Past President's Message
To Do Lists:
Reflections on the PAS Annual Meeting
Whew! What a meeting! Based on the best data we have, approximately 1,000 APA members attended the PAS Meeting in Washington DC, which means that nearly half us were there!! Furthermore, I am told this was the largest attendance at a PAS Meeting ever. There was so much to do, that I created a daily schedule which began at 7 AM and ended after 10 PM each night. At nearly every moment, I found myself wishing that I had the ability to be in more than one place at the same time. While I was not able to attend as many of the scientific sessions as I would have liked, I did learn more about childhood poverty, firearm violence among children and youth, the forecast for health care delivery in hospital and emergency care as it pertains to equity and diversity, fever in young children, quality improvement in emergency medicine and the evidence regarding health outcomes of children whose parents are lesbian or gay.
Reflecting about the meeting experience, though, I have also come to value the networking opportunities I have with so many colleagues and APA members. Whether in speed mentoring or meeting Young Investigator award winners or New Century or having a discussion at a poster, these were some of the best moments I spent at PAS.
During the Program Committee Evaluation Meeting early Tuesday morning, two themes emerged. We want to include more content, and we want to create less competition, so that more members can attend important events. There may be no simple resolution to the dilemma posed by these two competing values, but to me, success is measured by a PAS program that has sufficient diversity of content so that all of our members can engage in world class educational events that supplement routine learning activities and inspire us to new possibilities of achievement.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your continued work on behalf of the health and well-being of children. Whether in research, education, advocacy or daily health care delivery, your work is creating a better future for children and families. Special thanks go to the SIG and region chairs, the Board of Directors and the staff of the APA.
Every year I leave the PAS meeting with new additions to my "To Do" list. This year is no exception. While my list is long, I want to focus on the two areas of work I have selected for my Presidential Projects:
- Firearm Injury in Children: I will help write and shepherd the APA Policy on firearm injury, and work with the Public Policy Committee and other pediatric organizations to keep this topic on the pediatric public health agenda.
- LBGT issues: I will work to find an appropriate structure in the APA for members interested in children whose parents are lesbian or gay, or LGBT children themselves. Most likely this will mean formation of a SIG, but I am exploring opportunities for synergy between the APA and the other pediatric organizations like the AAP and APPD which are also doing foundational work in this area.
I encourage and welcome anyone interested in either or both of these issues to contact me either directly or through the APA office.
I ended my address at the Presidential Plenary with this quotation.
"You really can change the world if you care enough." Marian Wright Edelman
Please join me in this work!!
David Jaffe
Immediate Past President
Academic Pediatric Association
jaffe@kids.wustl.edu
Previous Newsletters
- April 2013
- December 2012
- October 2012
- August 2012
- June 2012
- April 2012
- February 2012
- August 2011
- June 2011
- April 2011
- February 2011
