NEACH Advocacy Day at State Capitol – Friday, March 28, 2025

The Nebraska Advocates for Child Health (NEACH) – is a collaborative advocacy education effort of the Nebraska Chapter AAP and the Nebraska Regional Council of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ROCAP). Now more than ever, it is important for lawmakers to hear from pediatric health experts as they make decisions that will impact health care and the health of Nebraska’s children and adolescents.

Make your voice heard.

NO PRIOR ADVOCACY EXPERIENCE NEEDED.
Open to seasoned advocates and anyone wanting to learn more about advocating for child health.

TENTATIVE AGENDA: (PENDING)

8:30 AM – Meet in Children’s Admin Parking Lot (for those wishing to carpool to Lincoln)

9:45 AM – Meet at Nebraska State Capitol, south side entrance

10:00 AM – Group Visits with State Senators

11:30 AMLunch in the Capitol Cafeteria & Discussion

1:00 PMObserve Legislative Hearing or Meet with Senators

3:00 PM – Leave Capitol

The visits are conducted in groups that will include both experienced advocates and those learning the advocacy process.

Open to medical students, residents and fellows with an interest in a pediatric related field or child and adolescent psychiatry. Practicing physicians must be members of either the NEAAP or ROCAP.

NEAAP Advocacy Resources

Webinars on Advocacy Basics:

Identify Your Nebraska Senatorhttps://nebraskalegislature.gov/senators/senator_find.php

AAP State Advocacy Resourceswww.aap.org/stateadvocacy

Contact the AAP State Advocacy Teamstgov@aap.org

Nebraska Advocates for Child Healthhttps://sites.google.com/view/neadvocatesforchildhealth/home
(collaboration of Nebraska Chapter AAP and the Regional Council of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Measles Information & Resources

The AAP’s Recommendations for Measles Vaccination
https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/measles/measles-vaccine/

NEAAP AWARD NOMINATIONS 2025

Nominations are now open for two NEAAP Awards:

Outstanding Child Advocate of the Year

  • Recognize a NEAAP member who has contributed to the improvement of child health care at the chapter level. It can also be given for either a special project or for years of service on behalf of children.
  • Nominee must be a current Nebraska Chapter AAP member.
  • Nomination must be submitted from a current Nebraska Chapter AAP member.
  • Consideration Criteria: active involvement in Chapter service or initiatives, involvement in advocacy or community awareness on behalf of child health, involvement in special projects, committees or activities that serve the needs of Nebraska children.

Friend of Child Health

  • Non-medical or medical provider outside of pediatrics (i.e. community leader, lawmaker, provider in a non-pediatric related field)
  • Nomination must be submitted from a current Nebraska Chapter AAP member.
  • Consideration Criteria: performs outstanding service to the betterment of the health of the children and adolescents of the state of Nebraska.

Please note the following restrictions:

  1. Individuals may only nominate one person for each individual award.
  2. Current members of the NEAAP Executive Committee are ineligible to receive these awards.

Deadline for Nominations: Friday, September 5, 2025

Award recipients will be determined by the NEAAP Executive Committee and will be announced at the NEAAP Fall Conference on Friday, October 17, 2025.

NEAAP Executive Committee Election 2025

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

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

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.

Advocacy Virtual Training Session: Senator Discussion Panel

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.

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.