Mission Statement

The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics promotes the health, safety and well-being of children and adolescents so they may reach their full potential. The Ohio AAP will accomplish this by addressing the needs of children, their families, and their communities, and by supporting Chapter members through advocacy, education, research, service, and improving the systems through which they deliver pediatric care.

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Raising healthy children in Ohio is our priority. As child advocates, we aim to be a voice for children and communities whose voices may not otherwise be heard. Equity and inclusion are not simply words but are demonstrated by our actions. While many of our programs, including infant mortality prevention, lead screening and population health, focus on the needs of underserved and marginalized communities, we will work to strengthen our efforts to promote and implement equity and inclusion into the fabric of all our programs. In this vein, we commit as an organization to the following:

• Educate our 2,900 members on identifying and mitigating implicit bias and being anti-racist in both professional and personal settings
• Highlight the data gathered from our quality improvement programs related to the areas of the underserved, and integrate families into each of these programs to guarantee a better and more equitable perspective and approach to the children we serve in our programs,
• Be a resource for families and empower them to have meaningful conversations about recent events and help mitigate the traumatic impact of racism,
• Promote advocacy at state and national levels to combat the crisis of racism in health care,
• Strive for a more inclusive Chapter and Foundation leadership including appointing a diversity champion to serve in leadership of the Chapter’s membership work, and
• Commit funds through our Chapter’s Foundation to be awarded to members and/or residents to develop efforts to champion diversity and inclusion.

There is much work to be done and we will remain vigilant in our efforts to serve as a resource for our members and our communities. It is through patience, solidarity, ongoing self-reflection, courage, tireless advocacy and respect that we will build a healthier tomorrow for our children and our nation.

Board of Directors

Nominating Committee

• Jerri Rose, MD, FAAP
• Lisa Ziemnik, MD, FAAP
• Suet Kam Lam, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP

Ohio AAP Staff 

• Melissa Wervey Arnold – Chief Executive Officer
• Elizabeth Dawson – Chief Operating Officer
• Hayley Southworth, MS – Director of Program Management and Training
• Lory Sheeran Winland, MPA – Director of Immunization Programs
• Kristen Stidham Fluitt, MS – Senior Quality Manager
• Alex Miller, MPH – Senior Program Manager
• Olivia Simon – Foundation and Communications Coordinator
• Liz Bowman – Executive Assistant

Pediatric Chairs

• Nazha Abughali, MD, FAAP – Chair, Department of Pediatrics, MetroHealth
• John Barnard, III, MD, FAAP – Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• George Darah, DO – Interim Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toledo
• John Duby, MD, FAAP – Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Dayton Children’s
• Margaret Hostetter, MD, FAAP – Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hosptial Medical Center
• Karen Montgomery-Reagan – Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Michelle Medina, MD, FAAP – Chair, Department of General Pediatrics, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hosptial
• Michelle Walsh, MD, FAAP – Interim Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

Medical Directors

• Lisa Ziemnik, MD, FAAP – Preschool Vision Screening QI Program
• Rebecca Brady, MD, FAAP – Maximizing Office Based Immunization
• Michele Dritz, MD, FAAP – LARC QI Program
• Robert W. Frenck, Jr., MD, FAAP – Teen Immunization Education Session Medical Director
• Sarah Denny, MD, FAAP – Store it Safe Child QI Program
• Michael Gittelman, MD, FAAP – Smoke Free Families Ohio Learning Collaborative
• Sarah Adams, MD, FAAP – Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime
•  Aparna Bole, MD, FAAP – Lead Prevention QI Program
• Kate Krueck, MD, FAAP – CQN Adolescent Immunizations
• Kara Shah, MD, FAAP – Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Primary Care QI Program
• William Cotton, MD, FAAP – Population Health QI Program

Pediatric Societies

• Cincinnati Pediatric Society (CPS)
  • Contact: Lauren Huff, MD, FAAP, President
• Central Ohio Pediatric Society (COPS)
  • Contact: Amy Jo Hernandez, Executive Director
• Western Ohio Pediatric Society (WOPS)
  • Contact: Sue Strader

Equal Opportunity Statement