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March 7, 2019

A bill to promote the benefits of immunization will be heard in the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee on Friday, March 8.

Please take 1 minute to contact your House member and urge them to support this effort to increase immunization rates. Our voice needs to be louder than those contacting legislators with anti-vaccine rhetoric.

In short, HF 1182 would provide funding to the Minnesota Department of Health and community-based organizations to promote the benefits of immunization for those communities most at risk. The education efforts would be focused upon geographic areas or populations experiencing or at risk of experiencing an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.

Talking points:
  • Vaccines prevent serious illness and save lives. Yet misinformation about vaccines is all too common, leading many parents to opt out of vaccines and put children and others at risk.
  • States with more permissive vaccination laws, such as Minnesota, are at increased risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease.
  • Data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that several communities and schools have high rates of non-medical exemptions. In Wadena County, for example, 13 percent of Kindergartners are entering school without required vaccinations.
  • Targeted education is needed to counter myths and falsehoods about vaccination, especially in communities with high rates of non-medical exemptions.

Please take 1 minute to contact your House member and urge him or her to support HF 1182. 

1. Enter your home address to find your MN House member: https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/

2. Send him or her a brief email using the language above. Feel free to personalize or modify. Copy debilzan@mnaap.org so we can track outreach.

Another option is a quick call saying, “I’m a constituent in your district and pediatrician calling to convey my support for HF 1182, a bill to help provide education to communities with low vaccination rates.”

 

 

September 15, 2023

All MNAAP members are invited to join the chapter’s policy roundtable discussion on Thursday, Nov. 16, 6:30 – 8 p.m. via Zoom. The roundtable is the perfect opportunity to share your perspective on the issues that MNAAP should focus on at the Capitol during the upcoming legislative session. MNAAP is a leading voice on children’s health issues at the Capitol. We rely on the feedback of our members, as well as guidance from our chapter lobbyist, to determine the policy priorities of the chapter for each legislative session.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend. The meeting will take place via Zoom.

MNAAP’s policy co-chairs, Sue Berry, MD, FAAP, and Hannah Lichtsinn, MD, FAAP, will facilitate the virtual conversation focused on identifying policy priorities for the Board to consider based on member feedback, legislative viability and other considerations.

Can’t make the roundtable? We’re still interested in hearing from you about what advocacy topics are important to you. Simply reply to this email to share your thoughts or email Bethany Venable venable@mnaap.org with details.

Board elections are held each year for open positions on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MNAAP) and the Board of the Minnesota Academy of Pediatrics Foundation (MAPF).

Currently, the chapter is seeking to fill one board member opening for pediatricians or pediatrician specialists who want to help advance the chapter’s mission of improving the health of all Minnesota children.

Click here to vote. Ballots are due by Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.

To view a list of current board members, visit http://www.mnaap.org/board-members

MNAAP is now accepting applications for the Eric Dick Memorial Advocacy Scholarship. Applications are due by 5 p.m on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. Award decisions will be announced no later than Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.

Named for MNAAP’s late long-time lobbyist, the Eric Dick Memorial Advocacy Scholarship will be awarded annually to one or more residents or medical students to engage in legislative advocacy projects aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of children in Minnesota – particularly those focused on eliminating health disparities.

Advocacy scholars will be supported in implementing their projects by MNAAP’s Public Policy Work Group Co-Chairs and contract lobbyist. In 2023, we will award up to two scholarships ranging from $2,500 – $5,000, depending on the scale of the project.

Use this link to apply through SurveyMonkey.

A policy that was put in place during the COVID pandemic to make sure no one lost their Medicaid coverage expired in early April. Now, nearly six months later, states are in the process of reviewing their programs to check who is still eligible for the program. This is being called the Medicaid “unwinding.”

Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) called for a nationwide assessment and repair of healthcare eligibility systems because they suspect children who should be covered by Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) were mistakenly dropped from their healthcare coverage.

You can help make sure eligible patients and families continue to receive coverage with these resources:

September 12, 2023

What is Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE)?

This handout (shared from a parent and family educator at Robbinsdale Area Schools) details the who, what, where, why and how of ECFE.

Almost all new parents, whatever their education or income, have feelings of uncertainty. They are puzzled and daunted regarding how to care for and support the development and abilities of their new one. ECFE is present in virtually every Minnesota public school district to help meet this need. Guided by a parent educator, parents learn about child care and support one another. You can learn the names and numbers of ECFE leaders in your district through the Help Me Connect website.

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