A Message From The Chapter  

Holiday wishes to you!  

This time of year is busy for everyone and the Chapter is thankful for your support and commitment this past year. We are currently in the midst of Strategic Planning in order to identify what values the Chapter can provide to support your needs in the new year. As we move forward to identify your needs as well as focusing on strategic goals to meet the needs of the organization, we continue to value your support and input. We have seen many changes this past year and we look forward to promoting programs that will prove to benefit you now and over time.

As we head into the holiday season, many community organizations will be seeking your financial support through a tax deduction. This is always a difficult decision to make when choosing to give a donation for many worthy causes. I encourage you to consider the Chapter when you decide to give a donation by the end of this year. Your donation and your membership dues enable us to support your educational needs through quality CME programs as well as support the advocacy efforts that the Chapter continually strives to provide at the local and state level. So, when considering a donation we hope you will think of California Chapter 4, as we continue to support your needs in the future.

Thank You

Dian Milton

Executive Director

CA4, AAP

COUNTY COMMISSIONS WIN FIRST ROUND OF LEGAL BATTLE

Fresno Superior Court Judge Debra Kazanjian issued a ruling declaring that the State acted

illegally when they attempted to take $1 billion from the California Children's Trust Fund administered by Proposition 10/First 5 County Commissions.

     "We are pleased, but not surprised by today's favorable ruling that is clear and decisive," said Sandra Barry, Chair of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. "We've always remained confident that the court would see the blatant attempt to negate the will of the California voters. It's hard to ignore the fact that less than two years ago, voters in Orange County overwhelmingly reaffirmed their support for the Proposition 10 initiative and rejected the ballot measure to divert local funds to the State by 74 percent."

     The immediate impact of the ruling on county commission funding may be limited since it is anticipated that the State will appeal the trial court decision. The Children and Families Commission of Orange County will defend the ruling if challenged by the State.

     California voters approved Proposition 10 in 1998 for the express purpose of funding a broad range of effective, life-changing programs and services designed to ensure that children are healthy and ready to enter school by age 5. AB 99 has effectively tied up $1 billion that could be used now for critical programs and services for young children.

     "Our priority is to protect local funding and support critical programs for at-risk children and families," said Barry.

Reach Out and Read Orange County received two generous book donations this season

• Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit/Government Relations donated over 2,600 new books and provided an $18,000 book fund for the purchase of new books in 2012.
   
• The American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine designated Reach Out and Read as their community service project for their annual Conference on Practice Improvement held last week in Newport Beach. Conference attendees donated over 80 new books for the Reach Out and Reach Orange County sites.

We thank them so much for their generous support!

Save the Date:

February 21, 2012

Speaker: Paul Dworkin, M.D.

Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and Physician-in-Chief, Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

He is a co-editor of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, a scholarly, comprehensive textbook published by Elsevier. Dr. Dworkin's honors include teaching awards, visiting professorships, and named lectureships. His vision has led to the creation of Help Me Grow. Dr. Dworkin served as the principal investigator for the grant from The Commonwealth Fund to educate child health care providers on developmental surveillance and screening and the Help Me Grow program.

Plan to join us for Dr. Dworkin's presentation.

More information to follow later! 

"Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Food Allergy in Infants & Children"

Join us for a Live Video Conference - CME provided!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

8:00 am - 11:00 am

"Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Food Allergy in Infants & Children"

Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Three Locations:

Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach, La Jolla, or Los Angeles

Watch your email for conference invitation and online registration information.

Local doctor from Fountain Valley Memorial Hospital meets global challenges

Congratulations to local pediatrician Dr. Quynh Kieu who was awarded the Medical Staff Leadership Award by Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center.  Dr. Kieu was recognized for her efforts in medical outreach in Vietnam. 

(excerpt and photo taken from ocregister.com, 2011)

Click here to read the full article.  

   As of January 1, 2012

• Children must remain in a child safety seat/ booster seat until they are at least 8 years
• A child who is under 8 years but is 4' 9" or taller may ride in the back seat with a lap/shoulder belt
• The "6 years or 60 pounds" rule no longer applies to car safety seats

Please visit our website at http://aapca4.org/content/cps for a parent information flyer, as well as our "The Right Seat" parent education materials. These materials provide simple, best practice guidelines for choosing and correctly using the right child safety seat for infants and children. For a free sample of the "The Right Seat" materials, please contact Jamie McDonald at jmcdonald@aapca4.org or (949) 752-2787.

Orange County Public Health

Update from Epidemiology, December 2, 2011

Orange County Reportable Diseases List Updated

Under Title 17, California Code of Regulations, Section 2500, health care providers are required to report confirmed and suspect cases of specific diseases to Public Health. Orange County has recently updated the list of reportable diseases, following recent changes made by the State. See www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/report for the most up-to-date list, and the 10/3/11 CD Connection outlining the changes (www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/cd).

Influenza Activity

Influenza has been reported in Orange County and surrounding areas. Now is the time to vaccinate your patients. Even though vaccine strains are the same as last season, annual vaccination is recommended for all persons 6 months of age and older, even for those who received the vaccine in the 2010-11 season, as efficacy may decrease over time. The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) has updated its recommendations for 2011, including specific guidance for children 6 months - 8 years of age who only received one dose last year, and for vaccination of persons with egg allergy. See www.cdc.gov/mmwr 8/26/11 issue.

Human infections with a novel swine H3N2 influenza virus have been reported in Indiana, Iowa, Maine and Pennsylvania. Most cases have been associated with swine exposure, but limited human-human transmission has occurred. See www.cdc.gov/mmwr for more information. Clinicians should consider swine-origin influenza A virus infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with febrile respiratory illness who have had contact with swine. It is anticipated that commercially available diagnostic tests, including point-of-care rapid tests, will detect infection with the swine-origin H3N2 virus; however, these tests will not differentiate swine-origin from seasonal influenza A viruses. Clinicians who suspect swine influenza virus infections in humans should treat with oseltamivir when indicated, obtain a nasopharyngeal swab from the patient, place the swab in viral transport medium, and contact Orange County Public Health immediately at 714-834-8180 to arrange for testing of the specimen in our public health laboratory.

Norovirus/Viral Gastroenteritis:

Increases in viral gastroenteritis including norovirus have been reported among school-aged children, in particular associated with schools and camp. For more information about viral gastroenteritis, see www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/noro. Orange County Public Health has prepared some tips for preventing illness at camp, to share with parents prior to their children's departure. See www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/schools for more information.

To receive CD Connection issues by email, sign up for influenza updates (Eye on Influenza), and/or receive alerts from public health, email epi@ochca.com or call 714-834-8180.   

AAP-CA is a statewide coalition of AAP-CA Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 dedicated to the health and well-being of children living in California and to supporting the viability of primary care and sub-specialist pediatrician practices.

Your membership in our CA Chapter 4 makes statewide advocacy possible!  

Included in the latest advocacy update from AAP-CA:

Medi-Cal Pediatric Physician and Clinic Reimbursement Preserved- A planned request by the California Department of Health Care Services (DCHS) for federal approval of 10% cuts to Medi-Cal physician and clinic provider reimbursement for children's services was withdrawn.

The following is an update from AAP-CA state-level advocacy staff, Kris Calvin:

Continue for the full advocacy update. 

Moms on Straight, FFS or Emergency MediCal & for "Medical Reasons" require a breastpump are eligible to receive one for FREE. Reasons may be - separation from baby, breast infections or insufficient milk supply to name a few. Medela has partnered with a DME ( Durable Medical Equipment vendor ) to provide the breastpump to those MediCal moms who qualify*.

Please visit the website to view the breastpump and to download a prescription form.

www.milkalicious.com