2025 June Edition

Many of our immigrant families are facing heightened anxiety and uncertainty, and it is critical that we, as their trusted health advocates, remain a steady, compassionate presence. Our chapter stands firmly with you in this work. We are committed to providing resources, support, and advocacy so that you can care for your patients while protecting their rights and well-being. Together, we must continue to lift our collective voice for policies that safeguard the health, safety, and dignity of all children in our communities.

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find a recap of our recent Symposium and Trauma-Informed Care events, as well as the latest episode of the California Pediatrics Podcast featuring our guest, immediate past president of the national AAP, Dr. Ben Hoffman. We’re also spotlighting June as Gun Violence Awareness Month and highlighting Dr. Ken Saul’s upcoming AAP-CA2 Town Hall on June 25th. I especially want to invite you to our upcoming webinar, Immigrant Health: Review of Policies in a Changing Landscape, taking place on June 26th via Zoom and supported by our Immigrant Health Committee. Full details on all of these opportunities can be found below.

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

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.

On May 30th at the Garland Hotel in North Hollywood, the AAP-CA2 hosted the 36th Annual Advances in Pediatrics Symposium! This year's event was bigger and better than ever, bringing together experts in the fields of AI, pediatric obesity, antimicrobial stewardship, and more. In addition, there were poster presentations from pediatric trainees, and exhibitor tables from major health organizations.

The chapter would like to thank all those who attended over Zoom and in-person, along with our great speakers. Everyone's participation made this year's event one-of-a-kind. We look forward to seeing you all at next year's Symposium!

At the same venue and on the same day as the Pediatric Symposium, the chapter also hosted Building Trauma-Informed Clinical Teams: A Train-The-Trainer Session At The AAP-CA2 Symposium. This was a unique learning event and a massive success. The session introduced participants to the Pediatric Approach to Trauma, Treatment, and Resilience (PATTeR) Training for Clinical Teams. The program also emphasized supporting team wellbeing, and fostering relational health.

The AAP-CA2 would like to thank Dr. Christine Thang for leading the charge organizing the event, along with everyone who spoke and attended. Thank you all for making it a truly wonderful afternoon!

30 Years of Trends in Pediatricians’ Involvement in Gun Injury Prevention

Benjamin Hoffman, MD, FAAP, Past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Lynn Olson, PhD, Vice President of Research at the AAP, discussed patterns over the past 30 years in pediatricians' experiences treating and counseling on firearm injuries and their views on firearm legislation. These trends underscore the longstanding, deep commitment of pediatricians to firearm injury prevention. To view this webinar, click the image above.

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month. The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions is dedicating the month to raising public awareness about safe firearm storage nationwide, and is counting on providers to help share this important message.

To support these efforts, they've created a new toolkit tailored to help spread this life-saving message.

Spread the word with:

• Eye-catching social media graphics
• Short educational videos for a variety of audiences
• Quick facts for social media, website, and newsletter content
• And more!

Share these resources with your networks, teams, and audiences to help amplify the message. Together, we can make homes, communities and the country a safer place for everyone.

Have you seen the newest 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)

Name: Jolene Collins, M.D.

Practice location: Los Angeles

Number of years in practice: 14 Years

I am a Californian through and through. I was born in Long Beach, California. I often tell people it is the biggest small town because everyone is friendly and knows your business.

I did undergrad at UCLA and medical school at UCSF and completed an Area of Concentration in Medical Education. From there I crossed the bay and completed my residency at Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland, before joining UCSF. I moved down to LA after and have been at CHLA since then, initially as a staff physician and now as faculty. Read More.

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!

Filling Your Cup

By Nirupama Madduri, M.D

"The Importance of Stillness"

With chaos erupting at every corner of our lives, finding peace and stillness may be a challenge. We all have our ways of numbing, usually involving electronics and scrolling. But, this may lead us down another path into doom and gloom. I read a book a few years ago by Pico Iyer called “The Art of Stillness”. Read More.

June Update

Birthing hospitals, newborn nurseries, and Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) play a critical role in ensuring newborns are protected against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Children who are publicly insured and uninsured (versus privately insured) have higher odds of missing well-child visits. View the full update here.

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 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:

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! 

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.

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

Register for Cal-MAP Therapeutic Skills Project ECHO - June 26

Learn brief and effective tools, skills and communication pearls for use at home, school and in primary care. This interdisciplinary collaborative actively facilitates the development of skills and interventions across multiple settings, and these may serve as a bridge for youth and families awaiting specialty mental health services for common conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD.‌ Free CME, APA, ACE and ASWB credit available.

Webinar Topic: Motivational Interviewing

• Date: June 26, 2025
• Time: 12:00pm PT
• ‌Presenter: Maria Jimenez-Salazar, PhD

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.

Upcoming Events

June 25 - Town Hall with Dr. Ken Saul in Woodland Hills

It’s time for another Town Hall with Dr. Ken Saul! This talk will feature Dr. Bob Geng discussing Non-Steroidal Treatments for Pediatric Use. RSVP via Email to docksaul@aol.com or call: (805)-494-1948.

June 26 - Immigrant Health: Review of Policies in a Changing Landscape

Have you heard about the ever-evolving policy and rights changes for the immigrant population and their loved ones, and want to know which are important and want to expect? Then make sure to join the IHC Webinar on Local and National immigrant policy changes from Daniel Sharp, Immigration Lawyer and Chief at the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs.

June 26 @ 5:30 PM on Zoom - Register Here!

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:

• Participant Registration
• Volunteer Registration Flier

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.

• Help Me Grow LA website: www.HelpMeGrowLA.org 
• 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!

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

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.

Please visit our website: aapca2.org

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

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