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AAP News Vol. 30 No. 2 February 2009, p. 17 © 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics
Grants improve residents’ advocacy skills, promote partnerships with AAP chaptersfrom the AAP Department of Community, Chapter and State AffairsThe Community Pediatrics Training Initiative (CPTI) will announce the latest round of advocacy training grants this month. The grants are helping pediatric residency programs expand their advocacy training curricula while strengthening partnerships with AAP chapters. With support from the Dyson Foundation, CPTI has offered advocacy training grants to chapters to work with a faculty member and a pediatric resident. The pair attends the AAP Legislative Conference and then partners with the chapter to conduct an educational advocacy activity or project. The chapter receives $1,000 to support the project.
To date, 10 grants have been awarded, and grantees report progress on both goals. At Thomas Jefferson University/AI DuPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, resident Daniel Walmsley, D.O., and other co-chief residents have instituted monthly advocacy-related noon conferences focused on gun violence. Activities have included field trips to an exhibit on violence prevention and outreach to two local schools.
At the University of Virginia, resident Arthi Krishnan, M.D., and faculty mentor Martha Hellems, M.D., FAAP, promoted the Virginia AAP 2009 Pediatric General Assembly Day on Jan. 29. They hoped to increase the number of residents who participated. They presented on the importance of advocacy in a number of venues, including at grand rounds and the 2008 spring and fall chapter meetings. Strengthening the relationship with the local chapter is a goal of the Orange County/California 4 grant. The program is planning to assign an AAP representative to each class to help mobilize residents when community activities or important legislative issues are at hand. Resident Shari Chevez, M.D., with the Stanford Pediatric Residency Program, described the personal connections she has made with the California Chapter 1 advocacy committee as one of the successful outcomes of her grant. "It provided me a unique opportunity to deepen my understanding of the role of pediatricians and the AAP as they work together to influence child health policy." She became active with other residents and with the chapter’s advocacy committee. She also helped to organize a journal club to educate residents on various health care reform plans. Dr. Chevez reported that her involvement has motivated other residents to explore opportunities within the Academy and become more active in the chapter’s advocacy committee. Recently, many residents have attended the committee meetings and contributed to the agenda and initiatives. Resident Nika De Jesus, M.D., and faculty mentor Yasmin Pedrogo, M.D., FAAP, from the University of Puerto Rico, reported that the grant has improved the relationship between the chapter and the training program. Drs. De Jesus and Pedrogo have presented workshops on advocacy skills and are helping to revitalize the chapter’s advocacy committee. Many chapters and residency programs have long had strong collaborations, with regular educational sessions and involvement in chapter activities. Some, including California and New Jersey, are moving to organize statewide networks of residency programs. The need for pediatricians to be effective advocates for children at the community, state and federal levels has never been greater. Thanks to the hard work of many across the country, more pediatric residents are getting experience advocating on behalf of children and residency programs, and chapters are forging new partnerships and enhancing ongoing collaboration.
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