May 2018

Dear NYS AAP – Chapter 2 Member,

Chapter leadership is a fulfilling role, with unlimited possibilities to aid the members and serve the children of New York State. It can be a full-time job for the officers. It is my pleasure to share some of what we are doing and plans for new initiatives.

Steven J. Goldstein, MD, FAAP
President, NYS AAP – Chapter 2
SJG34@Cornell.edu

NYS AAP Annual Advocacy Day

On March 6th, Chapter members attended our Annual Advocacy Day in Albany.  125 pediatricians from across the state were in attendance and heard from the Chairs of the Senate and Assembly Health Committees and Medicaid.  Members met with their State Senators and Assemblymen to promote the AAP Agenda for Children in New York State.View our 2018 NYS AAP advocacy materials below:·     Priority Pediatric Policy, Budget and Practice Issues·     Legislative Priorities

NY Chapters 1, 2 and 3, and New York State AAP

March Executive Meeting: Focus on Gun Violence Prevention

Our last quarterly Chapter Executive Committee Meeting was held on March 8th at Winthrop University Hospital.

In response to the tragic events at Parkland, the majority of the meeting was devoted to the issue of gun violence prevention (GVP). The speakers included Young Nelson of Everytown for Gun Safety, long time GVP advocate Dr. Nina Agrawal from Chapter 3, and Dr. Jeff Ostreicher from Chapter 2, a Peds ED physician with a research interest in gun violence. Jeff will Chair Chapter 2’s new GVP Committee and will work with Nina. Parents, educators, and activists attended the meeting as well. Contact our Executive Director, Jessica Geslani, at jgeslani@aap.org if you would like to work on this issue. The first joint GVP Committee meeting will be scheduled for sometime in May.

Annual Leadership Forum

From March 15 -18th, Chapter leadership from around the state attended the AAP Annual Leadership Forum. There were educational sessions and the leadership voted on resolutions submitted by the AAP membership. All passed resolutions are addressed, and the Top Ten are given priority by the AAP Board of Directors. The resolutions can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2GNfYIV (AAP login required).

At the ALF, I had the opportunity to defend our nomination for the 2018 Outstanding Large Chapter Award. Although we did not win, it was an honor to be nominated, and we will instead receive a Chapter of Excellence Award. The winning Large Chapter, the Minnesota Chapter, helped stop a measles epidemic within their local Muslim community. I agree that this initiative deserved special recognition.

March for Our Lives – Long Island

On March 24th, I had the privilege of speaking at the March For Our Lives-LI in Huntington, along with family members of those killed in Parkland, clergy, former Congressman Steve Israel, students, and a representative from the local NAACP.

There were about 3,000 people in attendance, including a good number of Chapter 2 members.  Pictures and my speech can be found on the Chapter website here:

http://ny2aap.org/march-for-our-lives-2018/

I was asked by the AAP to write a blog for AAP Voices on my experience with the students, and our new joint Chapter initiative to address gun safety and GVP. It can be found here: https://www.aap.org/en-us/aap-voices/Pages/Pediatricians-Advocating-for-Gun-Safety-Should-Be-No-Surprise.aspx

AAP Legislative Conference & Leadership Fly-In

On April 9th and 10th, Chapter leaders from around the country met in Washington at the AAP Legislative Conference where we improved our advocacy skills and learned a great deal about issues of concern to our profession, including healthcare, the environment/climate change, immigrant health, gun violence prevention, and many others.

On April 10th, the 350 pediatricians in attendance met with their Senators and Congressional representatives to discuss the gun safety and GVP issue. The 20 or so pediatricians from New York State were very well received by the offices visited and much information was shared. You should all know that the AAP committed $500,000 to a Gun Research Initiative to aid in bringing science into the discussion of how to address this problem.

Congressman Tom Suozzi (center) with Drs. Steven Goldstein (left) and Shetal Shah (right)

Rome CATCH Visiting Professorship: Immigrant Health

On April 11th, NY Presbyterian-Queens hosted Visiting Professor Julie M. Linton for a symposium on immigrant health issues. The program was supported by a grant from the AAP obtained by Drs. Laurie Gordon and Sara Kopple. Dr. Alan Shapiro of Terra Firma spoke about his experiences in the Bronx, along with Dr. Linton. Their presentations were followed by a panel discussion. If you are interested in working with the AAP on immigrant health issues, please email our Executive Director, Jessica Geslani, at jgeslani@aap.org.

Social Event: Networking, Art & Pediatricians

On April 18th, about 60 pediatricians and medical students attended a joint Chapter 2 and 3 evening networking event at The Flowers Gallery in Chelsea. Attendees had the opportunity to socialize and hear from the Chapter leadership as they sipped wine and ate gourmet pizza. We plan to continue to hold events such as this one to keep our members informed and involve new pediatricians in our work. Attendees included practicing pediatricians, residents, fellows, Department Chairs, first year medical students, and retired members.

Coming Up: Watch Your Email & the Chapter Website

May 16:
Joint Chapter 2 & 3 Executive Committee Meeting
The National AAP President-Elect Candidates will join us via Skype.

Early June:
We plan to hold a Wellness Event for Pediatricians: Yoga, Stress Reduction, and Avoiding Burnout
More details to follow.

June 18 – 19:
Julius B. Richmond Visiting Lectureship Program with Dr. Karen Wilson
“How to Address the Problem of E-cigarettes and Vaping”