At the American Academy of Pediatrics virtual national conference, speakers will address how racism, discrimination impact children’s health, and how pediatricians can advocate for their patients
ITASCA, IL. – This year at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) virtual National Conference & Exhibition, held Oct. 2-5, 2020, pediatric health experts will present three days of educational programs addressing how racism and discrimination based on immigration status impact the health of children, and what pediatricians can do in their practices and communities to help.
“Racism and discrimination harm children’s development and mental and physical health in profound ways,” said AAP President Sally Goza, MD, FAAP. “At our conference, we want to help our members provide leadership on equity challenges and provide education and information on how pediatricians can support families, both as doctors and child health advocates.”
Sessions on these topics include:
- Featured Speaker Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author and founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. 12:35 to 1 p.m. CT Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Professor Kendi sits down for a discussion with Pediatrics On Call podcast hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP.
- Pediatrics in the 21st Century: Fighting Racism to Advance Child Health Equity: A Call to Action. 12 to 3 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 3. Faculty: Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH, FAAP, Palo Alto Medical Foundation; Tiffani Johnson, MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, UC Davis; Jyothi Marbin, MD, FAAP, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UCSF, San Francisco; Maria Trent, MD, MPH, FAAP, Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. This session will teach pediatricians to advance child health equity by applying an anti-racist lens to the systems shaping health and medicine. Pediatricians will learn how to address implicit biases, create inclusive workplaces, relate with cultural humility, and how to take practical action to fight racism.
- Human Rights, Youth Policing, and Advocacy: Making the Message Resonate (Council on Communications and Media Program). 3 to 5 p.m. CT Sunday, Oct. 4. Faculty: Lexi Alexander, filmmaker; Shaquita Bell, MD, Medical Director, Center for Diversity and Health Equity, Seattle Children's Hospital; Janna O'Brien, MD, FAAP. This panel will discuss policing in various settings, helping participants learn how to communicate and elevate this issue in their communities.
- Dissecting Health Disparities: Examining the Intersection of Policy, Law, and Racism (Section on Minority Health, Equity, and Inclusion Program). 3 to 5:30 p.m. CT Sunday, Oct. 4. Faculty: Alden Landry, MD, Assistant Dean, Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership, Harvard Medical School; Aswita Tan-McGrory, MBA, MSPH, Director, The Disparities Solutions Center at Mass General Hospital; Joel Teitelbaum, JD, Associate Professor of Public Health and Law, George Washington University. This panel will provide a historical overview of disparate health care delivery in the US, the impact of policies and laws on health disparities, and practical tools for mitigating inequities.
- Protecting Children: Health Impact of Law Enforcement Violence. 12 to 12:30 p.m. CT Sunday, Oct. 4. Pediatrician and child health advocate Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH, FAAP, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, will discuss the public health issue of violence perpetrated against minority youth by law enforcement, the psychosocial and health consequences of these encounters, and strategies to mitigate trauma and advocate for law enforcement reform.
- Ethical Issues in Access to Care for Children Who are Undocumented. 1 to 1:30 p.m. CT Sunday, Oct. 4. Mark Kuczewski, PhD, Professor of Medical Ethics, Loyola University Chicago, will provide pediatricians with practical guidance on addressing ethical issues that arise in the care of children who are undocumented. The session will focus on the challenges these children face in accessing appropriate care and confidentiality concerns raised by documenting immigration status in medical records.
- Communication Strategies to Advocate for Children in Immigrant Families. 10 to 11 a.m. CT, Monday, Oct. 5. Faculty: Olanrewaju (Lanre) Falusi, MD, FAAP, Medical Director of Advocacy Education, Assistant Program Director, Children's National Hospital, District of Columbia; Anisa Ibrahim, MD, FAAP, University of Washington. This program will present how pediatricians can partner with government officials, lawmakers, and community members to advocate for immigrant children’s needs.
- Fostering Multilevel Resilience Among Children in Immigrant Families (Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health Program). 3 to 5:15 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 3. Faculty: Beth Dawson-Hahn, MD, MPH, FAAP; Lisa Fortuna, MD, MPH, Vice-Chair and Chief of Psychiatry UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital; Marielena Hincapie, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center. This program will present on the impact of immigration on the physical and mental health of immigrant children and their families and provide multisector policy solutions that promote health, safety, and resilience.
In addition to educational sessions, research abstracts explore health disparities, the impact of bias and racism on children’s health, the willingness of immigrant families to access public health supports, food allergies among Black and white children, and other topics. For more information on these and other abstracts, contact AAP Public Affairs.
For more information about these and other programs presented at the AAP National Conference and Exhibition Oct. 2-5, 2020, visit the conference website at aapexperience.org.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 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.