Message from the COHE Chair

Dear Colleagues,

It is a profound honor to write to you as Chair of the Council on Health Equity. When I reflect on who came before me, I feel both humbled and inspired. I follow in the footsteps of some real "GOATs" — and for the sports fans among us, that means the Greatest of All Time — Drs. Nathan Chamillo, Nate Jones, and Nia Heard-Garris. They led with vision, courage, and heart. They left some very big shoes to fill, and I will need your help to fill them.

Our Shared Mission

Let me begin by grounding us in the purpose that unites us:

The purpose of the Council is to advance health equity for racial and ethnic minoritized and marginalized youth by addressing structural racism and the social determinants of health that drive health inequities and to promote greater diversity and inclusion in the pediatric workforce. We equip pediatricians with the tools to understand and address these drivers of health and to achieve practice and policy changes advancing health equity. We aim to promote and celebrate diversity in pediatric medicine and in the AAP, and we are committed to leading the Academy's efforts to promote health equity for racial and ethnic minority children by:

• Advocating for equitable and antiracist child health policies,
• Creating safe spaces and support networks,
• Educating pediatric providers, and,
• Supporting scholarly work and evidence-based strategies to address racial equity in health

We support the AAP's journey in being a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization today and in the future.

Membership is open to all AAP members in good standing. We will rely on a diverse group of members who are committed to a shared vision of a more just and equitable world for children and will provide a platform for nurturing and voicing perspectives from diverse backgrounds.

Why This Work Is Foundational

Health equity is not a single initiative or a box we check. It is foundational. It touches, in some form or fashion, every policy, procedure, operational choice, financial decision, and information system within the domain of children's and adolescent health.

Because our work reaches so broadly and deeply, we frequently interact with the other sections and councils across the Academy. We partner with them to ensure their work is seen through a health equity lens. When equity is woven into the fabric of everything we do, every child benefits.

The Landscape We Face

We are working in a challenging moment. Many hard-won advances in child health are being sidelined, and some are being reversed altogether. Misinformation is spreading, and it is causing real confusion for families and communities who deserve clarity.

Now, more than ever, the public needs a single, unified voice — one backed by genuine expertise. They need us to promulgate sound policies, to ensure that resources are allocated where they are needed most, and to give our undivided attention to the optimal health and well-being of every child. When we get this right, the benefits ripple outward: to healthier families, stronger communities, and a more just society.

A Call to Action

I cannot do this alone, and neither can any one of us. This is our work, together.

I invite you to engage — join the Council, add your voice, and share your expertise. I invite you to collaborate — reach across sections, mentor a colleague, and build the networks that sustain us. And I invite you to champion health equity — in your practice, in your community, and in the halls where policy is shaped.

The children we serve are counting on us. Let's fill those big shoes together.

With gratitude and determination,

Sheila Owens-Collins, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAP
Chair, Council on Health Equity