Risks of Cannabis Use and Secondhand Exposure for Youth

Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM | 8404 Indian Hills Drive 1st Floor Conference Room

Virtual Option Also Available

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Members may now cast their vote for the candidates to fill several Nebraska Chapter Executive Board seats for terms beginning in July 2025.

Voting Deadline: April 18 at 5:00 PM

There following positions are up for election:
OMAHA REPRESENTATIVE (TWO SEATS)
LINCOLN REPRESENTATIVE

CANDIDATES:

OMAHA REPRESENTATIVES (TWO SEATS):

Lauren Maskin, MD is a graduate of the Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons. She split her training in Pediatrics between Montefiore Children’s Hospital in Bronx, NY and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  She has lived in Omaha with her family and two dogs for the past 13 years. Dr. Maskin practices inpatient pediatric medicine at Children’s Nebraska, The Nebraska Medical Center and occasionally at Bryan East and St. Elizabeth’s in Lincoln. Maskin served as the Medical Director for Inpatient Medical-Surgical Services for 9 years and is now the Medical Director for Clinical Effectiveness at Children’s. Maskin assisted in spearheading CHMC’s Workplace Violence Efforts with efforts to change the visitor management system, helped to create the Clinical Pathways program, developed an Observation Unit which then served as a COVID unit (i.e. the Respiratory Assessment Center), and has led multiple quality improvement efforts across the hospital system. She’s been active in hospital policy editing and writing and has served on numerous hospital committees. She’s also active in resident and student education and led the Med Surg Multidisciplinary Mock Code Program for 8 years. Maskin is an active member of the Nebraska Advocates for Child Health and is looking forward to becoming more involved in the NE Chapter of the AAP as she completes her masters in public health. Maskin is board certified in General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine and is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Ananya Ray, MD is a graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She trained in pediatrics at A. I. DuPont Children’s Hospital (Nemours)/Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Wilmington DE/Philadelphia PA. Dr. Ray has been practicing since 2019, the last 3.5 years in Omaha at Children’s Physicians.  She specializes in preventative care and newborn care. Dr. Ray is also an assistant professor at Creighton University and is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is an honorary member of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society, and the recipient of the Richard C. Gozon Compassion in Medicine award. Dr. Ray served on the AAP Executive Committee as one of the Omaha representatives from July 2022 – June 2023, and participated in the AAP Legislative Conference to help strengthen her advocacy skills. She currently serves on the Metropolitan Omaha Medical Society’s Early Career Physicians planning committee which provides physicians in the early phase of their career connect with each other, participate in social and volunteer activities, and provide mentoring activities. She also participates in the Operations Advisory Committee at Children’s Physicians, and the Medical Executive Committee at Children’s Nebraska. Dr. Ray is board certified in pediatrics.

LINCOLN REPRESENTATIVE:

Alexandra Keating, MD is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center – College of Medicine. She trained in Pediatrics at the University of Iowa. Dr. Keating has been practicing since 2022 in Lincoln, NE at Complete Children’s Health. Dr. Keating enjoys caring for children of all ages but has a special interest in adolescent medicine. Dr. Keating is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been a member of the AAP since medical school. As a medical student, she was involved in the AAP and the American Medical Women’s Association, attending their regional conference. She also enjoyed working with Bridge to Care, coordinating Refugee Health Fairs. As a resident, she was awarded Resident of the Year by the University of Iowa medical students. Dr. Keating is board certified in Pediatrics.

Cast your vote by April 18 at 5:00 PM

The Nebraska Chapter AAP has been awarded a grant from AAP and AT&T to provide resources and education related to healthy social media habits. 

The grant funds will be utilized to host three education sessions and make available a variety of digital resources aimed to help families understand the impact of social media and take steps towards healthy digital habits.

Online Resources

The Nebraska Advocates for Child Health (NEACH), a collaboration of the Nebraska Chapter AAP (NEAAP) and the Regional Council of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists (ROCAP), will host a virtual advocacy training session.

Wednesday, October 9th | 6:30 – 7:30 PM
VIA Zoom

This session includes a panel of two State Senators and a parent advocate that will provide insight on the importance of physician advocacy, how physicians can better advocate and what child health topics are anticipated for the coming legislative season.

Panelists:

• State Senator Danielle Conrad, District 46
• State Senator Kathleen Kauth, District 31
• Kristin Flott, Parent Advocate

Facilitator: Joan Daughton, MD

This session is open exclusively to medical student, resident, fellow and physician members of the NEAAP and ROCAP.

Registrants will receive the session’s Zoom login information just prior to the event.

ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED – PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU WISH TO REGISTER.

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PLANNING TO ATTEND THE AAP NCE IN ORLANDO?
Join us for a reception for the Nebraska Chapter AAP attendees:

Saturday, September 28
6:00-8:00 PM EDT
Bahama Breeze Island Grille
8849 International Drive in Orlando, FL

All members of the Nebraska Chapter are invited to attend this reception.
Appetizers and first cocktail on the Nebraska AAP.

Members may now cast their vote for the candidates to fill several Nebraska Chapter Executive Board seats for terms beginning in July 2024.

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED.

There following positions are up for election
PRESIDENT-ELECT
SECRETARY/TREASURER
OMAHA REPRESENTATIVE (TWO SEATS)
LINCOLN REPRESENTATIVE
OUT-STATE REPRESENTATIVE

CANDIDATES:

PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Matt Gibson, MD is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at the UNMC/Children’s/Creighton combined program in Omaha, NE. Dr. Gibson has been practicing since 2013, the last almost 7 years in practice in Omaha at Methodist Physicians Clinic-Regency. He practices general pediatrics and newborn medicine while also serving as physician champion on vaccines and HPV, as well as on the Executive Board of Methodist Physicians Clinic. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and has served on the NE AAP board for 4 years as an Omaha representative and the past two years as Secretary/Treasurer. He works with the Chapter as a Social Media Co-Chair as well as previously helped to redesign and update its website. He enjoys spending free time with his spouse, two sons, and two crazy dogs. Dr. Gibson is board certified in Pediatrics.

SECRETARY/TREASURER:
Kenneth (Ken) Zoucha, MD received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1988 and completed his internship and residency in in Pediatrics in 1991 during which time he served as the Chief Resident for the Department of Pediatrics from 1990 – 1991. Dr. Zoucha is currently Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Addiction Division for the Department of Psychiatry. He is also the program director for the Addiction Medicine fellowship at UNMC with Family Medicine as the sponsoring residency. He developed a pilot project for an executive fellowship in addiction medicine to provide an intensive educational experience for current medical providers. Prior to his current position he served as Medical Director of Hastings Juvenile Chemical Dependency Program at the Hastings Regional Center that started in 2012. Dr. Zoucha practiced as a general pediatrician from 1991 until 2010 and was a partner of the Children and Adolescent Clinic, P.C. in Hastings, Nebraska while serving as volunteer faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics. He maintains Board Certification in General Pediatrics and Addiction Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a Diplomat of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Ken enjoys time with his family, including his grandkids and granddogs. He finds peace in the outdoors with frequent walks with his dog and when he has time, enjoys plucking the bass guitar and spinning some wax (aka listening to records).

OMAHA REPRESENTATIVES (TWO SEATS):

Kari Krenzer, MD, is a graduate of The University of Nebraska Medical Center. She trained in pediatrics at the joint UNMC/Creighton residency program in Omaha. Dr. Krenzer has been practicing with Children’s Physicians in Omaha since August of 2001. She has served the past years as an Omaha Representative on the NEAAP Executive Committee. She is board certified and a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Joseph (Jay) Snow, MD is a graduate of the Creighton University School of Medicine. He trained in Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska/Creighton University Joint Pediatric Residency program. Dr. Snow has been practicing since 2002 as a Pediatric Hospitalist at Children’s Nebraska, Omaha as well as additionally practicing at Nebraska Medicine, Madonna, Bryan, and St. Elizabeth’s over subsequent years.  Jay is also an Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and volunteer faculty at Creighton University School of Medicine and is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Jay previously served on the Nebraska Chapter AAP board while serving as Chief Resident 2001-2002.  He is board certified in Pediatrics and will be sitting for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine boards this fall.

LINCOLN REPRESENTATIVE:

Pam Zegers, MD is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical College. She trained at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI. She completed a chief resident year and then practiced in Milwaukee from 2003-2011 where she was actively involved in residency training and received Outstanding Volunteer Faculty Awards. She relocated back home to Nebraska in Fall of 2011 and has been practicing for 12 years at Complete Children’s Health where she serves as the Vice President. She is board certified in Pediatrics and enjoys the broad scope of practice but has some emphases in Adolescent Health, Adolescent Gynecology, and Behavioral Pediatrics. She has served as a volunteer faculty for Children’s Nebraska and the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program and served on the DHHS advisory board for the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. She spends much of her time at Complete Children’s Health working on marketing, media, and employee relations.

OUT-STATE REPRESENTATIVE:

Melissa Law, MD is a graduate of University of Nebraska College of Medicine. She trained in Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Children’s Hospital-Creighton combined residency program in Omaha, NE, and served a fourth year as a Co-Chief Resident. Dr. Law has been practicing since 2013, the last 9 years in Grand Island, NE at the Grand Island Clinic. Dr. Law specializes in General Pediatrics and has extra training in lactation and loves following her patients from birth throughout childhood. Dr. Law is on staff at both CHI-St. Francis and Regional Medical Center hospitals in Grand Island, NE. Dr. Law is a volunteer adjunct assistant professor at both University of Nebraska Medical Center-Pediatric Department and Creighton Medical Center-Pediatric Department and is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Law was the recipient of the University of Nebraska Medical Center- Pediatric Department volunteer faculty clerkship teaching award in 2018. She has served the past two years as Out-State Representative on the NEAAP Executive Committee. Dr. Law is board certified in General Pediatrics.

Elementary-Aged Children Mental Health

Discuss diagnosing, crisis management and treatment strategies as well as a panel discussion of Nebraska resources for providers.

Tuesday, May 7 · 5 – 7:30pm CDT

Boys Town National Headquarters14100 Crawford Street Boys Town, NE 68010