Dear AAP District II member:
The NYS AAP District Nominating Committee seeks applicants for the position of District II Representative to the AAP National Nominating Committee.
This is an elected position, with the 3-year term running from 1/1/2026- 12/31/2028.
Eligibility: Must be a Full or Specialty Fellow in good standing and be a member of the district to which elected as National Nominating Committee Representative. NNC members may not serve concurrently on any other national AAP committee, council, task force, or section executive committee. No prior leadership experience is required.
Responsibilities: The NNC member represents his/her respective district at deliberations of the NNC, which is responsible for nominating two candidates for the office of President-elect, and serves as chair of the District Nominating Committee.
Additional Roles and Responsibilities are listed in the attached job description.
Usual time commitment for this Committee is monthly 1 hour meetings (virtual), 3 days at AAP headquarters (long weekend) in mid-May, and 4 days in July/August (Annual Leadership Conference). All travel is covered by National AAP.
Those wishing to apply should contact Lisa Handwerker, MD, FAAP, current NNC Rep, directly (lhandwerker@gmail.com). The application deadline is April 18, 2025.
Once applications are received, the District Nominating Committee will review the applications and select 2 candidates to run for the office. Elections are held in September, along with the AAP President-Elect.
Please contact Lisa Handwerker with any questions about the position or if you may be interested in making an application.
Thank you so very much. The District Nominating Committee looks forward to hearing from you!
Lisa Handwerker, MD, FAAP
AAP District II Representative to the National Nominating Committee
lhandwerker@gmail.com
What to do if Wildfire Smoke is affecting your area
EPA Report on Climate Change and Children
Dear Colleagues,
The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) announces the additional availability of funds to support the implementation of HealthySteps. Our goal is to promote an intentional focus on prevention activities by identifying and implementing evidence-based and data-informed preventive practices. HealthySteps is an evidence-based program that serves both young children ages birth to three and their families in a pediatric health care setting, which is non-stigmatizing and offers universal access.
OMH is offering this opportunity as a REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA). This procurement process is streamlined to ensure both efficiency and efficacy for the applicant. Please access this opportunity in Grants Gateway to understand what this process entails.
All applicants must be registered with the New York State Grants Gateway System. Please do not delay registration into this system. In order to avoid potential difficulties with this system, OMH strongly suggests that all applicants complete this process as soon as possible. Please be advised there will not be any exceptions to the deadline posted for this RFA. If you require additional assistance navigating Grants Gateway please contact:
Grants Gateway Help Desk:
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone: (518) 474-5595
Email: grantsgateway@its.ny.gov
It is anticipated that OMH will make up to 33 awards across the state, contingent upon availability of funding. This funding is specifically designated for new sites, with the goal to expand the capacity of pediatric and family medicine practices to implement HealthySteps.
OMH has assigned an Issuing Officer for this project. The Issuing Officer or a designee shall be the sole point of contact regarding the RFA from the date of issuance of the RFA until the issuance of the Notice of Conditional Award. The Issuing Officer for this RFA, who shall coordinate on behalf of OMH is:
Carol Swiderski
New York State Office of Mental Health Contracts and Claims
44 Holland Avenue, 7th Floor Albany, NY 12229
carol.swiderski@omh.ny.gov
For additional information and requirements please refer to the Request for Applications (RFA) HealthySteps issued by the New York State Office of Mental Health. The HealthySteps RFA Round Two 2022 can be found at: https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/rfp. All applications for this RFA must be submitted through the Grants Gateway portal.
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Instructions for Completion of the New York State School Health Examination EHR Compatible Form
The instructions above have been approved by the Dpartment of Education. This documents can be used to develop an EMR compatible form. Once developed, physicians can use EMR generated forms instead of using the form that the DeD developed which requires manual entry of all the data fields.
NYS SCHOOL HEALTH EXAMINATION FORM
AAP Policy Statement: The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health
Non-medical Vaccine Exemptions FAQ
On June 13, 2019, legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school and child care immunization requirements was signed into New York State law, effective immediately. All previously approved religious exemptions are now void. Children are now required to be vaccinated to attend either:
- public, private, or parochial schools; or
- child care settings.
Children who had a religious exemption and who attend a year-round school or child care program must now have received the first age-appropriate dose in each immunization series by June 28, 2019, to attend or remain in school or child care. Additionally, by July 14, 2019, parents and guardians must show that they have scheduled appointments for all required follow-up doses. Children not in year-round programs will need to be vaccinated no later than 14 days after the first day of school or child care.
Please be aware that when California passed similar legislation there was an increase in medical exemption requests. Providers should submit only valid medical exemption requests. All medical exemptions are reviewed by physicians at the Health Department’s Office of School Health for students attending public school. The Health Department will also be reviewing medical exemptions as part of the audits conducted at non-public schools and child care facilities and when requested by the school or facility. We will be following this situation closely and tracking the number and patterns of medical exemptions.
All medical exemptions requests should use the form available on the Department of Education website at www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/immunizations. Only physicians licensed in New York State can request a medical exemption. The request must specify which vaccine(s), why the vaccine would be detrimental to the child’s health and the duration of the exemption. All medical exemptions are required to be reviewed annually. As guidance, a table summarizing valid contraindications and precautions to vaccines is available at http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3072a.pdf
Please note that even if an unvaccinated child has serology demonstrating they are immune to measles due to infection acquired during the ongoing measles outbreak in New York City, they still need documentation of immunity to mumps and rubella. They will therefore still need Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine, in addition to all other required immunizations.
As a reminder, the required school immunizations can be found at www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/immunizations. Children who are delayed in their immunizations must be vaccinated in accordance with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices catch-up schedule; see https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/catchup.html. Delays in vaccination or vaccine doses and/or alternative immunization schedules are not allowed. Child care facilities and schools are required to exclude children who are not vaccinated on time and not in compliance with required immunizations.
Finally, we want you to be aware that the Health Department has received anecdotal reports of parents altering serology reports or submitting falsified vaccination records. We ask providers to be mindful of this and diligent in reviewing the validity of historic immunization records from parents, especially before these vaccines are submitted to the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR) as historical immunizations. The Health Department will investigate such reports when received and take appropriate action, if indicated.
For questions on the removal of the religious exemption, school and daycare immunization requirements, or any other vaccine-preventable disease issue, please call (347) 396-2400 or email nycimmunize@health.nyc.gov. We thank you for your continuing efforts at protecting NYC residents from vaccine-preventable illnesses.
Each year about 90 New York State (NYS) infants die from sleep-related causes, many of which are preventable. To eliminate sleep-related deaths in infants, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health (Department), in partnership with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, has joined a national collaboration of state health departments, state agencies, and our professional and community partners.
The Department is working to update and deliver safe sleep messages to parents and caregivers across the state. In 2011, the Department adapted the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for educational materials related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and safe sleep in a consumer brochure entitled “Follow the ABCs of Safe Sleep.” The message is: Babies should sleep Alone, on their Backs, and in a safe Crib, right from the start. The “ABC”
message is simple and effective to help introduce safe sleep basics to parents and caregivers.
A recent study showed the more often mothers heard advice about safe sleep practices, the more likely they were to follow the advice. Please help to make this a reality by sharing safe sleep materials and education at every opportunity. These materials, available in English and six other languages, are free of charge for your use. Please visit www.health.ny.gov/safesleep for additional safe sleep information, including a brochure and poster that you can share with families in your practice.
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI), a cooperative agreement between the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, published two new resources that may be of interest to AAP Chapter members:
- State Pediatric Medicaid and CHIP Medical Homes Initiatives: At-a-Glance Table
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation, in partnership with the National Academy for State Health Policy, recently updated its “State at-a-glance” table. The table provides an overview of publicly funded state programs that support the implementation and spread of the pediatric medical home model of care, including information on Health Home State Plan Amendments, and states that have active Medicaid payment for pediatric medical home programs. - Language Access in Primary Care
Created in partnership with the National Center for Cultural Competence, this article provides examples of language access services and strategies to enhance language access services in pediatric primary care practices.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Integration Playbook, a new interactive guide to support the integration of behavioral health care in ambulatory care practices is now available on the AHRQ Academy for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care portal. The free guide provides tips, resources, and real-world examples of how practices are integrating behavioral health care, pitfalls to avoid; an interactive self-assessment checklist; and access to an online forum for peer-to-peer networking and sharing. Visit the AHRQ Academy for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care portal to access the Integration Playbook and other resources for integrating behavioral health care.
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is pleased to announce the launch of its new and improved Web site, www.medicalhomeinfo.org.
The Web site provides pediatric medical home information, tools, and resources for practices and clinicians, specifically pediatricians. Visit the Web site to learn about the following:
- Education and training opportunities
- Tools and resources for pediatric medical home implementation
- Evidence supporting the pediatric medical home model
- Information about pediatric medical home initiatives in 50 states and the District of Columbia
SBIRT – Evidence-based screening to screen patients and identify those who use alcohol and other drugs at risky levelsGet Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work
Many antibiotics prescribed in doctors’ offices, clinics, and other outpatient settings are not needed. This program sponsored by the CDC focuses on appropriate prescribing and use for common illnesses in children and adults. Resources include:
In addition, the MMWR has recently published a report related to antibiotic prescribing and patient desire for antibiotics, “Antibiotic Prescribing among Adult Consumers, Adult Hispanic Consumers, and Health Care Providers.”
Link to AAP Practice Transformation Tools – How to Build a Medical Home Practice Today…
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is excited to announce the launch of a brand new online resource guide, “Building Your Medical Home: An Introduction to Pediatric Primary Care Transformation” available at www.pediatricmedhome.org.
The guide provides direction, resources, and tools to pediatric medical home clinicians and practices seeking to advance their knowledge and understanding of the medical home concept as it relates to practice transformation. The guide provides resources and strategies for starting medical home transformation, integrating key functions of a medical home into practice, and sustaining changes.
Having Problems Getting Medicaid Managed Care Prescriptions Filled? Read on to get help from the NYSDOH!
Please contact the DOH with questions, concerns, or if you are experiencing difficulty with a plan:
Email: ppno@health.state.ny.us
Phone: 518-486-3209
The New York State Department of Health staff will assist you in contacting the plan and working towards resolutions of your issues.
New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents
AAP, District II, NYS formally supports New York City’s Initiative in Support of Breastfeeding. The New York City initiative tracks with AAP policy supporting breastfeeding for all healthy babies and mothers. [Click here for more…]
Please complete Hassle Factor form to report insurance administrative and claims processing concerns including settlement disputes that you may have filed.
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