The University of California Irvine was chosen as one of the Vanguard sites chosen to initiate the planning and implementation of the National Childrenís Study in Orange County, California. The successful application was submitted by the Department of Pediatrics at UCI with other major collaborators, Childrenís Hospital of Orange County, Children and Families and Orange County Health Care Agency.

The other five Vanguard sites are Mt. Sinai School of Medicine for New York City (Queens), New York; University of North CarolinañChapel Hill for Duplin County, North Carolina; Childrenís Hospital of Philadelphia for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; University of Utah for Salt Lake County, Utah; University of WisconsinñMadison for Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

The National Childrenís Study is the largest of its type ever undertaken in the USA and will examine the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of more than 100,000 children born in 101 counties across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21.The Study will examine many aspects of childrenís lives, from family genetics; to the constructed world of neighborhoods and schools; to chemical exposures linked to the atmosphere, food or water supplies; to the social and behavioral environment in which the children grow and develop. This study will be the first effort to capture exposures prior to and early in pregnancy, and to then track so many participants for more than 20 years. The ability to examine multiple exposures and link them in cause-effect relationships with multiple outcomes is the defining characteristic of the National Childrenís Study.

The National Childrenís Study will be one of the richest information resources available for answering questions related to childrenís health and development and will form the basis of child health guidance, interventions, and policy for generations to come. It is anticipated that the preliminary results from the first years of the study will be available in 2008-2009.

James Swanson PhD from the department of Pediatrics UC Irvine is the Principal Investigator for the Orange County Vanguard site. The co- investigators, all from UCI were Dean Baker (Environmental Health), Pathik Wadhwa (Psychiatry), Feizal Waffarn (Pediatrics) and Alison Clarke-Stewart (Social Ecology).

This study is led by a consortium of federal agency partners: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD] and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [NIEHS], two parts of the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Chapter officers have recently developed a new strategic plan for the Chapter. This plan identifies specific priorities for the Chapter moving forward. The Chapter has a strong desire to continue to grow and to expand its capabilities as an organization that can improve access and quality of pediatric healthcare in Orange County. The Chapter wants to be a true partner in the community in supporting childrenís health and advocating for the critical role of the pediatrician in childrenís health issues.

Strategic Priorities: The strategic priorities for the Chapter are Access, Safety, Childrenís Health and Well-Being, Advocacy, and Membership. These strategic priorities will provide a focus for Chapter activities. The Chapter will use these priorities as the basis for allocating resources, prioritizing initiatives, and in seeking additional funding sources and partnerships to help accomplish Chapter goals. The following are the specific initiatives that Chapter will focus on moving forward. In coming weeks and months you will be hearing more about these efforts.

1) Childrenís Health and Well-Being:

• Reach Out and Read (ROR): Work with the Children and Families Commission to expand this early literacy program in pediatrician's offices.
• Linkages with Primary Care: Continue to develop linkages between pediatricians, school readiness nurses, and other children's environments, building on the Commission funded school nurse Primary Care/School Readiness Nurse Integration Program.
• Oral Health: Develop linkages with the Healthy Smiles for Kids Program and promoting oral health in pediatrician's offices.
• Physical Activity and Good Nutrition: Continue "PE for ME" in schools, including expansion to pre-school environments and advocating/promoting physical activity and good nutrition to children's environments.
• Immunization Registry: Educational/Technical Support to primary care offices to expand the LINK immunization tracking program.

2) Injury Prevention:

• Continue the successful Chapter Injury Prevention Program and implement the AAP's Violence Injury Prevention Program Connected Kids.

3) Membership:

• Membership Development: Focusing on providing value to pediatricians in the community to recruit and retain Chapter members.
• Continuing Medical Education Programs: Continuing to offer quality educational opportunities for Orange County health providers.

4) Organization Development:

• Organization and Staff Development: Supporting an expanded role for the Chapter as a community healthcare partnering entity through organizational and staff development.

The critical success factor for the Chapter moving forward is your participation. The Chapter needs to work hard at providing real value to its members. With this strategic plan is a renewed emphasis on membership development. A strong membership base will increase the Chapterís ability to partner with granting and funding entities. New funding opportunities can be leveraged to further the role of the Chapter as an active force in Orange County to improve childrenís healthcare and to provide benefit to pediatricians to support their critical role.

The American Academy of Pediatrics will be implementing a new database system in January 2006. This web-based system will bring greatly enhanced data, reporting and web connectivity capabilities. In addition, the new system will allow for the implementation of anniversary-year membership cycles. What does this mean to our members?

• No more confusion for new members as to when their membership starts and when it ends. Beginning with the implementation of netFORUM, all new members or previously lapsed members rejoining the AAP will pay 1-year dues and begin their 12- month membership on the date of payment. No more payments covering months gone by.
• Chapter and Section memberships will be set to the same expiration date as the existing National membership to enable single- invoice renewals. National members joining Chapter and/or Section will pay pro-rated Chapter/Section dues for the months remaining on their existing National membership.
• Benefits begin immediately. No more month-long delays in benefits or active status.
• The elimination of initiation fees for new Fellows, and reactivation fees for returning members.
• Membership renewal invoices will be mailed 4 months prior to the expiration of the current membership. This will allow plenty of time for members to process their invoices and return payments prior to the membership expiration date.
• On the date of netFORUM implementation, all AAP members in good standing will retain their July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006 membership year. Their membership period is printed on their membership cards.
• All members in good standing on the date of netFORUM implementation will be mailed renewal invoices the first week of March 2006. The membership renewal will be for the upcoming membership year July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007.
• The AAP will continue to offer a 2-month grace period for late payments. This grace period will be the first 60 days of the new membership; July 1, 2006 through August 31, 2006. Unpaid memberships will expire effective September 1st, 2006. Benefits will lapse as well.
• Members who rejoin the AAP after the grace period will start a new membership year effective with the date their 1-year dues payments is processed. Members do not have to fill out new applications to rejoin the Academy.

2006 CATCH Implementation Funds - Call for Proposals

The American Academy of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the fourth cycle of the CATCH Implementation Funds Program. This program is for pediatricians who will work with local communities to ensure that all children have medical homes and access to any needed health care services. CATCH funding should lead to the development of successful CATCH programs that can be replicated in other communities. A pediatrician or pediatric resident must lead the project and be involved in proposal development and project activities.

The program supports pediatricians in the initial and/or pilot stage of developing and implementing a community-based child health initiative. These grants are not allowable for planning purposes (eg, needs assessment). Priority will be given to projects serving communities with the greatest demonstrated health care access needs and health disparities. Strong collaborative community partnerships and future sustainability of the project are encouraged.

Grants are provided in amounts from $2,500 to $10,000 for pediatricians to initiate innovative, community-based proposals to increase children's access to health care. The grant cycle starts November 1, 2005, with an application deadline of January 31, 2006.

In addition, CATCH is pleased to announce a specific funding opportunity within this 2006 Implementation Funds cycle. We are offering Early Childhood Obesity grants for pediatricians who wish to focus their interventions on obesity prevention in children from birth to 8 years old. More information will be provided in the Call For Proposals for CATCH Implementation Grants.

For additional information, guidelines, and technical assistance or contact your AAP Chapter CATCH Facilitator or the CATCH Program by e-mail at catch@aap.org, or phone at 800/433-9016, ext 7085.

The CATCH Implementation Funds Program is administered by the AAP CATCH Program and supported by Hasbro Children's Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, CVS Charitable Trust, Gerber Products Company, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

2006 CATCH Resident Funds - Call For Proposals

The American Academy of Pediatrics is announcing the second cycle of the 2006 CATCH Resident Funds Program grant cycle. This program is for pediatric residents who will work with local communities to ensure that all children have medical homes and access to any needed health care services. CATCH funding should lead to the development of successful CATCH programs that can be replicated in other communities. A pediatric resident must lead the project and be involved in proposal development and project activities. CATCH Resident grant proposals must include planning activities and may also include some implementation activities.

CATCH Resident Funds grants of up to $3,000 are available for pediatric residents during the CATCH Implementation Funds grant cycle starting November 1, 2005 with the due date of January 31, 2006.

For additional information, guidelines, and technical assistance or contact your AAP Resident CATCH Liaison or the CATCH Program by e-mail at catch@aap.org, or call 800/433-9016, ext 7085.

The CATCH Resident Funds program is administered by the AAP CATCH Program and is supported by the Irving Harris Foundation, CVS Charitable Trust, and the AAP Friends of Children Fund.

One pediatrician can make a difference!

Influenza: Influenza incidence is increasing in Orange County. Most of the reports we have been receiving are influenza A cases. In addition, we have received reports of several children hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit with influenza and also increases in school absenteeism. To participate in our outpatient influenza surveillance, please contact Michele Cheung, MD MPH, at 714-834-7729 or mcheung@ochca.com. To receive our weekly flu newsletter, email epi@ochca.com. For more information about influenza including flyers and brochures for the office and for patients.

Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette: ëTis the season for cough and colds. All healthcare facilities including outpatient offices and clinics should have the following infection control practices in place:

1. Visual Alerts: To instruct patients and their families to notify clinic staff immediately if they have respiratory symptoms and practice respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. For Posters
2. Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette: All individuals with respiratory symptoms should cover the nose/mouth when coughing/sneezing, use of tissues to contain respiratory secretions and dispose of them after use, and perform hand hygiene (handwashing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub) after contact with respiratory secretions. Facilities should provide tissues and no-touch waste receptacles for disposal in the waiting areas and have easy access to sinks with handwashing supplies or alcohol-based hand rub dispensers.
3. Masking and Separation of Persons with Respiratory Symptoms: Coughing persons should be provided with masks and be encouraged to sit at least 3 feet away from others in common waiting areas, when possible.
4. Droplet Precautions: Healthcare personnel should follow droplet precautions (i.e., wear a mask), as well as standard precautions, when examining patients with respiratory symptoms until an infectious etiology requiring droplet precautions has been ruled out.
5. For Details

Avian Influenza: Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for influenza A (H5N1) in patients with fever and respiratory symptoms arriving or returning from Asia. Please consult Orange County Epidemiology at 714-834-8180 for diagnostic and infection control recommendations.

Avian and Pandemic Influenza Resources:

• U.S.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)

Head Lice: The California Department of Health Services has finalized the 2005 State guidelines on head lice prevention and control for school districts and child care facilities. In addition, a brochure for parents, "A Parent's Guide to Head Lice" is available in English and Spanish. These documents may also be found under the Vector Borne Disease Section.

For more information on any of the above topics, please call Epidemiology at 714-834-8180.

This meeting will meet the full 12-hour CME requirement for physicians as stipulated by the State of California AB 487 - Pain Credits Re-licensing: Pain Management and End-of-Life. This requirement must be completed by December 31, 2006.

email: ca4aap@sbcglobal.net

phone: 714/971-0695

web site http://www.aapca4.org