President’s Message

Dear Fellow MIAAP Colleagues:

As we move from winter to road repair season (or the rest of the year for Michiganders), your MIAAP chapter is gearing up.

On Saturday March 2nd, seventy pediatricians attended a CME conference sponsored by the MIAAP and Henry Ford Health System entitled Caring for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs in Novi. Dr. Tisa Johnson, MD, FFAAP-a developmental medicine pediatrician and MIAAP board member—coordinated an excellent program. Recent developments in the treatment of spasticity, special education law and procedures, and developing care plans among other topics were discussed. Dr. Judith Palfrey, Immediate Past President of the AAP was the keynote speaker. This conference was an important education component of the MIAAP's medical home initiative.

Over the next few months we will make the rounds to our legislative representatives and new state department directors to discuss the importance of maintaining access with fair and timely payments, maintaining the Medicaid program without cuts and continuing MCIR. Our challenge is to demonstrate and document value by improving health outcomes. Please visit your representatives at local coffee hours and tell your story. For talking points please contact the MIAAP office at 517-484-3013 or at administrator@miaap.org.

We will continue our work in the Assuring Better Child Development (ABCD) as a quality improvement project. We are investigating how this might qualify as an MOC Part IV project.

Primary care pediatricians and subspecialist recruitment and retention in Michigan will become increasingly important to maintain our work force to match the demand for care. * Michigan ranks #26 for per capita supply of pediatricians (1 pediatrician per 1413 children—just about the US average). However, 1750 of our children are in low physician supply regions (greater than 3000 children/physician). GME support and Medicaid payment also impact the future work force we need.

Finally, I'm happy to let you know that after a 3 year effort to improve the sports physical forms and requirements we have designed a new form in partnership with the Michigan Department of Community Health and other interested parties which will promoted by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. To view the form go to MHSAA.com and click on "forms and resources". A special thank you to Dr. Neal Weinberg, MD, FAAP for his hard work on this important and timely project.

* See Pediatrics, Shipman, 127, number 1, Jan 2011,

Lawrence Reynolds, M.D., FAAP
MIAAP Board President

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