Dear APA members,
I hope everyone is having a wonderful October so far. It definitely feels like fall up here in Massachusetts. I hope you are gearing up for a fun (and spooky?) Halloween with friends, children, and loved ones. I also wanted to wish a belated Happy Diwali to those who observe the holiday.
Diwali is a tradition I grew up with and continue to celebrate with our children and family. It’s a universal story celebrating the victory of good over evil and light overcoming darkness,. It’s also a time to reflect on timeless values– selflessness, duty, karma, forgiveness, respect, inclusivity, and love. During these challenging times in our society, I appreciate the opportunity to pause and think about these core tenets.
Another thing I love about the fall is football! As a lifelong New England Patriots fan, I’ve been spoiled for two decades, and after a few rough seasons , it’s so fun again to watch and root for them from my couch on Sunday afternoons. Go Pats!
Here are some recent APA updates:
- The Board had our Fall Board Meeting in Washington DC, at the end of September.
- Many of our Board members met with staff from our representatives on Capitol Hill to advocate for greater investment in pediatric research. It was an invigorating experience. We are grateful to Matt Mariana-Seltz and Yameen Ibrahim from the AAP and Pediatric Policy Council for their time, support and guidance.
- We discussed several important topics including new advocacy opportunities, board assessments, our strategic plan and mission, fundraising and finances.
- Financially, we are in a much better shape than even a year ago thanks to some difficult cost reduction decisions made in the past couple of years along with better-than-expected revenue from the past two PAS meetings. I’m grateful for the leadership of our Secretary -Treasurer Mike Steiner as well as the past two APA Presidents, Jean Raphael and Tiffani Johnson. Additionally, I’d like to thank our Program Directors who partnered with us to do the same amazing job with less resources.
- Given our stronger financial situation, the Board voted to increase funding for up to two additional Young Investigator Award (YIA) program. We also voted to expand the number of New Century Scholars. Finally, we allotted $10,000 in travel funds to support APA members costs to the PAS meeting. The Board felt it was essential, particularly in these challenging times, to invest in and support our members. I’m grateful to our amazing APA staff for their leadership and efforts in carrying these efforts forward. We will announce details on how to apply for these funds in the coming months.
- Finally, the Board members got to bond during the meeting and at dinner. It’s one of my favorite things about the APA, catching up with old friends and making new ones. We also get to celebrate our colleagues/friends’ achievements. This time we celebrated Mike Steiner’s appointment as the next Chair of Pediatrics and Clinical Service Chief of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Of course, Mike was too humble to mention it himself, but we still found out! Congratulations, Mike, on this very well-deserved position!
As we continue to celebrate the APA’s 65th birthday this year, fun fact, do you know when the APA first had Regional meetings? It was in 1967! The goals were to facilitate communication, provide opportunities to present and share research findings, and discuss local issues. Regional meetings remain a core part of the APA membership experience. We deeply appreciate all our Region leaders for their commitment and contributions to our community!
As always, please reach out to me anytime with your ideas, suggestions and/or concerns.
In community with you, our colleagues and the children, families, and communities that we serve,
Arvin Garg, MD, MPH
President
Academic Pediatric Association
