In This Issue
President's Perspective
Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back
Issues & Commentary
New Born Screening Newsletter
KPF Update
Breastfeeding Update
PROS Update
YP Update
Cavity Free Kids Grant
Drink Smart Grant
Medication Administration Grant
MOBI Grant

Save the Date!

For the

Fall CME Meeting!

 

August 25th & 26th

in Wichita, Kansas

Quick Links...

 

Kansas Chapter of AAP

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Join Us!

 

Join Our Mailing List

 

Find us on Facebook

 

 

About Us

 

Officers

 

Dennis Cooley,MD

President

 

Kathy Ellerbeck, MD

President-Elect

 

Carol Lindsley, MD

Treasurer

 

Pam Shaw, MD

Past President

 

  

Staff 

 

Chris Steege  

Executive Director   

[email protected]

   

Mel Hudelson  

Associate Director 

[email protected]

  

Sue Corrales

Staff Accountant

[email protected]

 

Leslie Sherman 

Chapter Coordinator 

[email protected]

   

Nikki Walker 

Project Specialist 

[email protected]

  

 

Executive Board 

 

KAAP Committees 

 

Coordinators 

 

 

 

 
 May 2011

KAAP Awarded 2010 Outstanding Chapter!

 

From Left to Right:

Chris Steege,

Executive Director;

Dennis Cooley, MD, President;

Kathy Ellerbeck, MD, President Elect;

Mike Severson, MD, District VI Chair;

Pam Shaw, MD,

District VI Vice-Chair 

The Kansas Chapter was awarded the Outstanding Medium Chapter Award at the Annual Leadership Forum (ALF) held in Chicago March 25-27.  This marks the second time the Chapter has won this prestigious award.  Along with the award comes a plaque and a $3,000 honorarium. The Chapter will also be recognized at the AAP National Conference and Exhibition held this year in Boston.

  

" This is such a great honor.  I want to thank the staff and the Chapter members who work so hard to make the KAAP a truly outstanding chapter " said Chapter president Dennis Cooley.

Click here for full article    

 

President's Perspective 

By Dennis Cooley, MD, FAAP 

Dennis Cooley

 

It has been a very busy time since the first of the year and I thought I would use this chance to update members on a number of important policy issues facing us.

 

State Budget. This may be the number one issue facing everyone providing services for children. The state budget is so tight there are no easy cuts left.  This affects all pediatricians in a number of ways.  First, the Medicaid and CHIP programs have had further cuts proposed. For the rest of this fiscal year payments to physicians for services has been maintained but there is no guarantee they will not be cut for next year.  These payments are notoriously low now so further cuts would likely decrease the state's pediatricians ability to care for these patients.  The state newborn screening program could also be in jeopardy.  Proposals to have the program funded by a fee schedule as every other state in the country does could be an answer to the problem.  But the likelihood of passage of such legislation is problematic in the current climate. 

Click here for full article

Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back... 
by Jon Jantz, MD, FAAP

[email protected]

  Jantz

Since the last newsletter, pediatric council has been very busy and frustrating in some ways.  After what seemed like a solid step forward on negotiations with Kansas HealthWave officials to reimburse for vaccines without limits to the number of vaccines given on a day, the federal government stepped in to re-establish the limit in Kansas and other states that had negotiated individual agreements.  To summarize a month of working to get groups to meet and discuss options, we are right back where we started.

Click here for full article

Issues & Commentary

Noted Producer Comes To Kansas To Talk About Infant Mortality

Tanya Lewis Photo

Susan McLoughlin; Tonya Lewis Lee; Dennis Cooley, MD

 

As part of a state-wide awareness campaign on infant mortality best selling author and award winning TV producer Tonya Lewis Lee undertook a 3 city tour of Kansas April 20-22.

 

Ms. Lee is the face of a national infant mortality campaign, "A Healthy Baby Begins with You," sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Last year she produced a documentary entitled, Crisis in the Crib: Saving Our Nation's Babies, for HHS.  The video documents the issue of the infant mortality crisis in America as well as grassroots efforts of the campaign.

Click here for full article

New Born Screening Newsletter

New Screening Protocol for Cystic Fibrosis Implemented on December 1, 2010

 

On December 1, 2010, the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL) went live with a new screening protocol for cystic fibrosis (CF) using blood spots cards. KHEL performed a three month pilot project prior to implementation. The previous protocol used for CF was IRT/IRT in which the immune-reactive trypsinogen (IRT) levels were tested on an initial blood spot card. If the specimen IRT levels were elevated, a second specimen was requested. A sweat chloride test was recommended if the second specimen also had abnormal levels of IRT to determine if the infant had cystic fibrosis. The new protocol is known as IRT/DNA. KHEL determines the IRT levels of IRT to determine if the infant had cystic fibrosis. 

Link to NBS Newsletter - March 

TAP - TAM Update!

KPF logo

Turn a Page. Touch a Mind. has grown to include 43 active TAP-TAM sites in 22 Kansas communities that will distribute over 75,000 books to kids each year.   Since 2004, TAP-TAM sites have collectively given out over 175,000 books at well check visits 6 months through 5 years old.  Each time one of these new, developmentally appropriate books is given to a child, the parents are advised to read to their child daily.  Fourteen peer reviewed studies have shown that when parents are encouraged by their child's health care provider to read to their child, and given the tools (or books) to do so, they will follow through and include reading into their daily routine. 

Over 250 physicians and medical providers in Kansas prescribe reading at well check visits through TAP-TAM including Dr. Lynne Fruechting in Newton, KS, who says, "giving out books is the most fun part of my day." 

The Kansas Pediatric Foundation provides 100% of the funding for TAP-TAM sites to purchase books to distribute at well check visits from 6 months to 5 years old.  TAP-TAM is still expanding across the state, and is accepting applications from interested physicians.  If you would like to be a part of this important and rewarding program, contact Mel Hudelson at [email protected] or (913)940-8965.

Breastfeeding Update 

by Jennifer Brannon, MD
 

Did you know that Kansas has a Breastfeeding Coalition?  This multidisciplinary coalition aims to bring together healthcare providers, public health officials, lactation consultants, businessmen, school officials and educators, child care center directors, civic organizers and policy makers to discuss what is working in our state and what needs to be improved.  The group meets on the 2nd Friday of even months in varying locations around Kansas, and members can also participate via phone.  

Click here for full article

Invitation To Join

 

PROS Update

PROS (Pediatric Research in the Office Setting) is a GREAT way to be a part of on going research projects that can help your "Little Friends"  It also helps you to rethink your on practices!  There will be some exciting new studies coming up in the next year!  If questions, go to the PROS section at the AAP website, or contact Greta McFarland @ [email protected]

YP Update

KAAP Receives AAP Grant for YP Events

 

The Kansas Chapter received one of the grants from the AAP Friends of Children Fund Chapter Outreach Grants for Young Physicians.  KAAP will plan two YP events partnering with the Missouri Chapter of AAP for a summer event.  More information will be available in the next month.

Grant Update...Cavity Free Kids (CFK)

...Vanish Cavities

with Varnish in Under a Minute! Cavity Free Kids Logo

 

Our Cavity Free Kids program is up and running! We have done several presentations and have received great feedback on the ease of the fluoride varnish application. This is something that can really make a difference in children's lives for under a minute of work.

 

Cavity Free Kids (CFK) is a free educational program for physicians and nurses on the importance of oral health and the application of fluoride varnish for children ages 0-3 years.

 

Application: 

http://www.kansasaap.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Application_Cavity-Free-Kids_2011v2.pdf 

Or for more information, contact Leslie Sherman at [email protected],  or go online at www.kansasaap.org and click on our logo!

 

Click here for full article

KAAP Nutrition Committee Update:

Kansas Coordinated School Health

By Sarah Hampl, MD Sarah Hampl

For the past 2 years, I've had the pleasure of being on the advisory board of KS Coordinated School Health (KCSH). KCSH follows the CDC Coordinated School Health model, which emphasizes 8 components of school health, including: Health Education, Physical Education, Health Services, Nutrition Services, Counseling/Psychological/Social Services, Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff and Family/Community Involvement. KCSH awards grants to school districts to implement one or more of these components. In the 2010-11 school year, 64 grants have been awarded, reaching approximately 124,423 students in 39 counties. KCSH had held regional conferences in Shawnee Mission, Pittsburg, Wichita, Garden City, Hays, and Manhattan.  In addition to grantee schools and districts, 41 non-grantee school districts were represented.  Topics addressed included development of media relationships for schools, Green Schools and School Gardens, physical activity and academic success and others. An exciting project that KCSH is heading up is called K-FIT. This project, funded by the Kansas Health Foundation, will allow access to Fitnessgram testing by 900 schools in Kansas over the next 3 years.  Fitness testing results will be compared to academic measures to look for relationships. 

Click here for full article  

Grant Update...

Medication Administration In The Child Care Setting

by Brenda Nickel RN

MedAdmin 

Healthy Futures: Improving Health Outcomes for Young Children medication administration training is will be available as Web-based on-line training beginning mid-May.

The training is offered for two audiences: Child care providers and professional nurses who want to conduct face to face training in their communities or practice settings with care givers of children, for instance parents, foster parents, and grandparents.  

Online: Medication Administration Training Details
Grant Update.. MOBI-Immunizations & Kids
  MOBI Logo

 

 

 

 

MOBI (Maximizing Office Based Immunizations) is a Whale of a program to improve immunization rates in Kansas!  This year, 2011, MOBI-KS has already trained 11 officesand has 1 pending!!!  If you need assistance with funding your immunization program MOBI-KS can help! 

 

Sign up to have a MOBI-KS presentation and you can qualify for grant funding towards your program!  The online application link is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MOBI-KSApplication

  

But wait!  MOBI-KS will be reaching out to practices who haven't been offering vaccines in the past!  If you are interested in learning about giving immunizations and about the monetary grant that is available, please contact Leslie at l[email protected] or visit www.kansasaap.org!