Washington, DC—The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) President Thomas K. McInerny, MD, FAAP joined other health care provider organizations at the White House on Thursday, January 3rd, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American Public Health Association, to discuss the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy and to share AAP’s perspective on necessary federal policy changes moving forward.
In the meeting of the White House Task Force on Gun Violence that was led by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Dr. McInerny re-emphasized the points made in AAP’s December 19
letter to President Obama, advocating for stronger gun laws, increasing comprehensive access to mental health care, and lifting restrictions on federal gun violence research and prevention efforts. AAP thanked the White House for its leadership on this issue since the massacre, and pledged to work with the White House and policymakers to assure that all children are safe and feel safe in their homes, in schools and within their communities.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000
primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and
pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and
well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more
information, visit www.aap.org.