Past and Current Resident Advocacy Projects
AAP Involvement
As the only civilian pediatric residency program in Washington state, residents have a unique partnership with the Washington Chapter of the AAP. Residents work closely with the WCAAP on various projects, including organizing Advocacy Day in Olympia, the state capitol. From giving testimony to the WA State Legislature, to writing Op-Eds, residents share their patient stories to advocate for real change. As a result, this has played a critical role in changing legislation to improve the health of youth in Washington state.
Every year, the intern class elects four fellow residents to serve as the AAP representatives from that class for the remainder of residency. AAP representatives have formed the Advocacy Council, which meets four times per year to share excitement and updates on advocacy projects.
Residents have also been invited to speak at WCAAP events and write articles for their monthly newsletter.
Recent Op-Eds written by Residents:
“It’s Time For US Hospitals To Withdraw From The US News And World Report Rankings | Health Affairs “ Madeline Wozniak and Chinenyenwa Mpamaugo, Health Affairs Forefront, 3/17/2023
“Fund behavioral health integration for children at primary care clinics“ Kathleen Goodwin, The Seattle Times, 1/18/2022
“We must treat climate change like a public health emergency.“– Mary Beth Bennett, The Stranger, 9/22/2021
“Guest Opinion: Youth are facing mental health struggles during pandemic” – Emily Kemper, The Yakima Herald, 3/14/2021
“Mass shootings: Restrict firearm access” – Fred Rivera MD & Anthony Bui MD, The Seattle Times, 3/26/2021
“New mothers need care for child’s sake and theirs” – Georgia Griffin MD & Tania Haag MD, The Everett Herald, 1/4/2021
“Fund Children’s Mental Health, Our Future Depends on it” – Madeline Wozniak MD & Julianne Edwards, Medium, 1/10/2021
“Seattle Pediatricians Call to Fund our Future: Invest in Black Lives” – Madeline Wozniak MD, Anthony L. Bui MD MPH, Melissa Martos MD, Courtney Gilliam MD, An Injustice, 7/6/2020
“Congress must continue efforts to protect children online” Reilly Dever and Mary Beth Bennett, The Seattle Times, 6/12/2024
Recent Resident Testimony to WA State Legislature:
- Divya Natarajan – Raise the Age bill on youth in the criminal justice system, 2023
- Allie Obremskey – Climate Change Bill: High efficiency electric home housing rebate, 2023
- Shayna Herns – Advocated for Mental Health Resource for Youth of Washington State, 2023
- Sally Peach – Importance of free and low-cost school lunch programs, 2020
- Caroline Hogan – Importance of healthy beverages in kids’ meals, 2020
- Sarah Hutcheson – Improving access to mental health care for children and teens, 2020
- Paige Killelea – Providing health home services for Medicaid-eligible children with medically complex conditions 2024
Climate Change
Pediatricians for Climate Action
Washington Pediatricians for Climate Action is a group started by SCH residents and dedicated to raising awareness of the impacts of climate change on children’s health. Our work includes research, education, and legislative advocacy. Current projects include: ED visits and hospitalizations during wildfires, building a climate change and children’s health curriculum at Seattle Children’s, a national survey project to determine trainee knowledge of climate change and health, and working with the WA AAP and other groups to promote climate legislation at the state level. For more information, check out our website at: pedsforclimateaction.org
Echo Glen Youth Detention Center Social Justice Library
Residents are working to create a Social Justice Library at the Echo Glen Youth Detention Center, centering the voices of diverse authors with a focus on social justice themes. Full library catalog including call numbers and tags, as well as Amazon Wish List below.
- Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1JD4WL09V3BAW?ref_=wl_share
Emergency Response Training
Injuries are the leading cause of death in the US among people aged 1-44, and uncontrolled bleeding is the leading preventable cause of death after an injury. Bystanders can play a key role in early intervention of bleeding management if adequately trained. Stop the Bleed is an emergency bleeding first-aid curriculum, and national leaders in trauma surgery and emergency medicine have called for its expansion into schools. However, limited evidence exists regarding the efficacy and acceptability of this training among high school students. The attitudes and preferences of parents, specifically those whose families have experienced past trauma/injury, towards expanding this training into high schools has not been evaluated.
This project first sought to assess attitudes of caregivers towards expansion of this training into high schools. Stop the bleed partnered with Seattle and King County public schools to perform pilot training sessions that evaluated the experiences of the emergency bleeding first aid curriculum.
Relevant Links: https://hiprc.org/outreach/stop-the-bleed/
Food Insecurity
This food insecurity project, spearheaded by residents and staff, has introduced a curriculum on screening or food insecurity into the first year curriculum. This training occurs during the community pediatrics block during intern year. The project currently includes a topic of the week (TOW), presentations during community practice month, EPIC smart phrases, and compiled community resources.
Foster Care
Harborview Medical Center is a level 1 trauma and burn hospital and also houses a primary care clinic. The clinic has a center dedicated to caring for children who are in foster care, called the HMC Foster Care Center. Residents are working to create educational videos for other healthcare providers to help them harness features of the EMR to provide thorough, high-quality care for children in the foster care system. There are unique standards of care for children in the foster care system, specifically surrounding frequency of well child visits and mental health screenings. The work focuses on equity and quality improvement for these metrics.
Language Access
Residents have been working on a number of projects to improve care for patients and families with language of care other than English, throughout the hospital. Projects include working with hospital leadership to increase access to interpreter services, and QI projects focused on improving the number of times provider use interpreters throughout the day. Residents have been able to collaborate with faculty mentors on various research studies, including interviewing caregivers about their experiences and preferences regarding interpretation.
Medical Student Education
Recognizing that learning to advocate for patients is a key component of medical training, residents created an Advocacy Curriculum for 3rd year medical students on their pediatrics clerkship. This 90 minute curriculum is focused on the epidemiology of firearm injury in the U.S., as well as individual- and system-level advocacy skills. Med students will learn to apply stories and statistics about firearm injury prevention to advocate for patients, families, and communities. Residents have the opportunity to teach, share their advocacy passions, and connect with med students.
Reach Out and Read
Reach and Read is a national program that provides books to kids ages 6 months to 6 years at well child checks to promote literacy. Residents have been working with attendings and medical students to distribute books to children admitted to the hospital. There are opportunities for program advocacy, updating educational materials, or research!
Social Determinants of Health
A group of residents have been working to create and implement a community-driven screening tool for social/structural determinants of health as well as roadmaps for positive screens at their continuity clinic. They received funding through the University of Washington to create a Community Advisory Board with patients, parents, and representatives from community organizations. The goal is to use input from this board to inform the screening process.
Water Safety
The non-profit, Youth Water Safety NMU (No More Under) Collaboration at Odessa Brown Clinic seeks to keep kids safe around water. We coordinate free swim vests, water watcher badges/app, free CPR classes, and written resources on swim safety for patient families at resident clinics (currently only Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic).
