Membership Opportunities
AdvocacyAdvance the interests of PA children and families and the value of pediatric practice through ADVOCACY at the State Capitol. Register or log in to access PA AAP's new Advocacy Action Center!
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EducationEnsure the highest quality of patient care through EDUCATION of pediatricians, residents, and medical students.
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Leadership & NetworkingPromote optimal physician well-being and career stamina through PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and NETWORKING opportunities.
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National AAP Election Open September 13-27, 2023
The National AAP Election is open starting September 13th through September 27th. National members are able to vote in this election including the following positions: AAP President, At-Large Board Member Medical Subspecialist, At-Large Board Member Surgical Specialist, and District level position elections. Click here to vote!
President-Elect Candidates
Susan J Kressly, MD, FAAP
Learn more about Dr. Kressly below:
Biography Position Statement DEI Response #WeArePediatricians Campaign Video Chapter Chat: Q&A (password: chapterchat) |
David L Hill, MD, FAAP
Learn more about Dr. Hill below:
Biography Position Statement DEI Response #WeArePediatricians Campaign Video Chapter Chat: Q&A (password: chapterchat) |
As of March 31, 2023, important changes have been made to the policy that kept individuals continuously enrolled in Medicaid. As of April 17th, important changes will be made to CHIP and re-enrollment in those programs.
President's Message, September 2023
Mary Ann Rigas, MD, FAAP
Dear Fellow PA AAP Member,
I hope you had a rejuvenating summer and are enjoying some cooler weather!
This week, I saw one of my favorite families in the office. Lilly is six, a brand new first-grader who loves school and likes to come home, set up her blackboard, and “teach” her little brother. Charlie is three, a little wild man who delights in running out of the house and down the street faster than Patty, his Nana, can chase him. They both adore their new baby sister, Emma, who is finally starting to gain weight, smile, and coo since their mom, Anna, brought her over and left her to live with her grandparents and siblings. Patty and Mike have assumed care of their grandchildren informally, without court involvement, as their daughter Anna continues to decline treatment for her mental illness and substance addiction. Their other three adult children urged them to let Emma be put into foster care, but Patty and Mike can’t imagine separating their grandchildren. Nevertheless, it has been challenging for them, physically, financially, and emotionally. Mike, a retired school superintendent, has taken on a job as a delivery driver, and Patty, a retired teacher and the children’s full-time caregiver, hasn’t had the time or money to get the hearing aids that she increasingly needs. Anna continues to come by their home sporadically, and Patty and Mike worry both about her wellbeing and about how her unpredictable and unreliable presence in her children’s lives is having an impact on them.
September is National Kinship Care Month, which recognizes and celebrates the relatives and family friends of children who cannot live with their parents, including grandparent caregivers like Patty and Mike. Over my thirty-three years in pediatric practice, I have noticed an increasing number of children being raised by grandparents or other family members, often due to reasons including parental incarceration, mental or physical illness, substance abuse, and death. According to Pennsylvania KinConnector, an estimated 259,405 children in Pennsylvania under 18 live in homes where householders are grandparents or other relatives. Conversely, 82,556 grandparents in Pennsylvania are responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren. I was somewhat surprised to learn that for every one child being raised by kin due to child protective services becoming involved and assuming custody, there are 18 children being raised by kin in informal arrangements. Notably, grandfamilies and kinship families in Pennsylvania are racially and ethnically diverse.
I hope you had a rejuvenating summer and are enjoying some cooler weather!
This week, I saw one of my favorite families in the office. Lilly is six, a brand new first-grader who loves school and likes to come home, set up her blackboard, and “teach” her little brother. Charlie is three, a little wild man who delights in running out of the house and down the street faster than Patty, his Nana, can chase him. They both adore their new baby sister, Emma, who is finally starting to gain weight, smile, and coo since their mom, Anna, brought her over and left her to live with her grandparents and siblings. Patty and Mike have assumed care of their grandchildren informally, without court involvement, as their daughter Anna continues to decline treatment for her mental illness and substance addiction. Their other three adult children urged them to let Emma be put into foster care, but Patty and Mike can’t imagine separating their grandchildren. Nevertheless, it has been challenging for them, physically, financially, and emotionally. Mike, a retired school superintendent, has taken on a job as a delivery driver, and Patty, a retired teacher and the children’s full-time caregiver, hasn’t had the time or money to get the hearing aids that she increasingly needs. Anna continues to come by their home sporadically, and Patty and Mike worry both about her wellbeing and about how her unpredictable and unreliable presence in her children’s lives is having an impact on them.
September is National Kinship Care Month, which recognizes and celebrates the relatives and family friends of children who cannot live with their parents, including grandparent caregivers like Patty and Mike. Over my thirty-three years in pediatric practice, I have noticed an increasing number of children being raised by grandparents or other family members, often due to reasons including parental incarceration, mental or physical illness, substance abuse, and death. According to Pennsylvania KinConnector, an estimated 259,405 children in Pennsylvania under 18 live in homes where householders are grandparents or other relatives. Conversely, 82,556 grandparents in Pennsylvania are responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren. I was somewhat surprised to learn that for every one child being raised by kin due to child protective services becoming involved and assuming custody, there are 18 children being raised by kin in informal arrangements. Notably, grandfamilies and kinship families in Pennsylvania are racially and ethnically diverse.
Become a member and help us to improve the health and well being of children in Pennsylvania
Membership opportunities are available to pediatricians and allied health professionals. The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics provides an array of benefits and services to keep you up-to-date and informed. The Chapter actively advocates on behalf of your patients, their families, and you. Together, we serve as one voice in fulfilling the needs of children and pediatricians in the state.
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PA AAP Newsroom |