A Message From The Chapter President 

I want to thank all of our members for the privilege of serving as your President of CA4, AAP and as an officer over the past 10 years. I have also served as Chair of the CA4 Committee on Injury and Violence Prevention since the 1980's. This has been a remarkable journey as we grew and developed as an organization with a strong presence in Orange County.

Each of you has participated in achieving our mission of serving and advocating for children, their families and the community, while addressing emerging health concerns at the national, state and local levels. We are the experts on children's health. We have improved the lives of our patients, their families and the communities where we live and serve.

I am pleased to report that we are in our 10^th year of receiving support from the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. When I first applied for a grant in 2001, we had no infrastructure support. Kris Calvin, our District IX Executive Director, provided us the assistance we needed. Since then, we have grown to an organization with a budget of $1.3 million, with our own office, full-time executive director, project manager, and support staff to carry out the mission of our Chapter. We have received many grants to support our programs, from the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, the State of California, non-profit funders such as Pacific Life Foundation, Cal Optima, and the AAP Friends of the Children Fund. We have received other grants from the private sector, and many of you have donated to the Chapter. We thank all of our generous supporters, our Executive Director, Dian Milton, our Program Director, Jamie McDonald and our staff.

We have taken the lead in addressing decreased immunizations and vaccine refusal. Our model educational program has been used throughout Orange County and adapted by others elsewhere. Michael Weiss' Healthy for Life Program has moved beyond California to other states. Our Injury and Violence Prevention Program was able to demonstrate a decrease in injury deaths among young children. We have seen a marked increase in the number of children receiving developmental screening, oral health screening, and early interventions for those in need of service. Our School Readiness Nurse program supports and promotes the platform of school readiness. We are the lead agency for the national Reach Out and Read Program under the leadership of Lynn Hunt. Through persistent advocacy by Farrokh Shadab we have extended our work to include professional education on mental health tools and screening.

In 2008, under the leadership of Michael Weiss we received the Best Chapter Award for a medium- sized Chapter. In 2010, Harry Pellman was selected as the best CME Chapter Chair in California. Mark Lerner has been a leader in our Chapter and the District on the State Government Affairs Committee. And now, he will become our Medical Officer for the Orange County Department of Education.

It is you - the members, the Committee Chairs, the Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors - who ultimately enrich the lives of children by providing a medical home for each child as well as advocacy for public policies that support children. You do this by meeting legislators, attending our rich CME programs, and promoting excellence in pediatric care. You are involved in community outreach and contribute in your own communities by participating on countless advisory boards, hospital committees, in schools and in public arenas.

As the leadership of CA4, AAP passes to Lynn Hunt and the new Board of Directors, we have new opportunities and challenges: to increase membership and engagement in the community; foster leadership among our members; achieve sustainability as an organization; and, continue our record of excellence in CME programs.

Personally, I will now continue to serve on the Board of Directors as immediate past president, and I will work toward expanding our outreach through community engagement in signature programs. I have also just been appointed by the national AAP Board of Directors to serve on the Subcommittee on Violence Prevention. Again, thank you for your enthusiasm and support. Together, we're making a real difference.

Sincerely,

Phyllis Agran, MD, MPH

President CA4, American Academy of Pediatrics

California Chapter 4, AAP is pleased to present a webinar presentation

 "The Challenge of Vaccine Re.fusals in the Community"

 Webinar on June 28

Please Refer to the following recent updates of importance.

1. E. coli (O104:H4) Also known as Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 (STEC O104:H4) Outbreak

2.  Measles Advisory

Update for Health Care Professionals: June 2011

Reserve your seat now to learn about the latest in cognitive testing, prevention, tracking, assessing and treatment of concussion at this special session.
 

Concussion in Youth & High School Sports

8:00a.m. - Noon

Saturday, June 11, 2011

University of California at Irvine (UCI)

Registration just $25

(includes continental breakfast, all materials and parking)

Register today at

http://nregister.ocde.us

For more details on the UC Irvine Healthcare Comprehensive Sports Concussion program and the experienced, expert sports injury physicians and allied healthcare professionals who are members of the UC Irvine Team please visit: www.ucihealth.com/sports_concussion

Click here for the flyer

Where: Costa Mesa, California

When: June 25-29, 2011

Click here to register by May 27, 2011 for Early Bird Rates!

Earn a Maximum of 42.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM

New topics on Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, Ethics and Statistics!

You should attend PREP� The Course if you are:

Providing health care for infants, children, and/or adolescents and are interested in a diverse, intensive format to update your knowledge and skills. Interested in having your questions answered by experts in group, case-based sessions. Seeking exam preparation for Maintenance of Certification™ (MOC).

PREP� The Course is designed as:

An intensive review and update of pediatrics and a unique component of the American Academy of Pediatrics overall educational program. While the course content is based on the content specifications issued by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) for Maintenance of Certification™ (MOC), the course also features case-based sessions, hot topics, and visual diagnosis components related to the latest information on clinical practice.

The course also offers a variety of educational formats to meet different learning styles and enhance individual experiences.

Attention ABP Permanent Certificate Holders:
PREP� The Course is an excellent review in preparation for the secure examination (MOC Part 3).

Note: This course is not intended to meet the requirements of an initial board certification examination

Register online, view detailed course descriptions, or request a brochure by visiting www.pedialink.org/cmefinder. Or for more information, email [email protected], or call 866/THE-AAP1 (866/843-2271).

Click here for the flyer

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The AAP designates this live activity for a maximum of 42.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.