Lead Physician at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to Take Office at President of the American Academy of Pediatrics

ATLANTA – September 2006 – Jay E. Berkelhamer, M.D., Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, will officially take office as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) at the 2006 AAP National Conference and Exhibition scheduled for Oct. 7 to 10 in Atlanta, Ga. The AAP is the nation’s largest pediatric organization, with a membership of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical sub-specialists and pediatric surgical specialists.

Dr. Berkelhamer has always been an advocate for children’s issues and has been a national spokesperson for the AAP throughout his career. He took office as president-elect at the October 2005 AAP National Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. His role as AAP president will be for one year.

As part of his dedication to pediatric healthcare, Dr. Berkelhamer has identified the following as the top three health-related issues facing children today: access to care, quality of care and financial implications surrounding health care for children, including private insurance and Medicaid.

“Doctors who dedicate themselves to caring for children have a responsibility to deliver the highest quality of care—care that is safe, accessible, effective, patient-centered and compassionate,” he said. “As a community of physicians, we will partner to rise to the challenge and lead the continuous improvement in delivering quality care to all children, regardless of their financial background.”

During his seven years as Senior Vice President at Children’s, Dr. Berkelhamer has helped lead the organization in becoming one of the top pediatric hospitals in the nation. In 2005, Child magazine named Children’s one of the country’s 10 best pediatric hospitals.

In addition to his work at Children’s, Dr. Berkelhamer serves as a clinical professor at Emory University School of Medicine, an adjunct professor at Morehouse College of Medicine and as a general pediatrician.

Dr. Berkelhamer was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and grew up in Chicago. He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School and trained in pediatrics at the University Of Chicago Pritzker School Of Medicine. After his residency, Dr. Berkelhamer spent two years as Deputy Chief of Pediatrics in the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital of Norfolk, Va. He then joined the University Of Chicago Pritzker School Of Medicine, where he served as Associate Chairman of the Pediatric department and Director of the Pediatric Residency Program.

He later became Chair of Pediatrics at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Mich. Collaborating with Children’s Hospital of Michigan, he established the Child Health Network and worked with the University of Michigan to start a managed care program for special needs children. In addition, Dr. Berkelhamer has gained legislative experience by serving as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow.

Dr. Berkelhamer was past president of the Illinois chapter of the AAP and has served on numerous AAP committees, including chairing the national State Government Affairs and Quality Improvement and Management committees. His section activities include Community Pediatrics, International Child Health, and Administration and Practice Management.

He is a past president of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association and the Chicago Pediatric Society. He serves actively on several community boards, has been on the Pediatric Residency Review committee, and is on the Board of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). Dr. Berkelhamer and his wife, Jackie, have three children and two grandchildren.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the leading pediatric healthcare systems in the country, is a not-for-profit organization that benefits from the generous philanthropic and volunteer support of our community. Operating three hospitals with more than half a million patient visits annually, Children’s is recognized for excellence in cancer, cardiac, neonatal, orthopaedic and transplant services, as well as many other pediatric specialties. To learn more about Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, visit our Web site at www.choa.org or call 404-250-KIDS.