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Welcome to AAP Voices, the official blog of the American Academy of Pediatrics, where AAP member pediatricians and others share their perspectives on a wide variety of topics relating to children's health and wellness. ​​

Showing 1-15 of 286 total articles

My First Experience as a Physician Champion in an AAP collaborative

July 22, 2025
Pediatricians with AAP are always looking for new and innovative ways to bring the best care possible to their patients. Sheela Rao, MD, MPH, FAAP got the opportunity to do just that when she was part of a collaborative program to improve screening and treatment for substance use disorder. She was able to implement what she learned during that program and even saw some of her team taking steps above and beyond as a result of what they learned. Learn about how the program impacted her practice, patients, colleagues, and Dr. Rao herself.
Sheela Rao, MD, MPH, FAAP

Women in Medicine and the Impact of Barbara McClintock

July 9, 2025
Women have been a cornerstone of the medical community for centuries, serving as doctors and nurses and taking care of an unquantifiable number of patients. Despite this, women continue to face barriers in the medical field. Stephanie Santoro, MD, FAAP uses the story of Dr. Barbara McClintock’s contributions to delve deeper into the struggles women face in the medical field and urges support for science, regardless of who studies it.
Stephanie Santoro, MD, FAAP

Tales from the Middle Agers: What We Want You To Know Before Signing Your First Contract

June 27, 2025
Beginning your medical career is without a doubt an exciting time in every physician's journey. However, when it comes to contract negotiations, there is a lot that goes into what you need to consider. Dina DiMaggio, MD, FAAP and Anthony Porto, MD, FAAP have compiled a list of helpful tips to make sure your negotiations are fruitful and fair.
Dina DiMaggio, MD, FAAP
Anthony Porto MD, FAAP

Medicaid’s Vital Role in Wellness

June 25, 2025
Medicaid is a vital part of our country’s healthcare system, especially for children living with chronic illnesses that require home health care. Most private and employer-provided healthcare insurance does not cover this care that some of our most vulnerable need. Except for Medicaid. As a general pediatrician Kristina Malik, MD FAAP sees patients every day who have had their lives changed for the better due to the care provided by Medicaid. Read as she outlines the case for fully funding the program that so many have come to depend on.
Kristina Malik, MD FAAP

Improving the Quality of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Office Visits

June 25, 2025
A doctor’s office can be a scary place for children, even more so for those living with neurodivergences. As a parent of a neurodivergent child, Dr. Tehrima Rai, MD, FAAP has first-hand experience with the struggles families can have at doctor’s offices while making sure children get their needs met. Through her work in developmental behavioral pediatrics, Dr. Rai makes a point to ensure families and patients are as comfortable as possible in her office.
Dr. Tehrima Rai, MD, MPH, FAAP

Safe Sleep Programs Work—We Cannot Afford to Lose Them

June 11, 2025
Safe sleep is a cornerstone of pediatric work but a National Institute of Health campaign designed to educate on the topic and prevent infant deaths is at risk. Kala Frye Bourque, MD, FAAP - whose work and family have left lasting marks on her understandings of sudden unexpected infant death syndrome - discusses how crucial it is to protect these programs and in turn, protect infant lives.
Kala Frye Bourque, MD

Children Should Never Go to Court Alone

May 28, 2025
Court can be a scary place, especially for young children. Compound that with a language barrier and remove that child’s access to representation, and you have ample opportunity for exploitation. Marsha Griffin, M.D., FAAP, has seen the impacts of this firsthand as a pediatrics professor in Texas where she has spent years advocating for children protected under the Unaccompanied Children Program, which provides legal representation for those young one attempting to navigate our complicated immigration and court systems.
Marsha Griffin, M.D., FAAP

Burnout is Not Your Fault

April 30, 2025
Burnout is a serious problem that only gets worse the longer it is ignored. Pediatricians and other care careers are particularly prone to it as the job prioritizes care for others and can lead to overlooking your own care. Burnout hit Gretchen A. Pianka, MD, MPH, FAAP when family pressures piled on top of her professional pressures. After reaching a breaking point, Dr. Pianka started focusing on her own care and began to love her work again.
Gretchen A. Pianka, MD, MPH, FAAP

Pediatricians’ critical role in transition of care for patients with Intellectual Disability

February 25, 2025
Children living with intellectual disability are typically given access to expanded benefits to help them thrive as they grow. However, once reaching adulthood, families can have difficulties finding programs and services that can fill the gap left behind. Catherine Kernie, MD, experienced this first-hand when her brother John, who has Down syndrome, was able to transition to postgraduate opportunities – a reality she knows is hard for some families. Dr. Kernie believes pediatricians have a unique role to play in ensure that continuation of care for their patients with intellectual disabilities and encourages others in her field to consider that when working with their patients.
Catherine Kernie, MD

The Importance of Food Security Interventions

February 4, 2025
Food insecurity - insufficient access to nutritious, affordable food - is a growing reality for many families. The impact of hunger can be wide-reaching - leading to difficulties in school, illness from lack of proper nutrition, and can even impact breastfeeding mothers' ability to feed breastfeeding children. Pediatricians play a crucial role in recognizing when families struggle with food security and making sure they get connected to those who can help.
Kimberly Montez, MD, MPH, FAAP

A Primer on the Words We use to Describe Autism

January 22, 2025
Autism is a diagnosis that impacts thousands of families, but not all families talk about autism in the same way. This lack of cohesion in how medical professionals talk with patients and families about autism can drive a wedge between parties and create boundaries to care. Take a look at how two different families discuss autism with their pediatricians and see how these practices can be incorporated into your own work to make families feel safe, secure, and seen.
Kate Wallis, MD, MPH, FAAP
Alicia Brewer Curran
Shanice Oates
Kristin Sohl, MD, FAAP

Sacrifice Zones—a Personal and Cultural Perspective

December 20, 2024
Depending on where we live, the environment can play a huge part in our overall health. This is especially true if you live in a sacrifice zone, an area where residents are exposed to pollutants despite adverse health impacts. Norma Jean Schue Kreilein, MD, FAAP treats patients living in these sacrifice zones and advocates for actions that can positively impact the health of residents. Learn from her how you too can take action to make a positive change where it is needed most.
Norma Jean Schue Kreilein, MD, FAAP

The Healing Power of Partnership: Pediatricians Avoid Burnout while Addressing Opioids Crisis in a Rural Community

December 20, 2024
Pediatricians work hard each and every day to provide excellent care for their patients. It’s hard work that can lend itself to burnout, especially for pediatricians that work in rural areas with fewer resources. Heather Pratt Chavez, MD, FAAP writes about how connecting with fellow pediatricians can help combat burnout and provide fresh voices to further improve the crucial care they give to patients.
Heather Pratt Chavez, MD, FAAP
Veronica Parker, M.D., FAAP

Your Vote, Their Future: The Role of Pediatricians in Shaping Child-Centric Policies

October 21, 2024
For Dr. Brooke Laudenslager, her caregiving doesn’t end when she leaves work. Her job, and that of all those practicing or learning pediatric medicine, extends far beyond what can be done in office. She argues it even extends to the voting booth and has compiled a list of 10 reasons why you should vote this elections season.
Brooke Laudenslager, DO

On Burnout, Efficacy, and Believing We Can Do Better: Musings on a Home-grown Get Out the Vote Campaign

October 17, 2024
Dr. Stark followed her passion for health equity and advocacy, channeling the burnout she was experiencing into action. She has been working with Vot-ER, a nonpartisan organization working to integrate civic engagement into healthcare, to help educate her young patients on the importance of voting and inspire them to make their voices heard.
Amrita Stark, MD, FAAP

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