Message from the SOCC Chair

Colleagues -

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Critical Care (SOCC) serves the community of Pediatric Intensive Care providers in the US and across the world with the mission to enhance the health of critically ill children equitably and inclusively through education, advocacy, and professional support for a diverse, multicultural membership.

At the annual AAP National Conference & Exhibition (NCE), the SOCC provides programming targeted at trainees and early career physicians. We offer ample opportunities for research presentations, awards in recognition of research excellence, as well as explorations of various career pathways. The SOCC also advocates in developing policies that enhance the care of critically ill children. These policies range from recommendations on pediatric intensive care unit leveling to clinical care policies on brain death. Lastly, we provide a professional home for pediatric intensivists everywhere, through recognizing distinguished career awardees and establishing a network of PICU Division Chiefs (PC3N).

Our role and interactions within the AAP serve the best interest of our patients and communities and ensure a voice for intensivists in the greater pediatric community. The SOCC now has over 1,500 members, from students to fellows, from academic centers to community hospitals, from those just starting to those retired. The executive committee members of SOCC, our past chair Elizabeth Mack, subcommittee chairs, liaisons, and AAP staff extraordinaire Sue Tellez are here to serve you!

We hope you will join us in our efforts to ensure the optimal care for critically ill infants, children, and adolescents. Please reach out if there are any efforts you feel SOCC should be involved in, and please get involved!

Benson S. Hsu, MD, MBA, FCCM, FAAP
Chair, SOCC Executive Committee
bshhsu@gmail.com