Region II had its third combined meeting with Region III at New York University Medical Center on March 7, 2008. For those who remembered last year’s meeting, we were fortunate to have beautiful weather and this probably contributed to the robust attendance. The morning program began with an informative and inspirational keynote address on leadership by Dr. Benard Dreyer, interim Chair of Pediatrics at NYU. This was followed by a workshop entitled “Leadership Begins and Ends with You” presented by Kenneth Slaw, PhD, an educational psychologist who is currently the Director, Department of Membership/Director, Strategic Planning for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Before the lunchtime business meeting, eight original research posters were viewed by all in attendance. During lunch Dr. Bob Karp, Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, announced the launching of a Teacher’s Guide to Pediatric Nutrition available at: http://www.hscbklyn.edu/peds/Karp/main.html. Dr. Peter Szilagyi, President of the APA, spoke of recent changes in the APA, including the name change to the Academic Pediatric Association, and of future directions. The new regional co-chairs for Region 2, Suzy Tomopolous and Cindy Osman, were introduced and made a request for volunteers to assume charge of the Young Investigator Grant program. All interested parties should apply by contacting them directly @ tomops01@med.nyu.edu.

The afternoon program consisted of original research presentations by 8 trainees: Doreen Balmer and J. Nadine Gracia from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Andres Camacho-Gonzalez from Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, Cori Green, Allison Gorman and Efniki Kyvelos from New York University Medical Center, NY, NY, Amy Rothkopf from A.I.duPont Hospital and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and Nadine Symons from Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. The best trainee award is still being decided.

Finally, Judy and I would like to thank all Region 2 members for their enthusiasm and support for the past 3 years. It was a pleasure serving you. Please don’t hesitate to reach either of us if you have questions or a concern…delagoc@einstein.edu, Jturow@nemours.org

Spring 2008 Newsletter Article

Region III is that exciting region which comprises Upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario.

We had our annual regional meeting in conjunction with Region II at New York University Medical Center – Friday March 7th, 2008. The morning’s exciting, stimulating and challenging keynote presentation on Leadership in Academic Pediatrics was given by Dr. Benard Dreyer, Professor and Chair Department of Pediatrics NYU and Chair of the APA Research Committee. Then followed a busy, interactive and participatory workshop on “Leadership Begins and Ends …With You” lead by Dr. Ken Slaw, the director of the Division of Sections within the AAP Department of Education. Slaw has a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Illinois-Urbana.

Following the workshop, there was viewing of 10 posters that will be seen at the PAS Annual Meeting and with lunch a presentation from Dr. Peter Szilagyi, APA President, who is also from Rochester in Region III. Dr. Szilagyi reviewed some of the new strategic plan and directions for our newly named Academic Pediatric Association. In the afternoon, there were eight oral presentations of abstracts to be presented at the PAS Annual Meeting in Hawaii which covered a wide range of pediatric topics from advocacy, pediatric care and education. Congratulations to all the pediatric trainees for their hard work and stimulating presentations.

All members of Region III who will be attending the PAS and APA Annual Meetings in Honolulu in May are reminded of our Region III breakfast that will be held, Monday morning May 5th, 7:00 to 8:00 am. We hope to see you all there. Academic general pediatrics is changing and evolving and we need your suggestions, your input and your participation. If you have any thoughts about the role and activities of Region III and the APA, please email or contact either one of us.

Respectfully, Maryellen Gusic – Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA "Maryellen Gusic M.D." mgusic@psu.edu Bob Hilliard – Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto robert.hilliard@sickkids.ca

Spring 2008 Newsletter Article

We recently held our 1st annual Region IV Academic Pediatric Association (33rd annual overall) meeting in Charlottesville, Virginia on January 19-20, 2008. It was a great success, and we especially enjoyed seeing so many new members from around the region. Attendees came from all over the region, with 10 institutions represented. There were 11 abstract presentations on a wide array of topics including obesity prevention interventions, family-centered care and resident education initiatives. This year we had two workshop sessions with four outstanding workshops to choose from including, “Tips on Implementing a Program of Direct Observation of Trainees – Lessons Learned from a Multi-Institutional Pilot Project” led by Dale Coddington, Ellie Hamburger, Sandra Cuzzi, and Joseph O. Lopreiato; “Developing, Sustaining, and Surviving Mentoring Relationships: An Interactive Workshop for Mentees and Mentors” led by Ivor Horn; “Just Do It! Getting Your Project Done by Using Leadership and Team Building Skills” led by Dennis Kuo and Evelyn Simpkins; and “Incorporating Legislative Advocacy Education into Already Busy Pediatric Curriculums for Medical Students and Residents” led by Candace Chen and Brian Kit. We also enjoyed the keynote presentation by Cynthia Minkovitz (APA Health Care Delivery Chair) “Updates from the National APA.” A special thanks goes out to John Olsson (ECU), Karin Hillenbrand (ECU) and Martha Hellems (UVA), who did another spectacular job of organizing the meeting. We all appreciate their hard work and dedication to the APA and Region IV.

Membership in the region continues to grow. To encourage increased participation and membership, please invite colleagues, faculty members, fellows, and residents to consider applying for membership. If you are interested in serving as a recruiter for Region IV at your home institution, let us know. Please keep Barry Solomon informed of any changes in your contact information at bsolomo1@jhmi.edu or if you’d like him to send a message out to Region IV members. If you do not have e-mail, please call Barry at (410) 614-8438.

We look forward to seeing many of the members of the region at the Region IV breakfast on Monday, May 5, 2008 7-8am at the PAS meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii! We will be meeting at the Hilton Hawaii Village Hotel, in the South Pacific Ballroom I. Also be sure to save the date for next year’s regional meeting: January 17-18, 2009, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

New Orleans again provided a wonderful backdrop for APA Regions VII and VIII to join together as part of the Southern Regional Meeting, held February 21 – 23, 2008. Following the opening poster session, the APA sponsored a dinner at the Palace Café. Members and guests experienced authentic local cuisine and networked with faculty and trainees from all over the region. On Friday, the APA sponsored an excellent workshop on “Making Learning Fun for All: Working with Your Learner’s Differences,” presented by Marney Gundlach and Rosina Connelly.

The final morning of the conference, 19 members of the two regions enjoyed combining breakfast and business. Each year the regions collaborate to present trainee travel awards to this meeting, consisting of a one-year trainee membership to the APA, and money. This year nine travel awards were presented and the recipients recognized at the regional breakfast. The awardees were chosen for excellence in research presented at the meeting. Their names and project titles are:

1. Marney Gundlach – Do Medical Students Report Achieving Curricular Goals? Self-assessment in a Competency-Based Curriculum
2. Jamie Hixon -- Is There A Correlation Between Obesity And Risky Behavior In Adolescence?
3. Tonya Thompson -- An Objective, Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) For Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows Used To Evaluate The Six ACGME Core Competencies
4. Nan Frascogna -- Assessing The Knowledge Of ATV Safety For Children Among Alabama Pediatricians
5. Mary Lauren Scott -- Prevalence Of Metabolic Syndrome In Obese Adolescents And Factors Influencing Systemic Inflammation, Particularly CRP
6. Jeanie Visootsak -- Neurodevelopmental Impact Of Congenital Heart Defects In Down Syndrome
7. James Mcelligott -- Patient-Held Vaccination Records; Do They Improve Vaccination Coverage Rates?
8. Elena Caron -- Prevention Of Allergic Reactions To Snake Antivenom
9. Claudia B Stowe -- Can Hospitalists Be Effective Teachers?

New region co-chairs were announced, with Marny Dunlap from the University of Oklahoma (region VII) and Jimmy Roberts of the Medical University of South Carolina (region VIII) slated to take office in May at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Honolulu. Following other regional business items, Peter Szilagyi, President of the APA, spoke to the group about the organization’s strategic plan and welcomed additional input from members.

We also hope as many of you as possible will join us in Hawaii at PAS from May 3-6. Each region will sponsor breakfast, and our new co-chairs will take office. We will also thank our out-going co-chairs, Bryan Burke of Region VII and Terry Wall from Region VIII for their hard work for these past 3 years.

Finally, next year’s regional meeting will take place February 12-14, 2009 in New Orleans. We hope more people will join us as this particular conference is geared toward trainees and younger faculty. It gives them a forum to learn, network and present data in preparation for future presentations at larger, national meetings.

New Orleans again provided a wonderful backdrop for APA Regions VII and VIII to join together as part of the Southern Regional Meeting, held February 21 – 23, 2008. Following the opening poster session, the APA sponsored a dinner at the Palace Café. Members and guests experienced authentic local cuisine and networked with faculty and trainees from all over the region. On Friday, the APA sponsored an excellent workshop on “Making Learning Fun for All: Working with Your Learner’s Differences,” presented by Marney Gundlach and Rosina Connelly.

The final morning of the conference, 19 members of the two regions enjoyed combining breakfast and business. Each year the regions collaborate to present trainee travel awards to this meeting, consisting of a one-year trainee membership to the APA, and money. This year nine travel awards were presented and the recipients recognized at the regional breakfast. The awardees were chosen for excellence in research presented at the meeting. Their names and project titles are:

1. Marney Gundlach – Do Medical Students Report Achieving Curricular Goals? Self-assessment in a Competency-Based Curriculum
2. Jamie Hixon -- Is There A Correlation Between Obesity And Risky Behavior In Adolescence?
3. Tonya Thompson -- An Objective, Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) For Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows Used To Evaluate The Six ACGME Core Competencies
4. Nan Frascogna -- Assessing The Knowledge Of ATV Safety For Children Among Alabama Pediatricians
5. Mary Lauren Scott -- Prevalence Of Metabolic Syndrome In Obese Adolescents And Factors Influencing Systemic Inflammation, Particularly CRP
6. Jeanie Visootsak -- Neurodevelopmental Impact Of Congenital Heart Defects In Down Syndrome
7. James Mcelligott -- Patient-Held Vaccination Records; Do They Improve Vaccination Coverage Rates?
8. Elena Caron -- Prevention Of Allergic Reactions To Snake Antivenom
9. Claudia B Stowe -- Can Hospitalists Be Effective Teachers?

New region co-chairs were announced, with Marny Dunlap from the University of Oklahoma (region VII) and Jimmy Roberts of the Medical University of South Carolina (region VIII) slated to take office in May at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Honolulu. Following other regional business items, Peter Szilagyi, President of the APA, spoke to the group about the organization’s strategic plan and welcomed additional input from members.

We also hope as many of you as possible will join us in Hawaii at PAS from May 3-6. Each region will sponsor breakfast, and our new co-chairs will take office. We will also thank our out-going co-chairs, Bryan Burke of Region VII and Terry Wall from Region VIII for their hard work for these past 3 years.

Finally, next year’s regional meeting will take place February 12-14, 2009 in New Orleans. We hope more people will join us as this particular conference is geared toward trainees and younger faculty. It gives them a forum to learn, network and present data in preparation for future presentations at larger, national meetings.

The annual Region IX and X Pediatric CARE (Community Advocacy Research and Education) conference will be held March 22nd at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The Academic Pediatric Association president, Dr. Peter Szilagyi, will give the presidential address followed by Dr. Helen DuPlessis giving the plenary address “Transforming the Health Care System”. Presenters from across regions IX and X will present on topics including “Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs Want a Personal Health Record”, by Emily Hannon, MD, (University of Utah), “Using Reflective Writing to teach Cross-Cultural Communication to Pediatric Residents” by Joyce Javier, MD, (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), “Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Among Adolescent Females Utilizing Teen Clinics” by Elizabeth Miller, MD (UC Davis), “Is There a Drought in Our Classrooms? The Adequacy of Drinking Water in Schools” by Anisha Patel, MD (UCLA) and “Proteja La Cabeza: Bicycle Helmet Use in a Low-Income Latino Population” by Angelika Valdez, MD (University of Utah) . Drs. Carol Berkowitz, MD and Victor Perez, MD, MPH will conduct a workshop titled “Getting Involved in Legislative Advocacy” followed by Mimi Bar-on, MD’s workshop on “Evaluating Educational Interventions”. Participants will network at a luncheon, grouped by Special Interest Groups including Community/Advocacy, Research and Education SIGs. The conference will conclude with a poster session and an awards presentation for posters and abstracts selected to receive a scholarship to the Pediatric Academic Society meeting in Hawaii. For more information regarding the Region IX and X Pediatric CARE conference please contact Patricia Barreto MD MPH at pbarreto@mednet.ucla.edu.

We welcome any feedback or ideas for APA regional activities, either locally or at the national meeting. Please feel free to contact in Region IX: Greg Blaschke (gregory.blaschke@med.navy.mil) or Alice Kuo (akuo@mednet.ucla.edu) and in Region X: Patricia Barreto (pbarreto@mednet.ucla.edu) or Cindy Ferrell (ferrellc@ohsu.edu).

The annual Region IX and X Pediatric CARE (Community Advocacy Research and Education) conference will be held March 22nd at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The Academic Pediatric Association president, Dr. Peter Szilagyi, will give the presidential address followed by Dr. Helen DuPlessis giving the plenary address “Transforming the Health Care System”. Presenters from across regions IX and X will present on topics including “Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs Want a Personal Health Record”, by Emily Hannon, MD, (University of Utah), “Using Reflective Writing to teach Cross-Cultural Communication to Pediatric Residents” by Joyce Javier, MD, (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), “Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Among Adolescent Females Utilizing Teen Clinics” by Elizabeth Miller, MD (UC Davis), “Is There a Drought in Our Classrooms? The Adequacy of Drinking Water in Schools” by Anisha Patel, MD (UCLA) and “Proteja La Cabeza: Bicycle Helmet Use in a Low-Income Latino Population” by Angelika Valdez, MD (University of Utah) . Drs. Carol Berkowitz, MD and Victor Perez, MD, MPH will conduct a workshop titled “Getting Involved in Legislative Advocacy” followed by Mimi Bar-on, MD’s workshop on “Evaluating Educational Interventions”. Participants will network at a luncheon, grouped by Special Interest Groups including Community/Advocacy, Research and Education SIGs. The conference will conclude with a poster session and an awards presentation for posters and abstracts selected to receive a scholarship to the Pediatric Academic Society meeting in Hawaii. For more information regarding the Region IX and X Pediatric CARE conference please contact Patricia Barreto MD MPH at pbarreto@mednet.ucla.edu.

We welcome any feedback or ideas for APA regional activities, either locally or at the national meeting. Please feel free to contact in Region IX: Greg Blaschke (gregory.blaschke@med.navy.mil) or Alice Kuo (akuo@mednet.ucla.edu) and in Region X: Patricia Barreto (pbarreto@mednet.ucla.edu) or Cindy Ferrell (ferrellc@ohsu.edu).