Each year, the Chapter’s annual meeting is held at the OU Children’s Hospital in conjunction with the Annual Advances in Pediatrics CME conference. On April 21st the OKAAP Board of Directors began the day at 7:00am with a strategic planning meeting led by Betsey Siska, the AAP Manager of Chapter Relations. Also in attendance was Dr. Anthony Johnson, the AAP District VII Chair. It was an honor to have leaders from the National AAP office join us this year as well as Dr. Mo Gessouroun, the OU Department of Pediatrics Chair.
The 43rd Annual Advances in Pediatrics: Encounters of the Common Kind included a full day of expert panel discussions and breakout sessions. The course was designed to combine evidence-based medicine and best-practice strategies on a range of pediatric topics. The Department of Pediatrics Conference Planning Committee did an amazing job putting this year’s event together and OKAAP is always honored to attend and take part.
After the day’s CME sessions concluded, the OKAAP Board of Directors, Officers, and Committee Chairs gathered with conference attendees at the evening dinner. Dr. Laura McGuinn, Chapter President, updated the group about OKAAP’s activities and gave each Committee Chair an opportunity to speak about their initiatives and efforts. There was a lot to report this year about the looming Medicaid cuts, and Dr. Dwight Sublett, the Chapter Medicaid Committee Chair filled everyone in on what might be expected in the coming months.
OKAAP was proud to have Dr. Bob Block as a featured speaker at the conference dinner. Dr. Block gave a powerful presentation on early child brain health and the long-term impacts of toxic stress. Dr. Block also presented information about the 25 By 25 Oklahoma Early Childhood Coalition of which OKAAP is a proud partner.
This statewide coalition launched in 2016 and works to raise Oklahoma’s national position in key early childhood development metrics from the bottom states to the top 25 by 2025. 25 By 25 was organized by the Potts Family Foundation and includes members from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. You can learn more about this coalition at ok25by25.org. A big thanks to Dr. Block and Margie Marney at Potts Family Foundation for being part of this event. Thank you to OKAAP members who attended. If you weren’t able to make it this year, we hope you can join us at this event in April, 2018.
