Leonard P. Rome CATCH Visiting Professorships

Leaders: Brittany Tayler, MD, FAAP & Gurbaksh Esch, MD, MPH, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Andy Aligne, MD, MPH, FAAP

Title: Resilient Hearts, Renewing Inspiration, Revitalizing Communities: Connecting Pediatricians and the Community to Foster Advocacy Efforts

Abstract: The goal of the conference and visiting professorship is to foster genuine and meaningful connections between our pediatric residents, faculty, local pediatricians, and our community. Particularly acknowledging that the Flint Water Crisis (FWC) occurred 10 years ago, we want to enhance our trainees’ understanding of the social determinants of health and systemic inequities with the rich lived experience of our resilient community. Building on this, we hope to equip learners with the skills necessary to authentically collaborate with the community and advocate for their patients at local, state, and national levels. Leveraging the Visiting Professorship, we intend to foster a cultural shift in our medical community, motivating our pediatric providers to more effectively engage with our community.

Leaders: Sarah Denny, MD, FAAP; Roopa Thakur, MD; Anita Shah, DO, MMS, MPH; & Lisa Miyatake, DO

Visiting Professor: Debra Best, MD, FAAP

Title: Ohio Pediatric Advocacy Collaborative

Abstract: Ohio children experience widespread poverty and one of the nation’s highest infant mortality rates, yet Ohio’s nine pediatric training programs lack an infrastructure to collaborate on community health and advocacy initiatives. Resources and requirements vary among these training programs, and, at the same time, many of today’s residents request expanded, mentored opportunities to advocate for children and families. Our proposal is to create a collaborative of pediatric training program faculty in community health and advocacy. The Rome Visiting professorship will provide an opportunity to develop the structure of the collaborative and concrete goals for the next year- including structure for communication and shared goals, resources, and training.  

Leaders: Patricia Rodriguez-Reyes, MD, FAAP & Nilka deJesus-Gonzalez, MD, MSc, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Banjamin Hoffman, MD, FAAP

Title: Empowering Pediatricians for Change: Implementing a Longitudinal Advocacy Curriculum to Improve Pediatric Health Equity in Puerto Rico

Abstract: The health of children living in Puerto Rico is adversely impacted by social determinants, fragile health infrastructure, and environmental factors. Pediatricians play a unique role in advocating for children's well-being, making it essential to empower them with the skills needed to navigate the political process, develop successful advocacy strategies, and communicate effectively with policymakers. At the UPR-SOM General Pediatrics Residency Program, residents actively participate in advocacy initiatives during their 4-week Community Pediatrics Rotation. However, this short-term exposure to advocacy efforts limits their opportunities to gain advanced skills in advocating for patients.  Through the Visiting Professorship, a longitudinal pediatric advocacy training curriculum will be developed to ensure residents have the tools and expertise to effectively advocate for children's health and well-being.

Leaders: Sarah Garwood, MD & Molly Krager, MD

Visiting Professor: Steven Harowitz

Title: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling for Advocacy

Abstract: This proposal will fund a visiting professor to facilitate storytelling training for an expansive group including the pediatric faculty of the Missouri Collaborative for Advocacy in Resident Education (MOCARE), the pediatric residents of the MOCARE state-wide advocacy track representing all four pediatric training programs in Missouri, Missouri AAP (MO AAP) state chapter leaders, and key community leaders. Prior to the trainings, collaborative decisions will be made with grant applicants, the MO AAP, and Campfire regarding advocacy areas of focus for the workshops. Sessions will result in a bank of stories for use in state level advocacy, skill development in effective storytelling for advocacy, and relationship development among the attendees of the trainings.

Leaders: Carmela Sosa, MD, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Janice Kim, MD

Title: Better Together: Strengthening Community Partnerships to Advance Equity in Pediatric Health

Abstract: Valley Children’s Hospital is a community-based hospital that, outside of its relationship through graduate medical education - does not have an academic affiliation. As such, the organization is dependent on visit volumes for funding. Most providers are not given time to work on research or other projects outside of clinical care. This leaves little to no time for providers to engage in advocacy outside of individual, patient-level advocacy. Additionally, residents feel overwhelmed by the mere prospect of advocacy given the significant needs in our community. An opportunity that could be addressed through the Visiting Professorship is a culture shift – that advocacy can and should be brought into every aspect of patient care, whether resident or attending. The only way in which to do it effectively, and on limited time, is through partnerships with community-based organizations and other community agencies, leveraging each other’s strengths.

Leaders: Larissa Truschel, MD, FAAP & Elizabeth Erikson, MD, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Sara Horstmann, MD, FAAP

Abstract: All Duke pediatrics residents go through a Community and Advocacy Rotation in their first year. This opportunity will promote the development of advanced training in health equity and advocacy for the Duke Pediatrics Residency Program through a visiting professorship. This will lay foundation for the development of further curriculum for a longitudinal track.

Leaders: Shannon Luke, MD & Jessica Doran, MD

Visiting Professor: Kacie Kidd, MD, FAAP

Abstract: Many healthcare providers in the area do not receive education on providing trans-inclusive care, leaving them to learn on the job. In residency, we do not receive any formal training on patient-centered care specific for this patient population. This process can harm patients and put the responsibility on patients to teach their providers how to provide trans-competent care. The aim of the project is to conduct a community needs assessment in cooperation with the Center Project, learning what Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) youth need from their primary care providers (PCPs). From this assessment, we will develop an advocacy curriculum aimed at PCPs in Mid-Missouri.

Leaders: Prajakta Yeragi, MD, FAAP & Sandra McKay, MD, FAAP

Visiting Professor: Katie Plax, MD

Abstract: The aim of this rotation is to improve child health outcomes in Houston area by increasing Pediatric Resident Physicians understanding of the social determinants of health, providing ways that they can get involved in partnerships with local organizations, and give them the tools to advocate for their patients on local, state and natio nal levels. We plan to utilize the Visiting Professorship to institute a culture change, inspiring our faculty and trainees to better engage with the community.

Leaders: Lubaina Ehsan, MD; Tiffany Truong, MD; Mandeep Takhar, MD, MSc; Kelly Brown, MD; Priscilla Woodhams, MD; & Cheryl Dickson, MD

Visiting Professor: Jeffrey Kaczorowski, MD, FAAP

Abstract: Advocacy is essential for pediatricians to effectively engage with their community. This will be the launch of our formal advocacy curriculum for pediatric residents to ensure that our residents are better equipped with the skills to understand community health, collaborate with legislators and community leaders/ organizations, understand the structure of government and policymaking, draft advocacy letters, proposals, and grants, and ultimately utilize these experiences to advocate for children and their families.

Leaders: Larissa Hines, MD and Colleen Parrish, MD

Visiting Professor: Lisa Chamberlain, MD, MPH

Abstract: Our proposal is to enhance legislative advocacy training for residents and faculty across Oklahoma. The goal is to develop a more robust legislative advocacy curriculum that includes collaborating with other residencies and targeted community partners. We will also incorporate CATCH grant opportunities into the curriculum to improve community outreach. Residents will have both practical learning on legislative advocacy paired with experiential learning which includes going to the capitol during legislative session with our community partners.

Goals & Objectives

Increase legislative advocacy for pediatric residents and faculty through community partnerships, collaboration, and legislative activities.

1. Develop a plan for incorporating legislative advocacy education into the
   resident social determinants of health curriculum and educate residents about CATCH
   grant opportunities in the next year.
2. Bring together the three pediatric residency programs in the state to share current advocacy experiences and develop an opportunity for collaboration over the next 2 years.
3. Collaborate with Oklahoma Chapter of the AAP and community partners to effectively advocate for legislation involving childhood vaccination and other child health priorities in the next year.
4. Increase residency, faculty, and community pediatrician knowledge of and participation in legislative advocacy through grand rounds, educational workshops, and webinars over the next 2 years.
5. Coordinate with community partners to support ongoing legislative advocacy days such as Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) Doctor’s Day, Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR) Invest in Kids (INK) Day, Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Day at the state capitol next legislative session.

Leaders: Corinne Bria, MD and Kate Rooney-Otero, MD

Visiting Professor: Benjamin Hoffman, MD, CPST-I, FAAP

Abstract: Driven to increase child health advocacy in Florida, three pediatric residency programs created the Central Florida Pediatric Advocacy Coalition (CFPAC) with the recent addition of a fourth pediatric residency program, extending our efforts to St. Petersburg. The Visiting Professorship will advance our efforts to learn how to hone our pediatric advocacy skills, create a sustainable infrastructure for the CFPAC, and improve faculty career development in advocacy. Engaging with a visiting professor will not only improve our capacity to better understand our role as child health advocates and give us tools to educate residents, it will bring notable attention to these efforts with the goal of faculty members utilizing these advocacy efforts towards promotion.

Goals and Objectives

By the end of 2023, create a sustainable partnership among the residency programs in Central Florida that comprise the Central Florida Pediatric Advocacy Coalition (CFPAC) with goals for advocacy and education for the next 3 years, including resident and faculty development activities and curriculum development.

1. After the workshop, more than 80% of participating pediatric residents will better understand how to use and incorporate advocacy skills into their practice to improve child health than before the workshop.
2. Pediatric residents and faculty will be be able to identify at least one community nonprofit, understand the role of their institutions’ government affairs, and understand the role of the FL Chapter of the AAP in advocacy and lobbying
3. After a 1-day workshop, the majority of pediatric faculty will better understand the importance of developing an advocacy portfolio for promotion
4. 80% of residents and faculty will have a better understanding of why advocacy is important for child health