Advocacy
.jpg "Shetal Shah, MD photo")
Shetal Shah, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
New York Medical College
Syosset, New York, United States
Session
Description: Children have faced numerous challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, from extended periods of social isolation to missed well-child visits. Clinical experience and data show that children have fallen behind on a number of important measures. An ongoing youth mental health crisis is impacting countless young people, with clinicians reporting soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality in the patients they treat. This national emergency calls for bold, comprehensive action from policymakers. Routine childhood immunization rates remain below pre-pandemic levels, increasing the risk of vaccine preventable illness for unvaccinated children and the community at large. As the country continues the transition to a post-pandemic normal, it is a critical moment to grapple with the impacts of the last three years on child health and to identify public policy interventions that can bolster children’s well-being for years to come. Federal programs like Medicaid and the Vaccines for Children program play an important role in addressing the issues facing young people, and advocacy is needed to ensure these programs remain responsive to their needs. Join the Pediatric Policy Council to learn about the challenges facing young people in a post-pandemic world and the public policy supports that can help them thrive, now and into adulthood.
Speaker: Shetal Shah, MD FAAP (he/him/his) – Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, New York Medical College
Speaker: Iyabode (Yabo) Beysolow, MD MPH FAAP – YB Consultants, LLC, Independent Consultant
Speaker: Tamar Magarik Haro
Speaker: Hannah Katch