APPROVED DRAFT MINUTES
Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP)
Minutes of the January 8, 2008 Executive Board Meeting – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
held at the Massachusetts Medical Society, Waltham, MA
Present:
Dr. Carole Allen, Ed Brennan, Esq., Dr. Susan Browne, Dr. Lloyd Fisher (by phone)
Cathleen Haggerty, Dr. Karen McAlmon, Dr. Paula McEvoy, Dr. Julie Meyers,
Dr. Rebecca O’Brien, Dr. John O’Reilly, Dr. Sean Palfrey, Dr. Pearl Riney,
Dr. Robyn Riseberg, Dr. Megan Sandel, Dr. Eric Sleeper, Dr. Philippa Sprinz,
Dr. Lynda Young
Introductions
Board members introduced themselves.
Minutes
The minutes were accepted with a few minor edits.
Legislative Report
The Massachusetts State Legislature will be ending their two year session on July 31st. Committees are currently reporting bills out. Only bills that have unanimous consent will move through the legislature. The Governor will submit his budget at the end of January. Most likely, the budget will have moved through the Legislature by July 1st.
The Chapter continues to support the nutrition bill, mental health omnibus bill, and budgetary increases for universal immunization coverage. It was noted that the legislature may devise a proposal intended to contain healthcare costs and increase access to primary care physicians.
The 2008 Annual MCAAP Residents Day at the State House will take place on April 8th.
There was a discussion about Senate Bill 2438 “An Act to Promote Breastfeeding”.
The Board voted to support this bill.
Obesity Committee
It was noted that the Committee will be reviewing expert pediatric obesity guidelines that appeared in Pediatrics in December 2007. The next meeting will take place on January 24th.
Environmental Committee
The Asthma Education Bill was reported out favorably from the Public Health Committee.
There is a bill pending that would change the actionable blood lead level from 25 to 10. This would enable homes with children who have lower blood lead levels to be investigated. Also, the Chapter has been urging the DPH to regulate lead levels in toy jewelry and other children’s products.
There was a discussion about bisphenol which is used in children’s bottles among other products. It was recommended that exposure to bisphenol be minimalized and that cracked bottles should not be used.
Information about issues around lead toys will be submitted to the Forum.
AAP Nominating Committee
The Board was encouraged to submit names for AAP President-Elect to Dr. Lynda Young at lyoung@aap.org.
Immunization Initiative
Chapter leaders will meet with Commissioner John Auerbach to discuss ways to obtain legal assistance in designing an immunization system that would guarantee a continuous funding stream for universal distribution.
In terms of the supply, some vaccine was not available because the catch up requests were more than expected.
Committee on Adolescence
The Committee continues to focus on adolescent mental health issues; a recent focus has been on behavioral health screenings. The Committee also focuses on immunizations, DYS systems, psychopharmacology, and the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP ).
The Forum
It was noted that there is a new Forum submission statement which is as follows:
“The Forum does not hold itself responsible for statements made by any contributor. Statements or opinions expressed in the Forum reflect the views of the author(s) and not the official policy of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics unless so stated. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical standards, acceptance does not imply endorsement by the Forum. Material printed in the Forum is covered under copyright. We do not claim to copyright items previously published. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission. Authors submitting items to the Forum for publication may not submit the same item for publication in any other source without written permission.”
The President’s Report
Child Advocate - It was noted that the Chapter has been asked to serve on an ad hoc committee to identify candidates for a new position entitled “Child Advocate” that would report to the Governor. Names of potential candidates should be submitted to Dr. Karen McAlmon at kmcalmon@winhosp.org.
Awardees – At the MCAAP Annual Meeting, Margaret Blood will be recognized as the AAP Child Health Advocate Award recipient and Representative Edward Markey will be recognized as the 2007 AAP Excellence in Public Service Award recipient.
It was noted that Dr. Sean Palfrey was recognized at the 2007 AAP NCE as the Section on Epidemiology Outstanding Achievement recipient.
Committee Nominations – AAP Committee Nominations are due on March 1st. Chapter members are encouraged to submit names of potential committee members for consideration.
Reach Out and Read – The Chapter will be collaborating with Reach Out and Read to try recruit more members in Taunton, Stoughton, Lee, and Central Massachusetts among other areas. District Representatives will be asked to reach out to members in their districts.
Retail-Based Clinics – The Public Health Council met in December regarding the limited license clinic regulations. The DPH submitted a number of suggestions from the Chapter’s testimony to the Public Health Council. Please contact Cathleen Haggerty at chaggerty@mms.org to receive a summary of the major points in the MCAAP testimony (see www.mcaap.org for full testimony). There was a discussion about the various ways pediatricians and children may be impacted by Retail-Based Clinics.
MCAAP Nominating Committee – It was noted that an MCAAP Nominating Committee must be formed to recommend a slate of candidates to start in July 2008. Potential members will be approached by Chapter leadership.
Attracting Academicians – There was a discussion about ways in which academicians can become involved in the Chapter. It was recommended that the Chapter reach out to subspecialists and possibly create a subspecialist committee. It was also noted that the pediatric department chairs should be re-approached about becoming more involved. It was also suggested that information about national committees should be regularly communicated to members because it may promote awareness of Chapter activities.
Rosie D. Implementation – A short summary about Rosie D. Implementation was provided. Information about Rosie D. will be published in the next edition of the Forum.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Julie Meyers, M.D., FAAP
Secretary