Task Force Activities

Task Force Activities

Childhood Obesity Task Force

The Kentucky Action for Childhood Obesity (KACO) is a new KY AAP program. The goal of KACO is to engage pediatricians and promote best practices in addressing pediatric obesity. The Obesity Task Force members have dual roles: 1. To serve as “Coaches” for the KACO network and 2. To serve as Chapter experts on childhood obesity for advocacy and policy work at the state level.

Members of the Obesity Task Force include:
Chris Bolling, MD, FAAP (Chair), Kim Boland MD, FAAP, Suzanne Kingery MD, FAAP, April Mattingly MD, FAAP, Tok Omoruvi MD, FAAP, David Parker MD, FAAP, Joelle Paulozz MD, FAAP, Lisa Pfitzer MD, FAAP, Aurelia Radelescu MD, FAAP, Charlotte Stites, MD, FAAP

Contact KACO Chair for further information, Dr. Chris Bolling

Archived KACO Posts

2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014

Adolescent Health Task Force & KAHF

The KY AAP has established a newly formed Kentucky Adolescent Health Forum ( KAHF), a project of the KY AAP Adolescent Task Force.  The goal of KAHF is to promote best practices in addressing various adolescent health issues. The members of KAHF will also serve as Chapter experts on adolescent health issues for advocacy efforts at the state level. Various adolescent health topics will be covered throughout the year and delivered to members through email. The content of the email will include useful tools, guidelines, and discussion of picture based clinical scenarios.   In addition, KAHF will send out surveys once a year to get your feedback on areas of improvement.

For more information, contact: Dr. Mandakini Sadhir
, KY AAP Adolescent Health Task Force Chair
, KY Adolescent Health Forum (KAHF)

Archived KAHF Posts

Adolescent Health

• Sleep in Adolescents
• HPV Vaccination
• HSP
  – Petechiae and Purpura: The Ominous and the Not-So-Obvious?
• Tuberculosis
• Electronic cigarette use in teenagers
• Painful Red Nodules of the Hand in an Adolescent Female
• Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care
• Opioid use in Adolescents

Reproductive and Sexual Health

• LARC Counseling
• Care of LGBTQ Youth
• Managing Menses in Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities
• PCOS

Mental Health and Substance Use

• Non-suicidal self-injury in Adolescents
• Depression
  – Suicide Assessment Management Protocol
  – Safety Plan Worksheet
• ADHD and School Failure
• Marijuana Use in Teens
• Eating Disorders – Anorexia
• Mindfulness in Adolescents
  – Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale
• Gender Dysphoria

Social Media and Technology

• Sexting

Immigrant Child Health Task Force (ICHTF)

Kentucky has a growing immigrant community.  Nearly 4 percent of Kentuckians are immigrants, and about 3 percent are native-born U.S. citizens who have at least one immigrant parent. Over 24,000 U.S. citizens in Kentucky live with at least one family member who is undocumented.

Immigrant children face multiple health and educational challenges including barriers to access to health care, poverty, special mental health issues associated with immigration and family separation.   These issues have worsened over the last months due to current changes in immigration laws and health coverage.   Due to the increasing needs in immigrant health, the KY AAP Chapter has created the Immigrant Child Health Task Force (ICHTF) with the goal of supporting health care providers that work with immigrant children by:

1- Identifying community resources
2- Creating educational opportunities in immigrant child health
3- Facilitating networking
4- Advocating for immigrant families

Members of the Task Force include: Janeth Ceballos Osorio, MD, FAAP (Co-chair), Maria Fernanda Nota, MD, FAAP (Co-chair), Julia Richerson, MD, FAAP, Bethany Hodge, MD, FAAP, Michelle Elisburg, MD, FAAP, Kraig Humbaugh, MD, FAAP, Alba Morales, MD, FAAP, Horacio Zaglul, MD, FAAP, Shawn Meiman, ARNP, Susan Pollack, MD, FAAP, Sheridan Langford, MD, CLC, FAAP, Shawn Sorrell, MD, FAAP, Amanda Beering MD Candidate 2021, Distinction in Global Health track, Camila Calderon MD Candidate 2019, Distinction in Global Health track.

Past Members: Lori Huff, MD, FAAP, Claudia Espinosa, MD, FAAP

ICHTF Case Reviews

Development and Growth

• Bilingualism and Speech Delay

Mental Health

Infectious Diseases

Folk Illnesses Conditions

Kentucky Immigrant Child Health Toolkit 

The members of the Immigrant Child Health Task Force prepared the Immigrant Child Health Toolkit for Kentucky. We hope this toolkit will be a valuable resource for healthcare providers taking care of immigrant children in our state. This toolkit is intended to be used as a reference, not a replacement of clinical judgment.

We would like to thank the National AAP Special Interest Group on Immigrant Health for the creation of an initial toolkit, and the members of the Immigrant Child Health Committee of the DC Chapter of the AAP for the creation of the Immigrant Child Health Toolkit, which we used as a template for ours.

Please help us keep content accurate and up-to-date by submitting feedback to Dr. Janeth Ceballos, KY AAP Immigrant Child Health Task Force Co-chair at janeth.ceballos@uky.edu

Eye Care

Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular pediatric malignancy seen in children less than 5 years and it manifests as Leukocoria (white reflex in pupil). Early detection is critical in preventing mortality and also in preserving useful vision. Numerous other ophthalmic problems are also detected by leukocoria like cataract, congenital anomalies, vascular anomalies and retinal detachment. The Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is partnering with Children’s Eye Foundation and Kentucky School for the Blind to launch an awareness campaign to detect leukocoria earlier so prompt treatment can be instituted. The campaign posters will be delivered to pediatric offices by mail. We request your cooperation to hang this poster in your waiting room or where parents are likely to see it.

Click here for an electronic version of the poster.