Rebecca Bell, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP

Burlington, Vt.

District Chairperson Candidate

Professional titles

Pediatric critical care physician at University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine

Medical school and post-graduate education

M.D., University of Massachusetts Medical School
M.P.H., Harvard School of Public Health

Residency program and fellowship

Residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children

Involvement in AAP or other organizations

  • AAP Vermont Chapter president, vice president, executive committee and board member
  • AAP District I National Nominating Committee chair and representative
  • AAP Advocacy Conference speaker
  • AAP Young Physician Leadership Alliance scholar
  • Vermont Medical Society president, vice president, executive committee, board member, Education and Research Foundation board member
  • Vermont Child Fatality Review Team co-chair
  • Academic Pediatric Association Health Policy Scholars Program national mentor
  • Trainees for Child Injury Prevention national faculty

What motivates you to seek this position?

The AAP has been my professional home since completing training as a pediatric intensivist. I have been grateful for the support from the Academy in providing the sound policy pediatricians need to care for children in our hospitals, clinics and communities. 

Advocacy on behalf of children and the pediatricians who care for them has become more urgent, and the AAP is well-positioned to continue to be the leading voice for child health. It has been a privilege to serve in AAP leadership roles at the state and national level would be an honor to serve as District I chairperson.

Susan J. Duffy, M.D., FAAP

Barrington, R.I.

District Chairperson Candidate

Professional titles 

Attending physician in pediatric emergency medicine at Hasbro Children’s Hospital,  Brown University Health; vice chair of academic affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine and professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Medical school and post-graduate education

M.D., Brown University 
M.P.H., Columbia University

Residency program and fellowship

Residency in pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 
Fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University 

Involvement in AAP or other organizations

  • District I vice chair, Chair District VC 2
  • AAP Section on Emergency Medicine Executive Committee.
  • Council on Child Abuse and Neglect; Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention; Council on Clinical Information Technology; CDR
  • AAP policy and course co-author/presenter
  • Pediatrics reviewer
  • AAP Rhode Island Chapter: Board of Directors, secretary, vice president and president. State liaison, AAP Disaster Preparedness. AAP representative, Rhode Island Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C)
  • AAP Section on Emergency Medicine Subcommittee on Advocacy chair  
  • AAP grant recipient and mentor

What motivates you to seek this position?

I am honored to seek election as District I chair and member of the AAP Board of Directors. The AAP has been my professional home and the place where I have worked with fellow pediatricians to advance child health through advocacy, clinical leadership, systems improvement and research. As a pediatric emergency physician, educator, chapter leader and District I vice chair, I have focused on quality, care coordination, mental health, safety and reducing disparities for vulnerable children and families. I would bring a collaborative, frontline perspective to the board and work to strengthen chapters, elevate pediatric voices and build healthier futures for all children.

Jennifer Jewell, M.D., FAAP

Portland, Maine

District Vice Chairperson Candidate

Professional titles

Pediatric hospitalist at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland

Medical school and post-graduate education

M.D., Boston University School of Medicine
M.S., University of Southern Maine

Residency program and fellowship

Pediatric residency, Barbara Bush Children’s and MaineHealth Maine Medical Center  

Involvement in AAP or other organizations

AAP national:

  • AAP Committee on Hospital Care chair and member  
  • Committee Forum Management Committee chair and member   

AAP Maine Chapter 

  • Board of Directors 
  • Education/Conference Committee chair 
  • Community Access to Child Health grant co-facilitator 

Other organizations: 

  • Association of Child Life Professionals Board of Directors member
  • Joint Commission Hospital Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission, AAP alternate representative

What motivates you to seek this position?

The opportunity to support the district chair and contribute to chapter development across District I aligns with my professional experience and passion for collaborative leadership. My AAP involvement reflects sustained engagement at chapter, district, and national levels — each providing unique insight into AAP structures and functions. 

If selected, I will focus on strengthening collaboration between chapters, supporting emerging leaders, expanding educational programs, and exchanging effective strategies for quality improvement and advocacy. District I is full of innovation and talent, and I am excited to help build systems that make it easier for chapters to learn from each other and flourish.