Chapter 1 Committees

Chapter committees are made up of active and affiliated physicians and health professionals who have the goals described in each committee title. Committee chairs are identified and goals with suggested contact information if available.

 Adolescence (Inactive)

 Adoption and Foster Care (Inactive)

Advocacy
CoChairs:  Lisa Chamberlain, Shannon Udovic-Constant, Tonya Chaffee
The Advocacy Committee works in conjunction with the District AAP to review legislation affecting child health in California. The Chapter committee handles grass roots efforts on statewide legislation based on District policy and positions. The Advocacy Committee will disseminate information via on-line and email in support or opposition of regulations, bills, resolutions and other legislative formats which the District does not have the staff time to consider.

Awards & Community Service (Inactive)

Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics and Children with Special Health Care Needs

Chair: Renee Wachtel

The Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health is composed of AAP Fellows who are primary care pediatricians and subspecialists with expertise and interests in developmental and behavioral pediatrics. Committee issues include: divorce, parenting practices, use of psychotropic medications, violence prevention, childhood behavior problems, and access to mental health services.

Children with special health care needs are those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. The committee is dedicated to the optimal care and development of children with disabilities and related special health care needs and to the support of their families.

Child Abuse

Community Health

Dental Issues

CoChairs: Susan Fisher-Owens & Katherine Foster

The Dental Issues Committee will focus on educating pediatricians, parents and children about the importance of good dental hygiene and preventive care.

Environmental Health

CoChairs: Alice Brock-Utne & Mark Miller

The Committee on Environmental Health advises the membership on issues pertaining to environmental health and toxic exposure. Committee activities address such issues as radiation disasters, air pollution, lead screening, and environmental tobacco smoke. The committee also supports legislative initiatives designed to protect the health of the fetus, infant, and child from debilitating or hazardous environmental agents.

Hospitalist (Inactive)

Infectious Disease (Inactive)

International Child Health

CoChairs: June Brady & Deborah Miller

The International Child Health Committee focuses on how local pediatricians can participate in international medicine via work in developing countries, on educating pediatricians about issues relating to the health and well being of infants and children worldwide, and works to improve the educational opportunities and resources of pediatricians and other physicians in developing countries.

Medical Education

CoChairs:  Nelson Branco & Yasuko Fukuda

The Committee on Continuing Medical Education coordinates, monitors, and evaluates the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program and its individual activities to ensure quality and consistency in the content development and design process as well as to provide oversight for the accreditation of the AAP CME program. The primary role of the committee is to ensure that the AAP CME program remains on the leading edge of pediatric continuing medical education. Thus, a critical function of the committee is to recommend new directions and/or initiatives for the AAP CME program in consideration of sound educational practice based on the principles of adult learning theory and the most current and evidence-based CME research.

Membership

Chair Mark Simonian

Support chapter membership by fostering involvement of active and potential AAP physicians, develop mechanisms of outreach and active solicitation through direct physician-to-physician conversation; support technical tool development such as databases, online communication tools; track active and potential members, and utilize other methods of communication and support for the membership. 

Nominating (Board duties lead by current President, Vice President and Past President)

National

Nutrition & Fitness &Obesity Prevention (inactive)

Public Health (Inactive)

Residents and Young MDs (Inactive)

Rural Practice (Inactive)

School Health

Chair: George Monteverdi  

The School Health Committee works with the local First 5 Commissions, the public school system and other health care professionals to ensure that school children have appropriate medical care and a safe learning environment in their schools. The committee advocates for proper nutrition, physical exercise, mental health services, and a positive learning experience for all children.

Substance Abuse

Chair: Seth Ammerman

The Committee on Substance Abuse (COSA) is concerned with the prevention, early recognition, and appropriate management of substance abuse by young people; initiates professional and public education in this area; and makes appropriate policy recommendations to the membership. COSA produces materials for use by physicians and monitors the Tobacco/Substance Abuse Free Generation Program.

 Vintage Docs

CoChairs: Bill Feaster & Harvey Kaplan

The focus of the Vintage Docs committee is to provide information on life transitions for senior pediatricians, both professionally and personally and to provide an opportunity to participate in child advocacy and mentorship programs for young pediatricians.

Youth

Chair: Tonya Chaffee

The Committee on Adolescence addresses the special health care needs of adolescents and promotes the pediatrician as their optimal source of health care. The Committee monitors and makes policy recommendations to the Board of Directors on issues surrounding adolescent pregnancy and risk-taking behavior. It also studies the problems of incarcerated youth and youth under court supervision and coordinates activities with the Section on Adolescent Health.