Kang, who is a fantastic medicine-pediatrics resident at UCLA.

Please complete THIS FORM to be considered for a future Member Spotlight in the AAP-CA2 Newsletter!

By Delesa Barnes

Reach Out and Read Inland Empire Program Coordinator

Everyone wants the best for their child; to provide them with a safe, loving environment and opportunities that will

help them flourish. But being a parent or caregiver to a young child can be overwhelming, and it’s not always easy to know how best to support their growth. Continue reading...

To protect children against serious infections, the California school immunization law requires them to receive immunizations before entry to pre-kindergarten (childcare or preschool) and school. With the 2023-2024 school year quickly approaching, now is great time to verify your patients are up-to-date with their immunizations and have all required vaccines for school. Guidance and resources on immunizations required for school can be found on the California Department of Public Health Shots for Schools website. School personnel can now access student immunization records directly using the School and Childcare Roster Lookup (SCRL) tool found in the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) Hub. Please help school staff access accurate records by documenting new immunizations in CAIR and updating historical records. If you have a patient in need of a medical exemption, please follow the guidance here.

If you missed the July DPH/AAP Pediatric Information Session, you are invited to review the recording for updates on RSV vaccines, a demonstration of the new Los Angeles County Department of Public Health immunization dashboard and a presentation by Los Angeles Unified School District Chief Medical Director, Smita Malhotra, MD, on health access and equity in school settings. To gain access to the recording please email csepulveda@ph.lacounty.gov to be added to the share-point.

Are you a licensed pediatrician in the United States who has seen or treated a patient who has sustained a sports-related concussion? If so, you may be eligible to participate in our 5-minute research survey study to help improve and foster a collaborative approach with neuropsychologists to develop a multidisciplinary approach to pediatric sports-related concussions. To participate in this research study, please click on the following link: https://paloaltou.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_37tOa0TXdN2NfMO (If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Yelena Markiv at brainlab@paloaltou.edu or (650) 417-2025. )

View our summer programming map

Gasol Foundation (founded by NBA All Stars and Champions Pau and Marc Gasol) is a nonprofit that works through evidence-based programming, evaluation and research, and advocacy to promote children’s wellness, with a focus on eliminating childhood obesity. Every Gasol Foundation program incorporates physical activity, diet, sleep, and emotional well-being to improve the health of our children and their overall development.

All Gasol Foundation programming is designed by a PhD child psychologist, embedded with evidence-based practices, FREE to participants, and taught by college graduates to manage the curriculum.

Gasol Foundation's evidence-based programs (6-12 year olds) are: Galactic Sports, sports skills training with lessons about healthy habits; CommUnity, healthy habits curriculum with classes for parents and children; and Energy, summer day camp instruction in the healthy habits. This fall, we will start offering HAPPI, an early childhood (0-3 year olds) wellness program.

We are currently in 20 program locations in LA and Orange Counties, and we will bring our programming to San Bernardino County this fall. In fact, we expect to be in the four LA/Southern California counties (the three above plus Riverside) by 2024. Feel free to refer children (and their families) to any nearby programs. www.GasolFoundation.org Email: info@GasolFoundation.org

The Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital seeks a faculty member to join the Department of Pediatrics Health Science Series in the Division of General Pediatrics. Academic rank will be commensurate with experience. Duties include patient care, teaching of fellows and residents, and participation in research or other scholarly endeavors that will lead to academic promotion. Read more...

LA County Health Services is seeking 5 pediatricians/nurse practitioners for its Antelope Valley clinics, for full- or part-time work. Pay is competitive. Hours are flexible. There is no weekend or overnight call. We are an evidence-based practice, with stellar clinicians that work with multidisciplinary teams. We have on site radiology, and multiple sub-specialties. Contact Amy Shekarchi for inquiries/interest: ashekarchi2@dhs.lacounty.gov

Thank you to all that attended Dr. Ken Saul’s Town Hall/ Dinner Lecture at Maggiano’s on June 20^th.

Child Psychiatrist Dr. Derek Ott presented Updates on ADD Medications and Treatment Options. This event was sponsored by TRIS Pharmaceuticals.

Don’t miss an exciting Civic Health Month Webinar With speakers Gnora Gumanow of the Healthy Democracy Healthy People Initiative as well as Cynthia Romo and Dr. Ilan Shapiro of the AltaMed community health network! You’ll learn why voting access and civic engagement are so important to our patients’ health and see how a large Southern California clinic network serving 400,000 patients integrates civic engagement year-round.

Email AFregoso@mednet.ucla.edu for more information on this event!

Fridays at 8 AM

Contact Help Me Grow LA leadership via email: HelpMeGrowLA@ph.lacounty.gov. We look forward to working with you!

Signing up your entire practice (clinical and non-clinical staff) qualifies for a 20% discount on Chapter membership dues. Contact us for details.

The Immigrant Youth Task Force (IYTF) at UCLA and the American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 2 (AAP-CA2) invite you to visit The Los Angeles County Immigrant Youth Resource Toolkit, a website consolidating community resources in the greater LA area for immigrant youth and families. Our goal is to help professionals from all disciplines address the needs of their immigrant youth patients/clients with regards to health care, legal services, education, social services, and more. As our toolkit continues to evolve, we encourage you to explore and use it in your practice going forward.

Chapter committees are great opportunities to get involved in areas that interest you the most. Furthermore, if you are a Fellow member (FAAP), local involvement could position you for leadership opportunities at National AAP. To learn more about our various Committees and Sections, and to sign up, please visit aapca2.org/committees.

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Members-At-Large

Area Representatives

For the ninth year in a row, the AAP-CA2 is a recipient of the 2020 AAP Award of Chapter Excellence in recognition for its accomplishments during the 2020 calendar year. We would like to thank you, our members, for your loyalty as we advocate for children, pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, bringing you opportunities for engagement and professional development.

Please visit our website: aapca2.org

Past issues of Peds@CA2 eNews: https://aapca2.org/publications/

Thank you to the 1,348 who follow us on Twitter! @AAPCA2