Advocacy & Community Outreach
Several new initiatives deserve mention. We completed a series of four CME supported dinner symposia at the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel for Brooklyn pediatricians on topics in gastroenterology, adolescent medicine, developmental pediatrics, and pediatric obesity. Plans for future symposia include pediatric emergency room medicine, endocrinology, nephrology, and infectious diseases. Stay tuned for details to be mailed out at the end of the summer. Notable research grants secured by investigators in the department include NIH funded grants in lipid biology and steatohepatitis, microvascular circulation and necrotizing enterocolitis, cellular biology and cancer, and grants supporting AIDS vaccine development.
The Department of Pediatrics is also reaching out to expand our programs in partnership with other institutions. In addition to the excellent general pediatric faculty at Kings County Hospital, all of whom have appointments in our Department, we also are developing partnerships in clinical care and resident and fellow education with local affiliates including Coney Island Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. Our sub-specialty expertise is also exported to other area institutions including subspecialty faculty delivering clinical services and education at Coney Island Hospital, Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island and The Brooklyn Hospital.
Other community outreach initiatives established with the Department of Pediatrics include:
- Violence Prevention Conference established with the Brooklyn District Attorney's office.
- KAVI - Kings Against Violence Initiative youth outreach
- Legit - a program for delinquent youth in Brooklyn
- Social Community Pediatrics Initiatives - Outreach at Holy Cross RC Church and Family Head Start. The program promotes healthy lifestyles through activities with all members of the church and head start community.
- Breast Feeding Support Group
- Family Health Challenge
- New York State AAP Pediatric Advocacy Day - meetings with legislators at the State Capital in Albany, NY
- Child Abuse Task Force with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.
- Support Group for Mothers of New Babies
- Reach Out and Read - A nationwide literacy initiative. Children seen for well childcare visits receive an appropriate book from their physician to encourage the habit of reading at an early age.