Advocacy in Action
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss, in The Lorax
VA GENERAL ASSEMBLY DAY FOR PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS!
Save the Date! 3rd Annual Pediatric General Assembly Day for Pediatric Residents, Fellows, and Pediatricians, 2010!!!
Residents, fellows, and pediatricians from throughout Virginia are invited to spend the day in Richmond and learn first-hand about legislative advocacy and how to speak up for children's health! This event is held on the fourth thursday of January each year in Richmond. For 2009, over 40 child advocates, including pediatric residents, fellows, medical students, law students, lawyers, and others met in Richmond to speak up for children. The day begins with an introduction on how to meet with your legislators and a discussion of the current pediatric issues under consideration in the General Assembly. Everyone then meets with their legislators, and then reconvene afterwards for lunch and de-briefing! This is a fantastic opportunity to make your voice heard! Everything you need to know about the current issues and how to meet with your legislators will be provided during the briefings so that you will be ready to meet with your legislators.
This event is open to anyone who is interested in children's health - medical students, law students, pediatric residents and fellows, faculty, practicing pediatricians, etc. - everyone is welcome to participate!! If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Diane Pappas, M.D., J.D. at childadvocacy@virginia.edu.
AAP Resident Advocacy DayThis is a one-day "crash course" in federal advocacy sponsored by the AAP's Washington, D.C. office several times each year. You will spend your morning developing your advocacy skills and learning about the current issues facing children's health at the federal level. You will spend your afternoon using what you have learned as you visit your legislators on Capitol Hill! This is a great way to get some hands-on experience with federal legislative advocacy! There is usually one or more AAP Resident Advocacy Days each year. There is no registration fee for this program. Space will be limited to about 20 participants. Our Nancy Walton Pugh Child Advocacy Fund or other sources may be available to cover travel expenses; those interested in attending should contact Dr. Diane Pappas, dep6b@virginia.edu for more information.
AAP Federal Advocacy Action Network (FAAN)
The AAP Washington Office provides up to date information on federal issues that relate to children's health. See http://www.aap.org/moc/ for details on current issues and information on how best to convey your concerns to your elected officials in Washington, D.C.
Campaign for Children's Health
The AAP is a partner in the national Campaign for Children's Health and is circulating an electronic petition to be given to the President and members of Congress urging them to pass legislation providing comprehensive, affordable, quality health care coverage for all children. For more information, see http://ga3.org/campaign/petition_main?qp_source=aap.
 AAP Annual Legislative Conference
The AAP Annual Legislative Conference will be held April 19-21, 2009 in Washington, D.C. This conference offers an intense child advocacy training program, culminating in a trip to Capitol Hill to meet with your federal legislators and/or their staff about children's health issues! This conference is always full, so sign up early! Watch the AAP website for registration information at http://www.aap.org/. There are often scholarships available. This year, a full 20% of the participants were pediatric residents! Applications will be due in early January. There may be other funding opportunities available, as well. Contact Dr. Diane Pappas at mailto:childadvocacy@virginia.edu for more information and for funding questions.
 Voter Registration
It has been said that "Politics is not a spectator sport." When you vote, you are an advocate for children's health and well-being. Click on the links below to learn all you need to know about voter registration in Virginia!
Albemarle County
Charlottesville
Virginia State Board of Elections
Awards, Grants, and Funding
Nancy Walton Pugh Child Advocacy Fund
The Nancy Walton Pugh Child Advocacy Fund provides support for advocacy projects designed and implemented by University of Virginia pediatric residents to improve the health and well-being of children in our community. Funds may also be utilized to support pediatric resident advocacy education.
Awards are considered on an individual basis and applications may be submitted at any time. Advocacy projects will be assessed for resident involvement, implementability, originality, and impact on children’s health. Educational requests will be assessed for relevance to child advocacy education and/or relevance to on-going child advocacy project(s). Awards will be determined by a committee consisting of at least 4 faculty members and the pediatric chief resident. For more information or application materials, email childadvocacy@virginia.edu.
Nancy Walton Pugh Child Advocacy Award
This award is established to recognize outstanding efforts by a pediatric resident(s) whose efforts have led to the improved health and well-being of children and will be awarded in recognition of an outstanding advocacy project initiated and implemented during residency.
This award is named in honor of Dr. Nancy Walton Pugh, who was a member of our general pediatric faculty from 1998-2003. With every patient encounter, Dr. Walton demonstrated her extraordinary commitment to the care of her patients, her compassion, and her willingness to advocate in whatever way necessary for the well-being of each patient.
Nominations for this award will be solicited annually from the pediatric faculty and the recipient(s) will be selected by a committee consisting of at least 4 faculty members and the pediatric chief resident. The award will include an engraved memorial to the recipient and the recipient’s name will be engraved on a plaque which will be displayed in the General Pediatrics Clinic. See Child Advocacy Award Recipients for information on previous recipients.
AAP CATCH Resident Funds
The AAP Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) resident program provides funding up to $3,000 for development and implementation of community-based child health initiatives. Funded projects in the past have included smoking cessation, increasing access for Hispanic children, oral health initiatives, breastfeeding, and many other pediatric health issues. For more details on this program, see www.aap.org/catch/planninggrants.htm.
AAP Resident Section Research Grant
Residents may apply for funding up to $3,000 from the AAP resident section to initiate and complete a research project related to their professional interests. The application is on-line and is due the first friday in February. Applications are reviewed in April and letters are sent out in August each year. Seewww.aap.org/sections/resident/resresearchgrant.htm for details.
AAP Residency Scholarships
The AAP has a residency scholarship program for residents who have financial difficulties. Awards vary from $1,000-$5,000. Application are taken in February of each year. For more information, see http://www.aap.org/sections/ypn/r/funding_awards/res_scholarships.html.
AAP Resident Research Grants
The AAP has research grants of up to $2,000 available to pediatric residents to support resident research projects which can be completed during residency training. For more information, see http://www.aap.org/sections/ypn/r/funding_awards/research_grants.html.
Meetings
UVA Department of Pediatrics Annual Research Symposium
Every spring, faculty, fellow, and residents share their research with colleagues and the community at the UVA Department of Pediatrics Research Day. Watch your email for more information!
Southern Society for Pediatric Research (SSPR)
Please submit your abstracts! All trainees and junior faculty are eligible for travel awards (see http://www.aps-spr.org/Regional_Societies/SSPR/Meeting.htm for more detail).
Ambulatory Pediatrics Association
.jpg) Submit your abstracts for presentation at the APA Region IV Annual Meeting!! The annual meeting for region IV (D.C., MD, NC, VA) will be held February 20-21, 2010 at the Charlottesville Omni Hotel. Residents, faculty, and students are encouraged to submit abstracts for presentation at the annual meeting. Presentations are usually short (about 20 minutes) and may involve an evolving or recently completed project or study.
This year's meeting will include a keynote speech by Dr. David Tayloe, immediate past president of the AAP, as well as presentations and workshops, a resident poster session, and a "Meet the Professors" breakfast. Residents and Fellows can attend for a discounted fee of $60.00. Medical students may attend for free (but must register). This is a great way to see what academic general pediatrics is all about, share ideas, and meet others in our region facing the same primary care issues.
If you are interested in registration information or submitting a proposal for a presentation or a poster, please see https://www.degnon.org/secure/apa/region4meeting/index.cfm.
This is a great way to meet and share you work with colleagues in academic general pediatrics throughout the region! Contact Dr. Diane Pappas, childadvocacy@virginia.edu for details and registration materials.
Medical-Legal Partnership National Summit
The 2010 summit will be held March 25-26, 2010 in Washington, DC. This year's agenda will focus on health care reform, quality, health disparities, and current trends in service delivery, education, and program evaluation. For more information, see http://www.bumc.bu.edu/cme/educational-opportunities/live-meetings/mlp10/.
Policy Internships
 AAP Department of Federal Affairs Internship Program
The American Academy of Pediatrics Department of Federal Affairs in Washington D.C. offers a fantastic internship program designed for those interested in learning more about children's health issues, the legislative process and public affairs! It is available to college, medical students, graduate students, residents, and AAP members. The program is designed to provide an individualized experience tailored to your interests and goals. In particular, participants will learn directly how public policy is determined, how the legislative process works, the benefit of coalitions, and the operations of our own AAP organization. Internship activities may include:
*Congressional hearings related to children's health
*Preparation of background material for use with Congress, various health agencies, AAP members
*Working with public affairs staff to communicate information regarding legislative issues effectively to reporters, AAP members, and the general public
*Department of Health and Human Services meetings and hearings
To apply for an internship, send a letter detailing your professional/educational status, your expectations for the program, and whether you will receive credit for your participation (and any requirements needed for you to receive credit) to American Academy of Pediatrics, 601 13th Street, NW Suite 400, North Washington, D. C. 20005. For more information, call 202-347-8600. Interns must arrange for their own housing, meals, and transportation.
Additional information is available at http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/intern.html
AAP Resident Section International Rotation Travel Grant
The AAP resident section awards four $500 grants annually to residents who wish to complete a clinical pediatric elective in a developing country. See www.aap.org/sections/resident/intertravel.htm for details.
American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Health Policy Internship
AMSA offers a 4-8 week internship in health policy for pre-medical and medical students, as well as residents in Washington, D.C. No experience necessary. Internship may include visits to Capitol Hill, strategy meetings, researching current issues, etc. Credit can be arranged. There is no stipend, but free housing is available. For more information, see http://www.amsa.org/hp/hippi.cfm.
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