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News and Notes

NewsandNotes

News & Notes is a new email communication to keep the members of the NYS AAP (District II) informed about our work on key issue for children and for pediatricians.

As the legislative session develops, you will be able to find our detailed positions on legislation and budget proposals that impact on the health and well-being of children.

We will also be offering you ways to raise your voice for children in the public policy arena.  Stay tuned!

Coronavirus (COVID-2019) Outbreak –

  • New AAP Red Book Online Resource

Health officials are currently investigating an outbreak of a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that began in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has now spread to multiple countries, including the United States.

A new entry on this coronavirus outbreak has been added to the Red Book Online Outbreaks section, providing information about the outbreak and its impacts for the pediatric population.  The entry will be regularly updated, and recommendations may change as more is understood about the outbreak.

Overseen by members of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, the Outbreaks section is intended to provide pediatric health care professionals with a quick resource to get up to speed on current outbreaks and how they affect children, along with links to explore further.

NEWS & NOTES – January 2019
For Members of the NYS AAP

NYS AAP MARIJUANA POSITION STATEMENT

The NYS AAP has developed its position on NYS’s legalization of Marijuana. The statement is being shared widely with legislators, key Executive and State Agency staff and our external partners. You can view our statement here. Feel free to share it with your colleagues and community leaders.

STANDING ORDERS FOR ROUTINE NEWBORN NURSERY CARE

Standing Orders legislation was signed by the Governor in December! The implementation date is 4/19. It is not too early to start talking to your hospital administrators/Dept. Heads about being part of an internal working group to design your hospital’s protocols for Standing Orders for normal newborn births and exceptions. To learn more:

SCHOOL HEALTH FORM UPDATE

Work continues on the proposed revisions of the School Health Form. A NYS AAP team is working with staff from SED and SDOH to come to agreement on design, information and EHR compatibility. We are not there yet.

2019 LEGISLATIVE & POLICY PRIORITIES

Our 2019 Legislative and Policy Priorities Include:
  • Reduce NYS Lead Action Level to 5mg/l
  • Require Flu Immunization for infants & toddlers in infant and child care
  • Gun Safe Storage Requirements as part of the SAFE Act
  • Prohibit Toxic Chemicals from Children’s Clothing, Toys & Accessories
  • Adequately Fund Subsidized Child Care
  • Adequately Fund Children’s Mental Health Services
  • Create and Implement a Fair School Funding Formula, Providing Adequate Resources to Schools in Low Income Communities
  • Implement Pediatrics 3.0 as proposed by the First 1,000 Days work group
  • Ensure Clean Drinking Water for all Child Care Centers, Schools & Communities
  • Protect the Health and Well-being of infants, children and adolescents as the state moves to legalize recreational use of marijuana.
More to come as the legislative session develops.

PROJECT TEACH

Remember, the Project TEACH warm line is here for you. Do you need to talk to a child psychiatrist? Or learn about children’s mental health services in your area? Or learn more about how to titrate ADHD medication for your patients?
Call the Project TEACH warm line at 877-709-1771.  The Project TEACH warm line, website, and training opportunities are all available to help you serve your patients and enhance your practice of pediatrics.

The New York State Department of Health is proud to announce that Colleen Mattimore, M.D., of Western New York Pediatric Associates in Orchard Park, New York, has been selected as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood Immunization Champion for New York.  CDC and the CDC Foundation hold this annual awards program to honor immunization champions across the 50 U.S. states, 8 U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, and the District of Columbia during National Infant Immunization Week (April 16-23, 2016).

Dr. Mattimore was nominated and selected from a pool of health professionals, community advocates, and other immunization leaders for making a significant contribution to public health in New York State through her work in childhood immunization.

A pediatrician for 25 years, Dr. Mattimore has played an active role in vaccine advocacy in Western New York for many years.  She has trained physicians, nurses and medical students on communicating with vaccine hesitant parents, and has spoken with parents and schools about the importance of childhood vaccines.  Dr. Mattimore has previously been recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) New York Chapter 1, by the Western New York Pediatric, Adolescent and Adult Immunization Coalition, and by the Erie County Department of Health for her work to protect the children of Western New York. Eight years ago she established the Vaccine Safety Coalition and successfully launched a vaccine safety public health multi-media campaign.

Young children rely on the champions in their lives to keep them safe and healthy. Champions may be doctors and nurses who share scientifically accurate, up-to-date information about vaccines with parents.  They may be advocates who go the extra mile to ensure that all children in their communities have access to vaccines.  They may be public health professionals who work behind the scenes tracking immunization data, coordinating vaccine logistics, or developing public awareness campaigns.  They may be parents who share their personal stories about vaccination with their communities.

When families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials work together, all children can be protected from serious and deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.  Dr. Mattimore is an inspiration to all of us who care about children’s health in New York. We are pleased and honored to congratulate her on this well-deserved award.

To read Dr. Mattimore’s profile on the CDC’s website, and to learn more about CDC’s Childhood Immunization Champion Award program, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/champions.