A new leader assumes the reins at AAP

Eileen Ouellette, MD, JD, of Newton Center, Mass., today began her role as the 2005-2006 President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), based in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Dr. Ouellette is the AAP's fourth woman president since it was founded in 1930.

Dr. Ouellette graduated from Smith College and Harvard Medical School. She completed residencies in pediatrics and child neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She also has a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, Boston, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and the American Bar Associations. She has extensive experience advocating for children's health issues at the state and federal level.

"I look forward to this opportunity to work toward achieving universal, quality health care for children," said Dr. Ouellette. "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."

Dr. Ouellette has been a member of the AAP Board of Directors for the past six years and has been president-elect for the past year. 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-term commitment to the care of developmentally disabled children. She served on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council and chaired its Human Studies Committee.

The AAP is the nation's largest pediatric organization, with a membership of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists.