American Academy of Pediatrics - California Chapter 2 | | | | I’m tired of having to say this again—but once more, ICE enforcement actions are terrorizing families in our region, and this time, it hit even closer to my home. Just last week, while I sat at my child’s travel baseball tournament in Orange County, I was watching the turmoil in Ventura County unfold in my own backyard—feeling hopeless, powerless, and, honestly, guilty. | | |
These are the moments that test us as pediatricians, as advocates, and as parents. And yet, even in the exhaustion, I know we continue to show up—for our patients, our communities, and each other. Our chapter stands with you. We remain committed to advocacy, to providing tools and support, and to holding space for your humanity in this work.
In this issue, you’ll find our latest California Pediatrics Podcast episode featuring a candid conversation with immediate past AAP President Dr. Ben Hoffman on product safety—where I even confess to one of my own parenting fails. We’re also honored to feature two new contributions from Dr. Nirupama Madduri. The first, “No Mud, No Lotus,” offers a moving reflection on how struggle and beauty coexist, reminding us that even in pain, growth is possible. The second, “Therapy Session,” offers insight from local mental health experts on how we can support our patients—and ourselves—through trauma, fear, and instability. And finally, check out the just-announced October lecture series, Let’s Talk About Diabetes.
I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to our new chapter members! We invite you to get involved — whether by joining one of our chapter committees or reaching out to Tomas or me to explore where your passion and voice can make the greatest impact within Chapter 2. You can learn more about our committees and access other resources by visiting our website. And as always, we encourage you to share your thoughts, questions, or ideas through our Member Input Form, which helps guide discussion at future board meetings.
Your support and engagement are what make the work of this chapter possible—thank you for being part of it.
Melissa Ruiz, MD, MPH, FAAP
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| | AAP-CA2 Statement on Immigration Enforcement Actions and Community Response in Los Angeles | | |
Letter From AAP-CA2 President
To our AAP-CA2 members, in light of recent immigration enforcement actions and community protests in Los Angeles, we at AAP-CA2 reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of all children and families, regardless of immigration status. Read More.
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California Pediatrics - Podcast
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Have you seen the latest episode of the California Pediatrics Podcast?
Streaming on Amazon Music/Audible, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify and YouTube...
California Pediatrics is a podcast by pediatricians from the four California chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics presenting current affairs, highlights on career paths, and tips for parents. Please Follow!
This project is funded by the AAP Healthy People 2030 grant. Produced by Chapter 2 executive director Tomas Torices. Search for California Pediatrics on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our page for direct links.
Episode 3 - Dr. Ben Hoffman: Advocacy in Product Safety (YouTube)
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Name: Heather Cornett, M.D.
Practice location: Westlake Village
Number of years in practice: 21 Years
I grew up in Ventura, California, with my parents and three younger brothers. I currently live with my husband and three children in Newbury Park. I spend most of my weekends cheering on my kids either on a soccer field or volleyball court.
I love to mountain bike and go hiking with my family in Mammoth multiple times during the summer. Additionally, I love to be the family travel agent and plan family vacations. I completed medical school and residency at UCLA and I practice general peds in Westlake Village, now for UCLA Health. I’ve come full circle! Read More.
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The Member Spotlight is written to highlight our chapter membership. Chapter members can submit personal narratives about themselves with a focus on how they maintain their physician wellness in the face of everyday struggles and challenges. Authors may also choose to highlight a practice, volunteer activities, QI projects, etc. The purpose of the spotlight series is to encourage and foster unity and support within the chapter.
Please complete THIS FORM to be considered for a future Member Spotlight in the AAP-CA2 Newsletter!
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EDI Corner - Preventing the Summer Slump
By Jeanne Delgado, MD, FAAP
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion
Summer vacation is in full swing for most of our school-aged children. Though the summer is an
important time to rest and reset, many children lack the physical and mental routine school provides. Read More.
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Filling Your Cup
By Nirupama Madduri, M.D
"No Mud, No Lotus"
As pediatricians, we have the opportunity to observe our patients and our own children in states of sheer joy, and the abrupt descent into crying, screaming, and dropping onto the floor. Metaphorically, our life journeys take us to very similar locations. When we purchase a new outfit, pair of shoes, car, purse, we have a little rush. Read More.
| | LAC DPH | Vaccine Preventable Diseases Control Program | | |
July Update
This month’s newsletter highlights reminding families to stay up to date on immunizations before traveling, a situational update on measles, related vaccine recommendations, and more.
View the full update here.
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AAP-CA2 Legislative Contacts Form
As part of our AAP-CA2 Advocacy Committee, we're calling for members interested in advocacy to consider serving as legislative key contacts for the chapter with their local elected officials!
As the state level legislative season progresses, there will be opportunities to contact state senators and assembly members when bills come up for consideration in committees or on the floor. We need to develop a core group of members who are ready to call or email their legislators when opportunities arise, and accompany pediatric residents on their annual local legislative visits.
If you would be interested becoming a key contact, please fill out the form below with the requested information! Thanks again for your support of the chapter's advocacy efforts.
Legislative Contacts Form
| | Reach Out & Read Inland Empire | | Reach Out and Read Inland Empire (RORIE), a program of AAPCA2, is made possible by the support of amazing partners like First 5 Riverside and First 5 San Bernardino! | |
The latest in pediatric medicine.
High yield. High entertainment.
AAP-CA2 members may now Subscribe to PedsRAP with a 15% Discount.
Be sure to use the link by clicking the button below in order to have the discount applied at checkout:
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We'll Come To Your School or Hospital
Dear Medical Schools and Pediatric Residency Programs in AAP California Chapter 2,
Are you interested in learning more about local advocacy efforts? Do you want to hear more about getting involved in AAP California Chapter 2? If yes, then please consider inviting our chapter leadership to your local pediatric interest group meeting, pediatric residency noon conference, or any other gathering. Our chapter leadership wants to connect with the trainees in the area so reach out to chapter2@aapca2.org to schedule an event at your medical school / residency program!
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Welcome New Chapter Members
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Welcome NEW members who joined the chapter in June.
Thank you for your support!
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- Jeremy Ahearn, MD - Torrance
- Sogol Behnam, MD - Torrance
- Ofir Brem, MD - Los Angeles
- Emily Brooks, DO - West Covina
- Ruhi Buddharaju, MD - Sunnyvale
- Alexa Buitenhuys, MD - Orono
- Serenitie Buyse, DO - Los Angeles
- Saul Castillo, MD - West Hollywood
- Allen Chen, MD - Los Angeles
- William Choi, MD - Houston
- Timothy Chong, MD, FAAP - Los Angeles
- Isabella Clements, MD - Los Angeles
- Alana Corre, MD, FAAP - Mountain View
- Maya David, MD - West Hollywood
- Kimberly Rose De Guzman, MD - Los Angeles
- Melanie De La Cruz, MD - Los Angeles
- Tracy De Los Santos, MD - Sacramento
- Annie Elander, MD - Los Angeles
- Lissette Estala, MD - Tucson
- Lucre'ce Estropia, DO - Los Angeles
- Laura Farach, MD, FAAP - Pasadena
- Hana Flaxman, MD - New York
- Quinn Fujii, MD - Los Angeles
- Deborah Gakpo, MD - Cleveland
- Emily Ginn, MD - Torrance
- Collette Haddadin, DO - Anaheim
- Jaeden Heesch, DO - Los Angeles
- Vanessa Hernandez-Zepeda, MD - Los Angeles
- Manuela Herrera, MD - Los Angeles
- Thomas Hoang, MD - Round Rock
- Joyce Hsiou, DO - Torrance
- Iris Kamenev, MD - Maple Grove
- Hiba Kausar, MD - Las Vegas
- Vladimir Khristov, MD - Los Angeles
- Jason Kim - Oakland
- Courtney Koenig, MD - Riverside
- Koren Kwag, MD, FAAP - New York
- Michelle Laba, MD, FAAP - Camarillo
- Renee Lawrence, DO - Huntington Beach
- Charmaine LeBlanc, DO - Nuevo
- Davin Lee - Los Angeles
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- Joanna Li, MD - Fontana
- Tyus Loman, MD - Los Angeles
- Kelvin Luu, DO - Los Angeles
- Brittany Lyons, MD, FAAP - Brea
- Saranya Madan, MD - Detroit
- Curtis Mar, DO - Torrance
- Madeline Mayer, DO - Denver
- Vinh Nguyen, MD - West Hollywood
- Vivian Nguyen, MD - Los Alamitos
- Sylvia Ni, DO - West Hollywood
- Jacqueline Ochoa, MD - Galveston
- Kaitlyn Olson, MD, FAAP - Ojai
- Samuel Ostrin, DO - Angier
- Min Jung Park, DO, FAAP - Claremont
- Carmen Plaza-Mejías, MD - Sabana Grande
- Alicia Ramos - Torrance
- Chayanne Robinson-Mendoza, DO - New Braunfels
- Abigail Rodrgiuez - Menifee
- Jedd Lyn Roessner, MD, FAAP - Temecula
- Lisa Roy, MD, FAAP - Claremont
- Andrew Saddekni, MPH, MD - Vestavia
- Christine Salib, MD - Canyon Country
- Olivia Sandhu, MD - Chicago
- Alec Seng, DO - Antioch
- Rayshma Sharoff, MD - Dublin
- Ashley Shaw, MD, FAAP - Culver City
- Korrina Siddiqui, MD - Los Angeles
- Milica Simpson, MD, FAAP - Malibu
- Alissa Stanley, MD - Los Angeles
- Argerey Stapakis, DO - Rancho Santa Fe
- Kavitha Thiagarajan, MD - Sunnyvale
- My-Trang Tran, DO - Westminster
- Madhumathi Vijayalingam, MD - Los Angeles
- Lakshmi Vrittamani, MD - Fremont
- Sarah Wang, MD - Los Angeles
- Celine Wanwatanakool, DO - Walnut
- Tameka Watson, MD, FAAP - Anaheim
- Wadsworth Williams II, MD - Chicago
- Sheerin Zarinafsar, MD - Worcester
| | Mental Health Corner | Therapy Session: A Panel of Expert Mental Health Clinicians Providing Guidance | | |
Therapy Session: A Panel of Expert Mental Health Clinicians Providing Guidance
By Nirupama Madduri, M.D
The last six months have been a time in Southern California when our strength, faith, and motivation has been tested.
We began the year with destructive wildfires, resulting in devastating loss. As the year progressed into the halfway mark, we discovered the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) descended upon the city, causing disruption, fear, and frustration. Read More.
| | Mental Health Committee | Please Sign Up | | |
Chapter committees, like the mental committee, 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.
Click Here to Sign-up For Chapter Committees
| | We Want to Hear from You | Member Input Form | | |
Do you have any concerns, questions or ideas that we can discuss and address during upcoming board meetings? This form is anonymous and confidential, with the option of entering your personal information and/or receive a call from a board member, staff, or any other chapter representative.
If you have any concerns, questions, or ideas that you would like to share, please complete This Form.
| | MENTAL HEALTH CORNER
Cal-MAP | Mental Health Support Resources | | |
Cal-MAP’s team of mental health specialists supports primary care providers (PCPs) treating youth with mental health needs through education, consultation, and resource navigation. This includes advice on screening, diagnosis, and treatment from a child psychiatrist and guidance on resources and referrals from a social worker.
Register for the Cal-MAP consultation program here: https://cal-map.org
Cal-MAP Resources:
PCP Resources
Family Resources
800-253-2103
Email: info@cal-map.org
| | NAMI | Support & Mental Health Resources | | |
NAMI Westside Los Angeles is an affiliate of National Alliance of Mental Illness, a grassroots mental health advocacy organization dedicated to supporting individuals with mental health conditions, as well as their families and loved ones. To find out about NAMI's support groups and courses, which are free of charge to participants, please go https://www.nami.org/findsupport/ to identify the NAMI affiliate that is most local to you. NAMI Westside Los Angeles has also been developing a Children's Mental Health Toolbox, which includes materials that can be used in the home, the classroom, the counseling office, and other settings for youth recreation and education. This resource can be found here- https://namiwla.org/childrens-mental-health-toolbox/.
To learn more about the Children's Mental Health Toolbox, or how it might be used for your specific context, please feel free to reach out to ohakak@namila.org.
Also, please checkout this "Life Rocks" book created by NAMI which is about coping strategies and a great resource for patients of all ages. Click here to check it out. And, make sure to download this free activity packet for children affected by the recent California wildfires.
| | August 2 - Ventura County Pediatric Asthma Camp | | |
The Ventura County Pediatric Asthma Camp is seeking volunteers for their event in August. Please see the event flier and registration links below:
| | September 19 - 22 - Society for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Annual Meeting | | |
Come to the Society for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Annual Meeting, in San Diego, for an incredible educational experience! Many presentations are of strong relevance to primary care pediatrics, including sessions on parenting support, behavior management, genetics for non-geneticists, and misinformation in social media. Pre-meeting symposia (separate registration) run on Sept 19 & 20 (Friday & Saturday), and the main meeting from Sept 20 - 22 (Saturday - Monday).
More detailed program and registration information can be found at https://sdbp.org/annual-meeting/.
| | October - "Let’s Talk About Diabetes" Dinner Lecture Series - Save The Date | | |
This October, Sanofi will be presenting an incredible lecture series entitled "Let's Talk About Diabetes", featuring Dr. Swati Elchuri. A full rundown of the events in this lecture series is below. Registration will be opening soon.
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Ventura/Oxnard – Tuesday, October 7
Topic: Let’s Talk About Diabetes
Speaker: Dr. Swati Elchuri
Location: Larsen’s Steakhouse | 6:30 PM
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Santa Barbara/Montecito – Wednesday, October 8
Topic: Let’s Talk About Diabetes
Speaker: Dr. Swati Elchuri
Location: Lucky’s | 6:30 PM
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Long Beach – Tuesday, October 14
Topic: Let’s Talk About Diabetes
Speaker: Dr. Swati Elchuri
Location: Ruth Chris Steak House | 6:30 PM
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El Segundo – Tuesday, October 21
Topic: Let’s Talk About Diabetes
Speaker: Dr. Swati Elchuri
Location: Fleming’s | 6:30 PM
| | Watch on our YouTube Channel | | Join us for Pediatric Grand Rounds, where expert pediatricians and healthcare professionals come together to explore the latest advancements in child health! These engaging, evidence-based learning series feature top specialists sharing insights on a variety of clinical topics, from cutting-edge treatments to emerging research. | | RESOURCES Help Me Grow LA | |
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Help Me Grow LA website: www.HelpMeGrowLA.org
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Help Me Grow LA Call Center phone number: (833) 903-3972
You can help improve the system by partnering with Help Me Grow LA to make sure all young children in your care are supported and provided resources to benefit their development.
Contact Help Me Grow LA leadership via email: HelpMeGrowLA@ph.lacounty.gov. We look forward to working with you!
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Membership Options | Large Groups
| | Enterprise Membership - Did you know? | |
Signing up your entire practice (clinical and non-clinical staff) qualifies for a 20% discount on Chapter membership dues. Contact us for details.
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Los Angeles County Immigrant Youth Resource Toolkit
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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.
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Chapter committees, like the immigrant health committee, 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.
Click Here to Sign-up For Chapter Committees
| | Chapter Committees and Sections | | |
Chapter committees, like the immigrant health committee, 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.
Click Here to Sign-up For Chapter Committees
| | Advertise in Our Newsletter | | |
AAP-CA2 invites you to advertise in our newsletter
AAP-CA2 publishes its electronic newsletter, Peds@CA2, which is emailed to its 1,500+ members on the second weekend every month. Chapter members and non-profit organizations receive a 50% discount. Please follow the link below for more information.
For advertisement rates and guidelines, please click here.
If you are interested in advertising, please email the Chapter.
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Article submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The newsletter is published the second Sunday of each month.
You may direct questions and article submissions to the "American Academy of Pediatrics - CA Chapter 2" <chapter2@aapca2.org>.
| The AAP-CA2 Newsletter Editorial Review Board | Established in July 2020 to highlight educational content and resources of value to chapter members, and to showcase our chapter membership. | | AAP-CA2 Board of Directors 2024-2026 | | | | |
