AAP COMMITTEES - COMMITTEE ON PEDIATRIC WORKFORCE

The Committee manages issues pertaining to the supply, requirements, demographics, and geographic distribution of general pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists. Topics and trends that shape the pediatrician workforce include the funding of graduate medical education (GME), international medical graduates, culturally effective care, workforce diversity, and the growing number of women pediatricians in the workforce, and the scope of practice of nonphysician clinicians. The COPW uses its analyses of these issues as a basis for formulating the Academy's workforce policy, as well as AAP responses to government agencies, regulatory bodies, and health care organizations on physician workforce issues.

The Committee has been looking at the referral patterns of general pediatricians. In particular, the COPW is looking at changes in preferences and satisfaction over a 10-year period. This encompasses the influence of patient age on referral patterns of children to pediatric and adult subspecialists

The Committee is currently revising its flagship policy statement on the pediatrician workforce. It will be refocused to better serve the AAP as an advocacy tool. It will address emerging physician workforce issues, while continuing to articulate prior concerns about the adequacy of the pediatrician supply and maldistribution of pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists.
A list of the AAP policy statements authored by the COPW is provided below.

In addition to policy statement development, the Committee is working with external organizations, such as the American Medical Association, on advancing a wide range of issues, including workforce diversity. The Committee has consequently developed a set of resources to inform the discussion of policymakers, medical organizations, and other stakeholders in physician workforce issues. I encourage you to check the Committee's web page frequently for new resources and updates on the Committee's work.

COPW Members, 2009 - 2010

Beth A. Pletcher, MD, Newark, NJ, Chairperson
William T. Basco, MD, Charleston, SC
Luisa I. Alvarado-Domenech, MD, Coto Laurel, PR
Andrew J. Hotaling, MD, Section Representative, Maywood, IL
Mary Lieh-Lai, MD, Detriot, MI
Gail A. McGuinness, MD, Liaison, American Board of Pediatrics
Mary E. Rimsza, MD, Scottsdale, AZ
Richard P. Shugerman, MD, Seattle, WA
Rachel Wallace Tellez, MD, MS, Silver Spring, MD

On behalf of the COPW, Committee Chairperson, Beth A. Pletcher, MD, FACMG, FAAP speaks out on behalf of the pediatrician workforce in this time of health care reform. Calling for pediatrics to have a prominent role in health policy debates, she notes the critical and worsening shortage of pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists, geographic maldistribution of pediatricians and other workforce issues and concerns. You can comment on these issues at: copw@aap.org

COPW Issue Discussions
At each meeting, the Committee sets aside time to hold one or more issue discussions on topics that are integral to the pediatrician workforce. Provided below are the links to the Powerpoint presentations from our September 2007 and September 2008 meetings.

The Committee on Pediatric Workforce is managed through the AAP Division of Workforce and Medical Education Policy. For additional resources related to GME and physician workforce issues, please visit the Division's Web page.

COPW Staff:
Holly J. Mulvey, MA, COPW Principal Staff
Director
Division of Workforce and Medical Education Policy
800/433-9016, x7915
hmulvey@aap.org

Ethan Alexander Jewett, MA
Senior Health Policy Analyst
Division of Workforce and Medical Education Policy
800/433-9016, x7914
ejewett@aap.org