Newly elected American Academy of Pediatrics president-elect Robert W. Block said he hopes to provide a strong voice for early childhood health and mental health issues as the academy's top leader.
Dr. Block, a Tulsa, Okla., pediatrician who has focused heavily on adolescent behavioral medicine along with preventing child abuse and neglect, was the founding chair of the newest American Board of Pediatrics sub-board, Child Abuse Pediatrics.
He said his background fits well with the AAP's new emphasis on early brain and childhood development.
"Hopefully, I can use the 'bully pulpit' of the presidency to encourage not only pediatricians but also politicians and policy makers to recognize the importance of health and mental health and education beginning in early childhood," Dr. Block said in an interview.
"We now have good science showing the lifelong consequences of not paying proper attention to early childhood needs," the pediatrician said.
As part of his duties as AAP president, Dr. Block said he anticipates closely monitoring the implementation of the recently approved Affordable Care Act health care reform legislation to make certain that children's access to care and other health care needs — especially early childhood care needs — remain a focus.
"As we move into implementation of the Affordable Care Act, we need to be absolutely sure that a focus on children is there and remains there—that children's care doesn't fall prey to priorities in adult care," said Dr. Block, the Daniel C. Plunket Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa.
One of his priorities will be prevention of child maltreatment and neglect, Dr. Block said in a statement.
Dr. Block, who will serve as the 2011–2012 AAP president, will take office as president-elect on Oct. 4 at the 2010 AAP National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.