• ​​​​​​C​​ollaboration with Latinx Families to Disseminate Re​sources​
  The AAP Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program is proud to announce The Center for Family Involvement as an Innovative and Promising Practice, focused on systems of care for children and families who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). This Virginia-based family advocacy organization uses a “localization" process to disseminate information about the state EHDI program to parents/caregivers from Latinx heritages. Through this process, Latinx families identified preferences regarding how information was communicated and delivered. This is the first in a series of practices sharing innovative tools and strategies to support families of children who are D/HH. Strategies for how pediatricians can support this work are highlighted. 
• Frequently Asked Question Guide for Pediatricians
  The AAP EHDI program has developed a Frequently Asked Quest​​ion (FAQ) Guide​ as an introductory resource for pediatricians serving families with a child or children who is or are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). This resource provides linkages and connections to important resources in states, critical components of working with families, and tips and strategies for billing and coding. For more information on the AAP EHDI program, visit aap.org/ehdi.
• Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program – Enhancing Family Engagement​
  Earlier this year, the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program (HTPCP) grantees had the opportunity to compete for a $5,000 stipend to strengthen family engagement activities in their respective projects. Scroll to the bottom of this Awardee Highlights and read about 3 HTPCP grantees who share their success stories on how they involved families in their projects through activities such as Advisory Board participation, reviewing materials and resources produced by the project for cultural/linguistic competence and health literacy levels, leading family support groups, and participating in the development of staff trainings.
• ​AAP Voices: Getting Enough Rest to Do Our Best
  Xinshu She, MD, MPH, FAAP, writes in AAP Voices about the toll the pandemic has taken and why it's even more vital to get enough rest. Many physicians do not get the sleep they need to function at their best, Dr She writes. Nearly half of us believe that our work schedules do not allow for adequate sleep, according to an American College of Chest Physicians survey.
• AAP News: Health Equity Requires Anti-Ableism​​
  The Council on Children with Disabilities (COCWD) Focus on Subspecialties article provides a definition of ableism and outlines the following practical strategies that pediatricians can use to create an anti-ableist environment in their practice:
  
  • Make practices more accessible and inclusive.
  • Empower disabled patients in their own health care.
  • Connect families to supports.
  • Encourage dis​ability pride.
  • Be an advocate.
    
  ​​Disability is a part of diversity. To best care for disabled patients, pediatricians need to address their medical, mental health, and sexual health needs and advocate for their inclusion.​
• ​New Resources from​ AAP Telehealth Playbook Available! ​
  There are several new resources available for pediatricians and other pediatric care providers on telehealth implementation, developed with the support of HRSA MCHB. These resources include tips for minimizing telehealth implementation barriers as well as important considerations when using telehealth services as part of a medical home model of care. 
• ​PediaLink Course: Providing Telehealth and Distant Care Services in Pediatrics
  This free course consists of six units – 3 units focus on general telehealth, and 3 units focus on telehealth for children and youth with special health care needs.
• ​SPARK Trainings: Telehealth
  
  • ​Topic 1: Promoting Family Centered Care for CYSHCN through Telehealth
    
  • ​Topic 2: Using ​Telehealth to Support Interdisciplinary Care Delivery for CYSHCN Within the Medical Home​
    
  These short 15-20-minute trainings go over strategies for engaging families/caregivers of CYSHCN as well as strategies for interdisciplinary care delivery for CYSHCN through telehealth and can be presented anywhere from staff meetings to professional development opportunities. 
  
• ​Tip Sheets:
• Ensuring Equitable Access to Telehealth for Diverse and Underserved Communities
• How to Prepare Families for a Telehealth Visit
• How to Sustain Telehealth Within Your Pediatric Practice
• Telehealth and Adolescent Health Care: What Can Pediatric Clinicians Do?
• Virtual Office Hours – Telehealth (Recordings)​
  
• Promoting Telehealth Toolkit – Featuring new resources in a special “Back to College” section​
  
• Resources on Safer Disinfectant Use During COVID-19​
  The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) program has created and translated their resources to help families safely reduce the spread of COVID-19. The resources include a “Safer Disinfectant Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic" fact sheet and infographic. They can be used by health care professionals, families, schools, and early care and education professionals. Both offer guidance on cleaning surfaces safely, properly disinfecting to kill germs, and how to make safer, effective disinfection choices. They are both available in English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese (simplified), Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Somali, and Vietnamese. 
• ​​New Videos in Pediatric Mental Health Minute Series Now Available on AAP.org​​
  The Pediatric Mental Health Minute Series released 4 new videos in the series. Find them here: 
• School-Based Mental Health
• Mental Health in LGBTQ+ Youth
• Partnering with Communities to Promote Positive Parenting in Immigrant Families
• Vicarious Racism​
• Addressing Social Health and Early Childhood Wellness (ASHEW) RoundTable: Mental Health and COVID, Physician and Patient Interactions​
  The Screening Technical Assistance and Resource (STAR) Center empowers all levels of pediatric professionals to lead, connect and support each other. The ASHEW RoundTable will serve as an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and innovation by promoting open discussion and collaboration. Attendees are encouraged to engage with the ASHEW Technical Assistance and Quality Improvement Project Advisory Committees and Family Advisors about innovative approaches, best practices and lessons learned when integrating early childhood screening, counseling, referral, and follow-up for developmental milestones, perinatal depression, and social determinants of health. Sessions take place on the first and third Friday of each month from 1p-2p CT. To access the meeting or to submit questions or topics for discussion during a RoundTable session here.
• Perinatal Depression Curriculum Available on PediaLink​
  The AAP Addressing Social Health and Early Childhood Wellness (ASHEW) is excited to announce the launch of a new perinatal depression curriculum, available on PediaLink. Participating in this curriculum will provide learners with a deep dive into perinatal depression and will enable health care professionals and trainees to engage in small group discussions and promote peer-to-peer learning. The goal of these interventions is to address the process skills needed; skills in problem solving, critical thinking, group process, change management and lifetime learning. The learning objectives correspond with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Core Competencies for residency training programs to fulfill requirements and set context within clinical learning environments for development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to take personal responsibility for the individual care of patients. Upon successful completion of the curriculum, participants will possess the necessary skills and knowledge when screening for, and management of perinatal depression.
  
  The course is free to the public, including non-AAP members. Learners will be required to create an AAP login to obtain access to the course. Once users are logged in, click on the Teaching & Learning Resource Center. 
• Acute Flaccid Myelitis Education Series​
  The AAP in collaboration with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a FREE PediaLink course about acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) that includes 6 short modules on prompt recognition, diagnosis, treatment, and reporting of AFM cases in the US to state and local public health department and the CDC, as well as rehabilitation and long-term care. AFM is a rare but serious neurologic condition that primarily affects children and causes muscle and limb weakness, often leading to permanent paralysis. 
• New PediaLink Course: Bright Futures - Building Positive Parenting Skills Across Ages​​
  Th​e AAP Bright Futures National Center is excited to announce the launch of a new PediaLink course titled, Bright Futures - Building Positive Parenting Skills Across Ages.
• Provides residents, nurse trainees, and other pediatric health care professionals the knowledge and skills to provide developmentally appropriate parental support and advice.
• Pediatric health care professionals play a vital role in reinforcing parenting skills by modeling parenting skills during a health supervision visit.
• Teaching and reinfo​rcing parenting skills during the course of a health supervision visit can be useful to address common behavioral concerns and ameliorate parental stress.​​

CME: This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Approved for Maintenance of Certification™ (MOC) Part 2 credit by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP).

• ​New SPARK Trainings: Family-Centered Telehealth, Interdisciplinae​
  The AAP recently published 2 new SPARK trainings to help pediatricians and other pediatric clinicians review and discuss telehealth-related content with team members in the context of the medical home model of care:​

• Promoting Family-Centered Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Through Telehealth
  
• Using Telehealth to Support Interdisciplinary Care Delivery for CYSHCN Within the Medical Home ​​​
  

Each training is intended to “spark" conversations and discussions and comes with a PowerPoint slide deck, a facilitator guide, and a case study. Pediatric practices and/or training programs can use these resources to support education and capacity building. 

COMING SOON!

• ​​Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) 1-Pager​
  The National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home (NRC-PFCMH) SDoH 1-pager was developed specifically for families who have children with special health care needs/medical complexities that supports families feeling prepared for conversations related to social determinates of health screening with their pediatrician.​
• HealthyChildren.org article: SDoH Screening
  The NRC-PFCMH has partnered with Dr Joan Jeung who serves on the executive committee for the AAP's Section on Minority Health Equity and Inclusion (MHEI) and on the advisory committee for the NRC-PFCMH to develop an article that addresses SDoH screening for families with CYSHCN. This article addresses how pediatricians may support families with non-medical concerns, such as meeting basic needs, dealing with stress and emotional concerns while highlighting support services available for families.
• Audiology Guidelines for Diagnostic Centers during an Emergency Promising Practice
  The AAP EHDI program will announce the second in a series of practices sharing innovative tools and strategies to support families of children who are D/HH.