Pediatrics
Pediatric Pulmonary Center
The mission of the Pediatric Pulmonary Center is to provide a regional/national resource center for the training and education of the next generation of leaders in the care of children with chronic pulmonary disorders within the disciplines of medicine, nursing, nutrition, social work, family leadership and pharmacy.
The program strives to provide trainees in all disciplines with a comprehensive and partially individualized curriculum encompassing relevant clinical challenges in pediatric lung disease, public policy/advocacy issues, cross-cultural sensitivity training and research skills.
The University of Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary Center (UAPPC) is part of a national network of health care training programs funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance care for children with chronic pulmonary diseases such as asthma, neuromuscular diseases and cystic fibrosis.
Established in 2000, the UAPPC is focused on building the capacity of health care providers to serve children with special health care needs throughout HRSA Region IX, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and numerous Pacific Island communities.
UAPPC seeks to build the skills of a broad range of health care providers — doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and nutritionists — to care for these children and their families in a coordinated, interdisciplinary manner. The center’s faculty provides academic and clinical training to advanced degree health sciences students, in-service education to medical professionals throughout Region IX, and skill-building support to parents of children with special health care needs.
All MCHB training programs aim to promote comprehensive, coordinated, family centered and culturally sensitive systems of health care that serve the diverse needs of all families within their communities.
UAPPC is committed to creating and sustaining a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our interdisciplinary training and clinical missions. We believe that differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, cultural heritage, religion and spirituality, physical and intellectual abilities, and life experiences among our trainees, staff and faculty contribute positively to all dimensions of the Pediatric Pulmonary Center.
We recognize the value and richness added to our traineeship and patient care when our team and trainees are individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. We support diverse and underrepresented trainees and faculty, and continually strive to increase our cultural literacy and skills to address health disparities in underserved communities.
We work diligently to create an environment in which our faculty, trainees and patients feel safe, empowered and supported to reach their full potential.
- To provide interdisciplinary leadership training at the graduate and postgraduate levels in pediatric pulmonary medicine, nursing, nutrition and social work plus pharmacy to prepare health professionals to effectively care for children with chronic respiratory disease.
- To engage with families as full partners to support family-centered practice, policies and research serving children and youth with special health care needs.
- To increase access to health services through innovative methods such as telehealth, collaborative systems of care and distance-learning modalities.
- To provide technical assistance, consultation, continuing education (CE) and subject matter expertise to facilitate academic-practice partnerships.
- To support diverse and underrepresented trainees and faculty, and increase the cultural competence and skills of trainees and faculty to address health disparities in underserved communities.
Become a PPC Trainee
Pediatric Pulmonary Center traineeships are intended for individuals who have the potential to be leaders in the pediatric health care field. In keeping with the Healthy People 2010 objectives to increase minority representations in the health professions, minority students are especially encouraged to apply for traineeships.
PPCs provide leadership training to health care professionals who will be equipped not only to improve the health of children with respiratory conditions through the provision of coordinated, family-centered care, but also to positively impact changes in the health care system.
Traditional traineeships will begin in August. There are individualized traineeships available throughout the year with flexible start and end dates. Long-term traineeships consist of a minimum of 300 hours. All disciplines need to contact the identified faculty member.
Apply Soon!
Applications to be part of the 24-25 PPC Cohort are now being accepted!
I wanted to participate in the PPC traineeship program to gain a better understanding of pediatric nutrition in the clinical setting. I previously had very little experience working in maternal and child health. With regard to clinical pediatric nutrition, the bar certainly was met, as I had the opportunity to gain experience working with both pediatric and adult patients in CF clinic.
Beyond CF clinic, there were a multitude of other experiences that provided exposure to maternal and child health. The first field trip I participated in was to the border in Nogales, Sonora. This experience was designed to provide context for issues around health disparities on the border. Before this trip I had never been to Mexico, and I honestly did not know what to expect. The group was able to tour several U.S. and Mexican government agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations providing support to migrants. It was eye-opening to hear about the challenges and dangers women and children face as they make their way to the border.
Another unique experience was attending the Making Lifelong Connections annual meeting in New Mexico. There was ample opportunity to network with other trainees and former trainees, and hear about the work others are doing in maternal and child health. Everyone who attended seemed very committed to promoting their cause, as well as support others who are doing similar work. It was very inspiring and motivating to see the programs and projects being conducted. I hope to use this experience to better educate the next generation of registered dietitians and health care professionals.
In my work as an instructor, I work with students who intend not only to become RDs, but also physicians, nurses, pharmacists and physical therapists. Much of what I learned in the traineeship program should also be part of any well-rounded pre-health curriculum. My goal is to expand the topics we cover with students as part of our undergraduate program to include some of the key concepts in maternal and child health.
For example, through the traineeship program I was exposed to life course theory. While very intuitive in many ways, it is not something we normally share with undergraduate students in any great detail. I will be presenting life course theory to students in a 400-level nutrition course and soliciting their feedback. I anticipate that students will be receptive, since there is a general desire for more training related to social aspects of health.
Overall, I have grown tremendously professionally and personally with this traineeship program. I now have a better understanding of the issues and research related to maternal and child health. Through the traineeship I also have a better grasp of the government hierarchy, as well as training programs in maternal and child health. I am glad to have been part of this program and hope to remain connected with it.
Kelly Jackson, EdD, MS, RD
Traineeship Year: 2015-2016
