Pediatric Year in Review to Tackle Epidemic Viruses, Exposome, Climate Change, and Physician Wellness


Children and adults experience similar health conditions, but they manifest differently in younger patients and require innovative approaches to diagnose and treat. Additionally, children from underrepresented communities globally face health disparities that must be adequately addressed by the medical field at large. Meanwhile, physician burnout and depression rates continue to rise at over 50 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

This year’s Pediatric Year in Review will analyze these vital topics for the pediatric pulmonology and sleep fields that impact children’s health globally. The session will be held on Sunday, May 21, from 2:15–3:45 p.m. ET in Ballroom A (Level 3) of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Benjamin T. Kopp, MD, MPH, ATSF
Benjamin T. Kopp, MD, MPH, ATSF

“We chose four topics that are different, but all address urgent issues such as health equity, evolving needs for high-level pediatric care, and the well-being of physicians and caregivers for pediatric patients,” said Benjamin T. Kopp, MD, MPH, ATSF, session chair and director of the Pulmonary Sickle Cell Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “The diversity and immediacy of these issues should make for a very entertaining session.”

Featured presentations include:

  • Pediatric Exposome, Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, MD, MS, Columbia University of College of Physicians
  • Epidemic and Pandemic Viruses – Long-term Impact on Respiratory Health, Christian Rosas-Salazar, MD, MPH, ATSF, Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
  • Wellness and Resilience, Heather Hoch De Keyser, MD, MSCR, Children’s Hospital Colorado
  • Global Respiratory Health in the Setting of Climate Change, Dwan Vilcins, PhD, University of Queensland

“This session will be widely applicable to clinicians, caregivers, and researchers invested in pediatrics,” Dr. Kopp said. “I think the wellness and resilience topic will be impactful given all of the stressors of the last few years, but we also know that viral pandemics, exposome, and climate change have a large impact on our current clinical care. The topics are especially relevant for members of our Assembly, but adult providers will learn a lot as well.”

Attendees can expect to learn about the latest science and advocacy related to the impact climate change has on global respiratory health, identifying local environmental factors that influence respiratory health (exposome) with a focus on health equity, and the long-term impact of viral pandemics on pediatric health. In addition, pediatric caregivers will learn strategies, tactics, and best practices to avoid burnout.

“Several topics, like the wellness and resilience of providers and the effects of climate change and the exposome, we’ve never addressed before during a Year in Review presentation at the ATS,” Dr. Kopp said. “Our programming committee did an amazing job finding speakers whose diverse perspectives reflect and celebrate the emerging clinical and scientific contributions to our field from the past year.”

REGISTER FOR ATS 2024

Register today for the ATS 2024 International Conference! Don’t miss this opportunity to take part in the in-person conference, May 17-22 in San Diego. Join your colleagues to learn about the latest developments in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Not an ATS member? Join today and save up to $540.