American Academy Of Pediatrics (AAP) Release: The Nation's Pediatricians Elect A New Leader

CHICAGO, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) today elected Newton Center, MA, pediatrician Eileen Ouellette, MD, JD, FAAP, as its new vice president. The AAP is the nation's largest pediatric organization, with a membership of more than 57,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists.

Dr. Ouellette will take office as president-elect at the October 2004 AAP National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco and will serve as the 2005-2006 AAP president. Dr. Ouellette will be the AAP's fourth female president since it was founded in 1930.

After graduating from Smith College and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Ouellette completed residencies in pediatrics and child neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and the American Bar Association. She has extensive experience advocating for children's health issues at the state and federal level. She is retired from North Shore Children's Hospital in Salem, MA, where she was a pediatric neurologist.

Active in the AAP Section on Neurology, Dr. Ouellette is a member of the Senior and International Child Health Sections, has served on Committees on Women in Pediatrics, Career Opportunities, the Council on Government Affairs, and the Council on Sections and Sections Management. In addition to her AAP activities, she has held leadership positions in the Child Neurology Society and is on its Legislative Committee.

Dr. Ouellette has a long-time commitment to the care of developmentally disabled children. Says Dr. Ouellette, "I look forward to this opportunity to work toward achieving universal, quality health care for children, delivered in a medical home with appropriate reimbursement for pediatricians. As an attorney, as well as a physician, I hope to build coalitions with the legal community to work together on issues of common interest, particularly those of juvenile justice, mental health, child abuse and foster care."

American Academy of Pediatrics

CONTACT: Hollis Heavenrich-Jones of American Academy of Pediatrics,+1-847-434-7084

Web site: http://www.aap.org/