Workforce Committee
Charge: Pediatric subspecialty workforce issues have become a significant concern in the subspecialty community. CoPS has taken a leadership role in the understanding and coordination of this workforce activity. In 2016, CoPS first developed a workforce action team; focusing on categorizing the issues and concerns for the pediatric subspecialty workforce. Through surveys of our Council and working groups, we have established a better understanding of the needs of the subspecialty community. The CoPS workforce action team has now been transitioned to a standing Workforce Committee with 4 new action teams to address some of the major issues identified. These action teams are:
Workforce Surveys Action Team
Chairs: Angie Myers and Rob Ross
This team has developed a workforce survey template with sample questions to be used as they apply to each subspecialty. The chairs of the team are available as consultants based on their experiences with work force surveys in the past. The team continues to address work force needs in partnership with other invested societies.
Dr. Cary Sauer, a member of the CoPS Workforce Surveys Action Team, has developed a question bank for subspecialties that are considering conducting a workforce survey. These questions were drawn from Cardiology, Infectious Diseases, and Gastroenterology surveys and collated by topic. This survey question bank is intended to be used as resource, and subspecialties are welcome to use any of the questions that fit the needs of their particular survey. If there are questions not listed that are deemed important by another subspecialty, please submit them to us for consideration of adding the additional questions to this survey question document. We also welcome contact from anyone who has questions as you get started in the process of conducting a workforce survey in your subspecialty. Please reach out to Angie Myers (amyers@cmh.edu) or Rob Ross( RRoss@dmc.org).
Early Exposure of Pediatric Subspecialties Action Team
Chair: Mary Moffatt
-This AT is identifying methods for early exposure and recruitment into the pediatric subspecialties. Currently, they are working to develop toolboxes for each subspecialty to post on the CoPS website.
Subspecialists' Perspectives on (pediatric) Training (SPOT) Action Team
Chair: Tandy Aye
This goal of this group is to describe the fund of knowledge and skillset pediatric residents should have acquired before entering subspecialty fellowship, and also provide subspecialists’ perspective on general pediatric residency training.
Recruiting and sustaining fellows and junior faculty in their research paths Action Team
Chair: Mel Heyman and Audrea Burns
-This action team has been coordinating with other societies to determine best practices in the promotion of research careers for fellows and faculty. Significant coordination is occurring with AMSPDC on these efforts.
In addition to the action teams described above, the Workforce Committee is partnering with the ABP to create a Pediatric Virtual Workforce Network. This network will engage all the pediatric organizations noted to be stakeholders in pediatric subspecialty workforce issues to promote dialogue and coordinate efforts.
Workforce-related work within the American Board of Pediatrics can be found in the workforce booklet: , https://www.abp.org/content/workforce and within the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Pediatric Workforce at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/Committees-Councils-Sections/Pages/Committee-on-Pediatric-Workforce.aspx
If you have interest or questions about our work involving pediatric subspecialty workforce, please contact Debra Boyer
Fall2015 - ABP
Fall2015 - Spicer
Fall2015 - AAP
Fall2015 - AAP2
Spring2016 - Boyer
Spring2017 - Boyer
Spring2017 - ABP
CoPS Communications Committee
Charge: This group addresses the core goal of CoPS to communicate effectively among the Council membership, our constituent subspecialties, and with subspecialists.
Chair:Jill Fussell (Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics)
Other current committee members:
Katherine Bline
History of the CoPS Communication Committee:
The Communications efforts in CoPS began as an Action Team in 2013, including the development of a Social Media Subcommittee at that time. The Action Team took a deep-dive into evaluating effective communication to support CoPS missions. This Action Team and Social Media Subcommittee considered the potential benefits of using social media (e.g. blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin) to communicate with the Pediatric subspecialty community, particularly as CoPS strives to communicate with medical students, residents and fellows, but weighing that against the potential drawbacks of employing social media, including the time commitment needed to keep the information current and the costs. It was ultimately concluded by the Communications Action Team that Twitter was likely the most feasible platform for us to engage first, in our efforts to improve our social media visibility and communication successes.
In 2017, CoPS Executive Committee (EC) decided to transition the Communications Action Team into a Committee. The EC does not see the need for effective communication as a transient issue, but one we need to incorporate in our regular administrative efforts, as a standing Committee.
Current Activities:
Current efforts within the Communications Committee include enhancing the CoPS website, exploring the possibility of website redesign, and maintaining up-to-date descriptions of subspecialties. Communications Committee is also reaching out to subspecialists and those interested in pediatric subspecialties through social media platforms such as Twitter and Student Doctor communication forum(s). Future efforts might also include making the website mobile-friendly, and continuing to adapt to the rapidly changing electronic communications being used by current and potential pediatric subspecialists.
We are very interested in growing the membership of this Committee, and welcome any Council member to join. Considering the fact that our efforts in social media still need nurturing and enhancement, we would be particularly interested in any members savvy and versatile in social media communications. We would also be especially interested in recruiting council members with website design and maintenance- but welcome any council member who just wants to help with communication!
Membership Committee
Within pediatrics we work with a network of colleagues from other pediatric subspecialties that care and advocate for the health of children and adolescents who are currently not members of CoPS. The Membership Committee’s aim is to expand CoPS membership to include other pediatric subspecialties, societies and organizations who are involved with pediatric and adolescent healthcare.
Chair: Tandy Aye
Transition Committee
The Transition Action Team is working to identify best practices in transitioning pediatric subspecialty patients to adult providers. We did identify that each subspecialty is developing programming and materials or using template programs like Got Transition. We wanted to create a forum to prevent duplicative efforts and share best practices.
Current projects identified are below:
- Serving as a library of different subspecialty and disease specific materials / tools for transition and quality assessment.
- Introducing information on novel models of transition across multiple subspecialties examples are intuitional coordination and emergence of free standing transient clinics i.e. all patients are moved to a dedicated transition care team at age 16.
- Address the complexity of transitioning of the intellectually disabled patient in a subspecialty clinic.
- Improving partnerships and communication with our adult colleagues and assisting in the development of expertise and educational materials that will enhance the care of our pediatric subspecialty patients as they become adults.
Please contact Lisa Imundo, if you are interested in joining this action team.
Resources:
Building Independence: A Resource Guide for Teens and Young Adults with Diabetes
Teenagers Healthcare and the Law
Kids Get Arthritis Too - Arthritis Foundation
GOT TRANSITION - General Pediatrics Toolkit
Chair: Lisa Imundo