Congratulations, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics! Together, we have been awarded the 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics Outstanding Chapter Award in the Large Chapter Category AND the Inspire Change Award! We’re so proud of your hard work and dedication to Washington’s children, teens, and families.
“It was truly a great honor to be acknowledged at the national Annual Leadership Forum and District Meetings (ALF) as the Outstanding Large Chapter of the Year and to receive the Inspire Change award,” says Michael Barsotti, MD, FAAP, president of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “These award reflect all the dedication and hard work that each of you bring to your profession and to WCAAP daily! Your commitment, as Washington’s Pediatric Health Care Community, is not only critical to improving the health and lives of our state’s kids and families but is also an example to other chapters of what can be accomplished.”
About the Outstanding Chapter Award
The Outstanding Chapter Awards recognize chapters for excellence in programs that promote the health and welfare of children and are presented in four categories based on membership: small chapter, medium chapter, large chapter, and very large chapter. WCAAP won the award for the large chapter category. Washington has been named Outstanding Chapter five times previously, in 1974, 1990, 1997, 2010, and 2015.
Thank you to all of our outstanding members, leaders, and partners that make our work possible! You are the true drivers of our achievements, and we are honored to share this award with you.
About the Inspire Change Award
The Inspire Change Award is new in 2021 and will be awarded annually to recognize a chapter that, through its initiatives, programs, or activities, supports equity, diversity, and inclusion among members, leadership, and health outcomes for children. WCAAP was awarded the Inspire Change Award for our work to advance health equity, including development of the Equitable Care Toolkit. Congratulations to Drs. Kathleen Kieran and Dr. Peter Asante, co-chairs of the WCAAP Equitable Care Committee, to committee members Sara Beste, Tsering Lhewa, Anisha Srinivasan, Cora Breuner, Yolanda Evans, Aya Reiss, Crystal Shen, Catherine Delostrinos, Andrea (Annie) Hoopes, Dena Brownstein, and Elinor Graham, and WCAAP staff Ariana Salaiz, who worked tirelessly to develop the toolkit and to bring WCAAP members continuing relevant education on providing equitable care.
About the Equitable Care Toolkit
Dr. Asante and Dr. Kieran led the committee to create the WCAAP Equitable Care Toolkit which applies an anti-racism lens to re-examine pediatric care, and challenges pediatric providers to look anew at the daily work of caring for children and families from the vantage point of promoting equity. The toolkit was intended for practical daily use and has been broadly amplified and disseminated through the 2021 and 2022 Equitable Care Webinar series – a 4-part series whereby pediatric providers actively engaged and work through challenges they face. You can watch past webinars here: Webinars – WCAAP – Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The Equity Work Group also developed a series of self-assessment exercises where participants explore real-world scenarios through board-style questions. Each tackles an area with opportunities to consider respectful and comprehensive care for patients who bring their own perspectives and needs. You can view this resource here: Anti-Racism & Equity – (wcaap.org).
We are grateful to Drs. Kieran and Asante for their leadership and to the entire committee for their tireless, thoughtful work. You are truly “Inspiring Change!”