The Pediatric Surgeon and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): An important partnership for surgeons and children

The American Academy of Pediatrics provided a home for pediatric surgery when organized surgery did not recognize the specialty. They have continued to support surgical specialties in their pursuit of quality in education, training and practice. The AAP has appropriate infrastructure to support advocacy at both the federal and state levels. The fact that it does not have a PAC, and that it always puts the child first, has given it great credibility. Much of the AAP infrastructure is already used by surgeons to advocate for their patients, but still more opportunities for collaboration are available.