IA AAP Chapter Committees
Committee on Finance (meeting schedule: biannual – fall and spring)
Vision: To provide thoughtful financial guidance that helps the organization support pediatricians and the children and families they care for. We aim to manage resources responsibly so the organization can grow, support its members, and make a lasting impact in children's health.
Goals:
1. Provide strategic financial guidance to the Chapter Board, offering insights and recommendations to optimize the organization’s financial resources while upholding principles of fiscal responsibility and sustainability
2. Conduct semi-annual reviews of the budget, identifying opportunities to strategically leverage resources and advising on areas where financial prudence is necessary due to budgetary constraints or emerging challenges.
The Iowa AAP Mental Health Committee members work together to provide training and information on children's mental health issues for the IA-AAP Board and Members. They also provide expertise and advice on legislative issues which can impact mental health. If interested in the committee, please contact Dr. Amy Shriver at amy.shriver@unitypoint.org for more information.
Committee on Member Engagement (meet quarterly)
Vision: To develop and foster an inclusive and connected community of pediatric healthcare professionals and advocates who are informed, engaged, and empowered to work together to support the health of children, their families, and their communities.
Goals:
1. Deepen engagement across all member roles (eg. Primary care providers, sub-specialists, trainees, etc).
2. Strengthen communication with current and prospective members to improve and encourage engagement.
3. Foster professional growth and recognition by creating opportunities for continuing education, advocacy, and networking; and highlighting/spotlighting contributions by members throughout the state to raise awareness of activities and ongoing work throughout the state.
The Iowa AAP Immunization Committee advises the Iowa AAP board on immunization-related issues and help coordinate advocacy efforts to strengthen immunization rates in Iowa. In addition, the committee coordinates with the legislative committee during the legislative session regarding the activity of bills pertaining to vaccines. The committee coordinates by email and phone conference. Chapter members who are interested in this committee can e-mail the committee chairperson, Dr. Nathan Boonstra at nathan.boonstra@unitypoint.org for more information.
Committee on Infectious Diseases (meet three to four times a year)
The Iowa AAP Infectious Diseases Committee enables infectious disease initiatives within the Chapter to provide education to pediatricians, healthcare providers, and patients across Iowa. Committee members provide expertise to create an educational resource repository on statewide trends of infectious diseases, immunization topics, and resources. This repository will also feature educational webinars and events, ensuring that providers have access to the latest information.
Vision: To provide educational guidance regarding infections in children including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, strategies for prevention of infections including immunization, and ways to promote infection prevention and control to improve immunization rates in children across Iowa.
Goals:
1. Provide guidance to the Chapter Board and members to offer insights and recommendations for infectious diseases in children while upholding AAP’s motto of ensuring optimal health for all children by educational presentations on ongoing infections and infectious challenges.
2. Enriching knowledge and awareness of members and pediatric clinicians by providing infectious disease resources on our resource webpage.
3. Collaborating with partners to improve infectious disease education.
4. Conduct periodic surveys to determine needs of membership regarding infectious diseases and address infectious disease challenges or updates annually at the annual Iowa AAP conference.
Legislative Advocacy Committee (Meeting: Once a week from January-end of legislative session and as decided by co-chairs)
Chapter members who participate on the Iowa AAP Legislative Advocacy Committee work together on behalf of the chapter to promote efforts and initiatives that improve the health and well being of the children of Iowa, and their families and communities. Committee members closely monitor activity during each year's legislative session, but remain active throughout the year to help the chapter prioritize issues to support during the sessions.
Vision:
To cultivate a dedicated, informed, and collaborative network of chapter members who actively engage in legislative advocacy to promote and protect the health and well-being of Iowa’s children, their families, and communities at the local, state, and federal levels.
Goals:
1. Promote year-round member engagement in legislative advocacy through education, communication, and opportunities for action.
2. Identify and prioritize legislative issues that advance child health and equity, and support coordinated advocacy efforts across all levels of government.
3. Build strategic partnerships with policymakers and stakeholders to amplify the chapter’s voice and impact on child health policy.
If you are interested in joining this group please email the executive director at iowachapteraap@gmail.com or the committee co-chairs, Drs. Amy Kimball and Jennifer Groos.
Committee on Childhood Obesity
Do you have and interest in prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity? The Iowa Chapter AAP has newly formed a Committee on Obesity. We have collaborated with the Iowa Medical Society and other health care associations to develop an Iowa specific Healthcare Provider Toolkit for the Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity.
The time commitment for this group is minimal. If you are unable to join the conference calls minutes will be sent out to keep you up to date. Our goal is to bring together a group of IA AAP members who have an interest in this topic. Information about local and national education opportunities and initiatives will be regularly sent to members of the committee. The meetings will allow providers the opportunity to network with other members with expertise and experience in this field and share successes and challenges in addressing this issue in our state.
Click here to access the Childhood Obesity Toolkit.
Committee on Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) (meet three times a year)
This committee is dedicated to enhancing representation and advancing health equity for children and the broader community. It supports professional development opportunities to empower pediatricians and other members to build leadership and advocacy capacity. Additionally, the committee works to influence policy and advocacy efforts that align with its mission and values.
Vision: To advance a culture of equity, inclusion, and representation in pediatric care by identifying and addressing systemic barriers, uplifting diverse voices, and ensuring all children, families, and pediatric professionals have equitable access to opportunities, resources, and outcomes.
Goals:
- Enhance Representation Across the Profession: Foster inclusive leadership and membership by developing pathways that support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities in pediatric medicine.
- Advance Health Equity in Pediatric Care: Partner with community organizations, health systems, and policymakers to identify and address disparities in health outcomes, access to care, and social determinants of health affecting children and families.
- Build Capacity and Drive Systemic Change: Offer ongoing education, mentorship, and professional development opportunities focused on anti racism, cultural humility, and equity-centered leadership, while influencing policy and institutional practices to create lasting structural change.
If you are interested in joining this group please email the executive director at iowachapteraap@gmail.com.
Appointment Policy – Advisory Councils and Committees
When Iowa AAP receives a request for a member to represent the chapter on a council or committee, we will announce the position to members by email and post it on the website. The announcement will include the description of the duties and the time commitment, the duration of the appointment, and the response time for members to indicate their interest (generally, at least one week, depending on the immediacy of the need).
Interested members should explain why they are interested and assure that they can meet the time commitment. If more than one person expresses interest in the position, the IA AAP Board of Directors will choose from among the qualified applicants. If there are no qualified applicants, the Board will appoint someone to fill the need. Representatives must be active members of the chapter to be considered, but they may join IA AAP at the time of application.
IA AAP welcomes all members to participate in chapter activities. If you would like to learn more about serving as a member of a council or committee, please contact us.
