Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Press Releases

Oct. 6, 2022 (St. Paul, MN) – The rising case count of
measles in the Twin Cities is serving as another painful reminder that
vaccine-preventable diseases can spread quickly through unvaccinated
populations, particularly among the young and medically fragile. 



Minnesota
has already experienced a measles outbreak. In 2017, almost all of the 75
people infected with measles were unvaccinated children under the age of 10.
The outbreak led to costly medical interventions and a significant investment
of public health resources to fight the disease and contain its spread.



“We don’t want to see history repeating itself at the expense of
Minnesota’s children. Measles is more than just an uncomfortable rash,” said
Dr. Eileen Crespo, president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy
of Pediatrics (MNAAP). According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), measles is highly contagious, painful, and potentially
life-threatening. For some children, measles can lead to pneumonia, lifelong
brain damage, deafness, and death. The CDC reports that one dose of the
measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is 93 percent effective against measles
and two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97 percent effective against measles. 



In
Minnesota, under-vaccination is not isolated to a single location, region or
community. Several Minnesota communities and schools have high rates of unvaccinated
children, putting them at high risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable
diseases. Childhood immunization rates continue to slip and have not yet
regained the coverage rates of pre-pandemic years. According to the Minnesota
Department of Health, the percentage of two-year-olds who were not up-to-date
on immunizations increased from 20 percent to 30 percent from 2019 to 2021. 



Vaccinations have long been one of the safest and most
effective prevention against the spread of infectious diseases such as measles,
meningitis, or polio. Vaccines are the primary reason for decreased rates of
those diseases. Childhood vaccinations are critical to the health and future
wellbeing of our youngest Minnesotans and will continue to be a top priority
for the state’s pediatrician community.



MNAAP, on behalf of over 1,000 of its members, asks Minnesota’s
families and caregivers to help prevent the spread of measles in our state with
up-to-date immunization coverage for their infants, children and teens. &nbsp;

Pediatricians Look to Families, Caregivers to Help Prevent Measles Spread

<a href="http://www.mnaap.org/wp-lib/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/140611mnaapPRawards.pdf">Read or Download the article in PDF form</a>

MNAAP Presents Distinguished Service and Child Advocacay Awards

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MNAAP Announces New Board Members and Officers

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Governor Dayton Signs Bill to Restore Minnesota’s Newborn Screening Program

<a href="http://www.mnaap.org/wp-lib/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/140227mnaapPRnewbornscreeningintroduction3.pdf">Read or Download the article in PDF form</a>

MNAAP Urges Legislators to Pass Newborn Screening Bill

1/14/14 (St. Paul, MN) – Following the Minnesota Department of Health&#8217;s (MDH) announcement to begin destroying approximately 1 million newborn screening blood spots, the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MNAAP) announced it was deeply concerned about the decision&#8217;s dramatic and dangerous impact on child health.
&#8220;Saving newborn screening blood spots and test results are critical to saving lives,&#8221; said Robert M. Jacobson, MD, FAAP, president of MNAAP. &#8220;Destruction of blood spots and data rob children and families of a tremendous, life-saving resource.&#8221;
On Monday MDH announced it would begin destroying all blood spots received prior to November 16, 2011 that have been kept in secure storage since 1997. In 2012 the department was forced to slash the retention period for blood spots from 18 years to 71 days unless there is a positive or abnormal result. Those positive blood spots, along with all test results, must be destroyed by a child&#8217;s second birthday.
&#8220;Storage of blood spots and data assure proper diagnosis and timely follow-up for critically ill children,&#8221; Jacobson said. &#8220;What this ruling means for parents and guardians is that their child&#8217;s doctor will no longer be able to contact MDH directly if the child&#8217;s test results are urgently needed after age two. There will be no way to ensure families and providers have access to the results of the test or verify that testing indeed took place.&#8221;
Furthermore, both the samples and data provide the basis for quality control and new test development. MDH was recently forced to delay testing for severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), for example, due to the unavailability of blood spots.
In addition to the destruction of older blood spots, MNAAP is deeply concerned about the new timeframes for destroying infant blood spots and test results. Destroying blood spots at the arbitrary 71-day time limit can risk an infant&#8217;s health because it can take more than six months to confirm a diagnosis in some cases. Furthermore, destroying test results and positive blood spots at the arbitrary 2-year limit robs families of a diagnosis after re-analysis based on new discoveries that become apparent after the child ages, dies or has an affected sibling.
&#8220;The bottom line is that the information collected through newborn screening has saved more than 5,000 lives,&#8221; Jacobson said. &#8220;MNAAP will do everything in its power to reverse these changes, restore the program, and save as many babies as possible from unnecessary death, disability and impairment.
&#8220;Minnesota&#8217;s newborn screening program has long been viewed as a national leader. But court and legislative action since 2011 has left Minnesota as arguably the weakest state in the nation. In fact, Minnesota is the only state that destroys newborn screening results soon after birth. Legislators need to act to restore Minnesota&#8217;s program so that we can lead once again.&#8221;
Representing nearly 1,000 pediatricians and pediatric providers, MNAAP is committed to improving the health of all infants, children and teens in Minnesota. For more information, visit our <a href="http://www.mnaap.org/work-groups/newborn-screening/">Newborn Screening</a> page.
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MEDIA CONTACT: 
Melissa DeBilzan 
Director of Communications 
<a href="tel:6513381823">(651) 338-1823</a> 
<a href="mailto:debilzan*AT*mnaap.org">debilzan*AT*mnaap.org</a>

MNAAP Opposes Destruction of 1 Million Newborn Screening Blood Spots

June 7, 2013 (St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MNAAP) presented three awards to individuals and organizations advocating for Minnesota&#8217;s children at its annual meeting on Friday, May 31, 2013.
The 2013 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Thomas Scott, MD, a clinical professor and interim residency director for the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Program in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Scott has a long history of program development to support children, teens and their families. He currently serves on the Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying.
The 2013 Child Advocacy Award was presented to Maslon Edelman Borman &amp; Brand, LLP. The firm&#8217;s probono representation helped preserve newborn screening bloodspots/ results for over 1.1 million Minnesota children and  their families and called into question a 71-day retention period for newborn blood samples.
The 2013 Child Advocate Legislator of the Year Award was presented to Senator John Marty,  DFL Senator for Roseville and St. Paul-based Senate District 66. He vigorously pursued legislative changes that would forestall the destruction of newborn screening test results. While the effort was ultimately blocked in the House, Senator Marty’s steadfast and vocal support of newborn screening raised the program’s profile among colleagues, and ensures that the discussion will continue in 2014.
With more than 1,000 pediatrician members, MNAAP is committed to improving the health of all children and teens in Minnesota. For more information about the award winners or MNAAP, visit <a href="http://www.mnaap.org">www.mnaap.org</a>
MEDIA CONTACT: 
Melissa DeBilzan 
Director of Communications 
<a href="tel:6513381823">(651) 338-1823</a> 
<a href="mailto:debilzan*AT*mnaap.org">debilzan*AT*mnaap.org</a>

Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Announces 2013 Award Winners

June 6, 2013 (St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MNAAP) is pleased to announce the addition of two board members effective July 1, 2013: L. Read Sulik, MD, FAAP, SeniorVice President of Behavioral Health Services for Sanford Health; and Anupam B Kharbanda, MD, MSc, FAAP, Director of Research for Emergency and Trauma Services at Children&#8217;s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
Dr. Sulik&#8217;s role at Sanford Health includes leading Sanford One Care, a multi-million dollar effort funded to transform primary and behavioral health care through patient-centered medical homes. Prior to joining Sanford Health, he served as the assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services and was the medical director of child and adolescent psychiatry at St. Cloud Hospital/ CentraCare.
Dr. Kharbanda is the current chair of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Collaborative Research Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has published numerous articles in the field of pediatric appendicitis and is nationally recognized for his work on clinical pathways for the management of children in the emergency department setting. He has written several textbooks chapters on abdominal pain, pediatric appendicitis and pediatric trauma.
&#8220;I am honored to add two fine pediatricians to our board of directors,&#8221; said Robert M. Jacobson, president of MNAAP. &#8220;Their knowledge and expertise will be a tremendous asset to our board, our members, and our collective efforts to improve child and teen health in Minnesota.&#8221;
MNAAP’s board is composed of 30 pediatricians from rural and urban clinics and hospitals across Minnesota. Current child health priorities include increasing access to quality care, protecting newborn screening, preventing bullying and promoting early brain development. The organization also has workgroups dedicated to increasing immunization rates, reducing pediatric obesity rates and increasing the number of health care homes for Minnesota’s children.
With more than 1,000 members, MNAAP is committed to improving the health of all children and teens in Minnesota. For a complete list of board members or for more information, visit <a href="http://www.mnaap.org">www.mnaap.org</a>
MEDIA CONTACT: 
Melissa DeBilzan 
Director of Communications 
<a href="tel:6513381823">(651) 338-1823</a> 
<a href="mailto:debilzan*AT*mnaap.org">debilzan*AT*mnaap.org</a>

Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Announces Two New Board Members

Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital is seeking a board certified/board eligible outpatient Pediatric Physician to join our busy and growing primary care clinic practice. Grand Itasca is a fully integrated multi-specialty clinic and hospital located in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Pediatric Physician

Partners in Pediatrics, Ltd. is seeking a full time BC/BE Pediatrician. The standard work week for a full-time pediatrician is 4 days a week plus a rotation of nights and weekends. Night and weekend shifts are shared equally among all providers. The salary package is competitive. You will have paid time off (PTO) and be given a CME allowance as well as CME days to further your medical education. We offer health, dental, disability and life insurance. You will also be eligible for a lucrative profit sharing 401(k). For inquiries, please contact our recruiting leads, Dr. Lisa Irvin at lirvin@pipstop.com and Dr. Megan Camerino at mcarmerino@pipstop.com

BC/BE Pediatrician

We’re excited to announce an opening for a Communications Manager at the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MNAAP). This part-time, remote role is a unique opportunity for a communications professional with at least five years of experience, who is passionate about advancing child health through advocacy, education, and special projects.

Press Releases Updates