Your Donor Impact

Your donations help make a difference for gender equity among pediatricians. 

April 2023

Thanks to your gifts, the first Female Leadership and Excellence in Pediatric Subspecialties (FLEX) Summit took place last year virtually with over 50 participants. The FLEX group seeks to improve gender equity in pediatric subspecialties where gender gaps continue to be seen, particularly in leadership. Following the Summit, the FLEX Leadership Team continued to hold regular meetings, conducting strategic planning for the future.

The FLEX Summit yielded three key goals to pursue:

• Promote gender pay equity in pediatrics.
• Support women in pediatric subspecialities across their professional lifespan through mentorship/sponsorship.
• Improve the pediatric workplace environment to be more friendly to women and parents.

The women who have been participating in the FLEX group and activities have built a strong network to support them in their careers. With a mix of seasoned and early career professionals, FLEX members have authored publications, improved collaboration across Sections, and created a place for support when struggling to achieve equity.

“I am very grateful to the Academy and to the Friends of Children Fund for getting us off the ground. Following from our kick-off events, we have continued to work together to identify key factors for gender disparities in promotion, pay and leadership across the field of pediatrics that affect our own and our colleagues’ wellness, as well as some potential solutions and tools for addressing these, “ said Jenifer R. Lightdale, MD, MPH.

H. Barrett Fromme, MD, MHPE added “The importance of gender equity cannot be understated and despite notable change over the past few years, it still impacts those in pediatrics. It has given me the opportunity to work with and learn from an outstanding group of women in pediatrics on our shared passion.”

Your donations give greater strength to our profession through important programs like these, which ultimately allow us to deliver the best possible care to children. See you next time for a new example of your generosity making an important difference for children, their families and pediatric professionals who care for them.

Warm regards,

Sandy L. Chung, MD, FAAP, FACHE

President