The Committee on Native American Child Health (CONACH), offers its expertise to individuals and groups concerned about the issues facing American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children. CONACH members are selected for their willingness to advocate on behalf of Native American children and for their previous experience in working directly with AI/AN children and youth. Committee members maintain contact with tribal, urban, and Indian Health Service (IHS) programs, and keep up with important changes, legislation, and regulations that affect Native American health in general (e.g., the Indian Self Determination and Education Act) and Native American child health (e.g., Indian Child Welfare Act) in particular. The committee meets twice a year - once in Washington, DC, which includes Hill visits and a legislative briefing and once in conjunction with consultation site visits in an Indian Health Service Area. Each meeting addresses the major health and social needs of Native American children and youth and how committee members and pediatricians can address these needs. The Committee helps disseminate research and model programs and promotes the multidisciplinary exchange of ideas through the biennial International Meeting on Indigenous Child Health (IMICH), which is co-sponsored by the Canadian Paediatric Society.
The Committee supports the Indigenous Health Special Interest Group which provides a forum for pediatricians and other care health professionals serving AI/AN children to share successes, strategies and resource to support their care of AI/AN children and youth.
Learn more about Native American Child Health at the AAP including advocacy issues, educational resources and opportunities to work in this field.
Committee Members
Jason Deen, MD, FAAP
Chairperson
Seattle, WA
Catherine Golski, MD, FAAP
Tuba City, AZ
Marah Gotcsik, MD, FAAP
Anchorage, AK
Andrew C. Hsi, MD MPH, FAAP
San Rafael, CA
Sara Swoboda, MD, FAAP
Boise, ID
Liaisons
Kenna Sheak, MD
Liaison, Association of American Indian Physicians
Mason, OH
John Pruett, MD, DFAACAP
Liaison, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Green Bay, WI
Stephen Gillaspy, PhD
Liaison, American Psychological Association
Oklahoma City, OK
Nicole Gurtler, MD
Liaison, Section on Pediatric Trainees
Seattle, WA
Tom Faber, MD, MPH, FAAP
IHS Chief Clinical Consultant, Pediatrics
Zuni, NM
Jane Oski, MD, MPH, FAAP
Chairperson, Indigenous Health Special Interest Group
Flaggstaff, AZ
Tina Pattara-Lau, MD
IHS Maternal Child Health Consultant
Rockville, MD
Cara L. Thompson, DO
Liaison, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Ryan Giroux, MD
Liaison, Canadian Paediatric Society
Toronto, ON, CAN
Emilie Beaulieu, MD
Liaison, Canadian Paediatric Society
Quebec, QC, CAN
Native American Child Health Advocacy Award
Each year, the AAP Committee on Native American Child Health presents the Native American Child Health Advocacy Award to recognize an individual who has made a major contribution to Native American child health.
International Meeting on Indigenous Child Health (IMICH)
Since 2005, the AAP, in collaboration with the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and other partnering organizations, sponsor the biennial IMICH Conference. This is the only conference dedicated to the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, American Indian, Alaska Native and other Indigenous children and youth in North America and around the world. Sessions cover a range of topics such as emerging health issues, community programs, public policy, and more. For more information on IMICH, please visit the CPS website.
Employment Resources
The following sites may provide listings for employment in the Indian Health Service or Tribal sites. For physician openings, use the term "medical officer" in your search.
Last Updated
09/04/2024
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics