MO Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Legislative Update 2011

• Kristin Sohl, M.D., Legislative Chair
  
• Thomas Tryon, M.D., Legislative Co-Chair

Welcome to the MO Chapter, AAP Legislative Information Center!

The Legislative Committee has been re-organized. After leading advocacy efforts for the Chapter for several years Dr. Katie Plax felt the need to step down due to a promotion and the award of a federal grant to serve youth in foster care in the St. Louis region.  She will continue to serve on the advocacy committee for the chapter.

Dr. Sohl is the new Chair and is a General Pediatrician and Autism Specialist from The University of Missouri Children’s Hospital.. She is the Program Director for Community Advocacy through Resident Education (CARE) and is a leader in State advocacy initiatives, including MoAAP Advocacy Day. She is the Medical Director and Biomedical Division Director at the MU Thompson Center for Autism. She is the recipient of a 2010 AAP Community Pediatrics Training Initiative Grant and was awarded a 2010 AAP Leonard P. Rome Visiting Professorship Grant to bring in a national leader in advocacy.  She brings much enthusiasm and leadership to this position.

Dr. Tryon is a past MoAAP Chapter president. He served as the Medical Director of the breastfeeding grant for several years. He is the Medical Director of Northland Urgent Care Center for Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Dr. Tryon also serves on the AAP Membership Committee. He has been instrumental in developing advocacy efforts with the Children’s Service Commission, an effort which came to fruition in 2011. Just recently he initiated a  Missouri Commission on Sports Medicine and Fitness.

Members of the Missouri Chapter serving on the Legislative committee:

• Dr. Molly Droge is Chair of the AAP Committee on State Government Affairs and past president of the Texas AAP Chapter and of the Texas Pediatric Society. Dr. Droge’s advocacy voice and influence is valued on a local, regional and national level.   We are fortunate to have her in Missouri serving on our legislative committee.  She brings a unique national perspective to our state-wide advocacy efforts.

• Dr. Beth Simpson is a General Pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Hospital and the Medical Director of the  Newborn Nursery at Truman Medical Center  on Hospital Hill.  Her advocacy interests focus around improving breastfeeding success, newborn nursery / PCP first visit timing and information sharing, children of incarcerated parents, statewide immunization record access and access of rural patients to medical and mental health services.

• Dr. Kate Cita is a General Pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Hospital, working in the Northland Urgent Care.  Advocacy interests are in improving access to health and preventive services, health system strengthening, and international health care delivery.  She also serves on the Policy Council of Mid-America Regional Council/Head Start.

• Dr. Sarah Garwood is a General Pediatrician working in Adolescent Medicine at St Louis Children’s Hospital.  She has been very active as a CATCH Coordinator, serves on the MoAAP Board of directors and is the Chapters Foster Care Liaison.

• Dr. Sandra McKay is a pediatrician who is actively involved in resident education through the CARE (Community Advocacy through Resident Education) Program at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.  Beginning in Feburary 2011 she will be leaving Cardinal Glennon and expanding her advocacy work with St John’s Mercy, to implement components of the CARE program with community physicians.  She is a Board member of the Maternal Child and Family Health Coalition in St. Louis.

• Dr. Kenneth Haller is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in the division of General Academic Pediatrics at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. He appears frequently in local and national media discussing child health issues and has been a strong advocate for children living in underserved areas. His special interests include health literacy, the effects of media on children, and the special health needs of LGBT youth. He has served as President of the St. Louis Pediatric Society and as national President of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.