California Legislative Advocacy for Pediatricians
Thursday, April 10, 2025
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Want to advocate for policies that improve child health? Join us on April 10 @ 7PM for an introduction to the California legislative process led by AAP-CA’s lobbyist Bryce Docherty, followed by interactive breakout groups where pediatrician advocacy leaders will teach how to review a bill, research your legislator, and prepare your pitch as subject matter experts for immigrant child health, vaccines, and MediCal.
Register
Meet Our Speaker
Dean A Blumberg MD – Professor and Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, UC Davis Children’s Hospital
He has provided expert testimony at numerous California Legislative hearings and participated in several federal and international advocacy activities. He has worked on clinical trials with Ebola vaccine development in Liberia on behalf of NIAID. He is co-creator, co-producer and co-host of the Kids Considered podcast.
J. Raul Gutierrez, MD, MPH – Community Pediatrician & Chair of the Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health, National AAP
Dr. Gutierrez is an associate professor at UCSF with nearly 15 years of experience working with immigrant children. He is based at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, where he co-founded and co-directs the BRIDGES clinic, a multidisciplinary team committed to a holistic and community-supported approach to wellness for recently immigrated children. He is the UCSF Health and Human Rights pediatrics co-lead and co-director of the Center of Excellence for Immigrant Child Health and Wellbeing with Benioff Children’s Hospitals. He chairs the Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health with the AAP. From interpreting at a free clinic in college to working with migrant farm workers in Michigan and now advocating for asylum-seeking families in the Bay Area, he is committed to serving resilient communities that deserve to be seen. He has always found inspiration in his abuela’s journey and carries her strength as an immigrant woman with him daily.
Dr. Webb has been a member of the AAP and active in advocacy since her pediatric residency at UCLA. She is a practicing pediatric hospitalist and academic co-chief for hospital medicine at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, CA. Dr. Webb is also active within the Section on Early Career Physicians, Section on LGBT Health and Wellness, and the Council on Injury, Violence, and Poisoning Prevention. She is a respected and vocal advocate for firearm injury prevention, both within the healthcare sphere and the broader community, and was invited to participate as an AAP and pediatric representative in the Bulletpoints Project through the UC Davis Firearm Violence Research Center.
Advocacy Committee Information
The Advocacy Committee works in conjunction with the District AAP to review legislation affecting child health in California. The Chapter committee handles grassroots efforts on statewide legislation based on District policy and positions. The Advocacy Committee will disseminate information via online and email in support or opposition of regulations, bills, resolutions and other legislative formats which the District does not have the staff time to consider.
Co-Chairs and Resident Co-Chairs
Stephanie Fong Gomez, MD, MD, FAAP, Morgan Leighton, MD, MPH, FAAP, Maria Josefina Mba Wright, MD, FAAP, Lena van der List, DO, FAAP & Victoria Chi, MD
