Message from the Chair

Hello colleagues,

It is an honor to serve as Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery, and for the opportunity to work alongside such a committed, thoughtful, and mission-driven community of pediatric surgeons. Our Section sits in the crossroads of advocacy, education, quality, and collaboration—an intersection that is essential to advancing high-quality surgical care for children and supporting the pediatricians and teams who care for them.

My journey to pediatric surgery was shaped early by the personal experience of a sister with neuroblastoma and reinforced through training and experience across academic, private, and consulting environments. Those varied experiences have taught me that meaningful impact in pediatric surgery is not defined by practice setting, but by leadership that creates change, scholarship that informs care, teaching that sustains the profession, and advocacy that strengthens our collective ability to serve children and families.

Professionally, my work has focused on building systems of care that improve quality, safety, and outcomes for pediatric patients through clinical informatics, data-driven quality improvement, guideline development, and more recently, the responsible integration of artificial intelligence into clinical practice. Service within organizations such as the American College of Surgeons, SAGES, and the Association of Women Surgeons has reinforced my belief that professional societies play a critical role in shaping policy, standards, and sustainable systems of care that support both clinicians and the families they serve.

As we look ahead, my vision for the Section on Surgery is grounded in shared priorities that align closely with the mission of the AAP: advancing evidence-based pediatric health policy, supporting a sustainable and resilient pediatric surgical workforce, reducing administrative burden that detracts from patient care, and strengthening interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration across the continuum of care. Central to this work is a commitment to ensuring that innovation is thoughtfully implemented, carefully evaluated, and focused on improving outcomes for children and their families.

A major initiative for the coming year will be the kickoff of a Section on Surgery–led textbook project, Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery for Primary Care. This book is intended as a concise, clinically practical reference for pediatricians and frontline clinicians, distilling essential diagnostic, management, referral, and pre-referral considerations to support early recognition, informed counseling, optimal coordination of care, and improved outcomes for pediatric patients. We can leverage the collective knowledge of our section to improve the care of innumerable children through such a research, while also advancing the professional aspirations of our committee members though this forum for scholarly work. 

Ultimately, the strength of this Section lies in its members and in our shared commitment to children, families, and the pediatric care teams who serve them every day. I look forward to engaging with you through committee work, educational initiatives, advocacy efforts, and our national meetings. Together, we have the opportunity to foster a collaborative, forward-looking, and impactful era for pediatric surgery within the American Academy of Pediatrics.

With gratitude,

Danielle S. Walsh, MD, FACS, FAAP
Chair, AAP Section on Surgery