American Academy of Pediatrics honors two UC Davis Health faculty
By Tricia Tomiyoshi
(SACRAMENTO)
Two UC Davis Children’s Hospital physicians were among more than 90 pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists and trainees recognized this year by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for exemplary achievements in advocacy, practice and research that impact the care of children.
Council on Community Pediatrics’ Local Hero Award: Érik Fernández y García
Érik Fernández y García holds certificate at the conference.
Érik Fernández y García was honored with the Council on Community Pediatrics’ Local Hero Award. He is the first UC Davis Health pediatrician to win this award. The award recognizes pediatricians who champion community-based initiatives and advocacy for children and who go above and beyond in their work to improve children’s health within their local community.
Fernández y García is professor of clinical pediatrics in the UC Davis School of Medicine and an academic coach with its TEACH-MS cohort. He also leads the Office of Population Health’s systemwide health care collaborative. He is a commissioner for First 5 Sacramento, a coach for Special Olympics Northern California, and UC Davis director of regional systems improvement for ACEs Aware.
He chose to be a doctor to provide care to the community in which he was raised and lift up the voices of those that he serves.
“So, my joy that I hold on to is that I’ve been able to do both of those things, serve clinically the community where I grew up, in Sacramento and the Bay Area in several FQHCs and University sites, and also lift up their voices,” he said.
“I’ve had the privilege to do this in research; city, county and state government activities; institutional systems design committees; and teaching, for the last 30 years through lots of what seemed like at the time similar insurmountable societal barriers,” Fernández y García said.
Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine’s Virginia Apgar Award: Satyan Lakshminrusimha
AAP's Society on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine chair Clara Song presented Satyan Lakshminrusimha with the award. Former UC Davis chair of pediatrics and mentor Robin Steinhorn introduced him during his award presentation. Photo credit: Veena Manja.
Satyan Lakshminrusimha was presented with the prestigious Virginia Apgar Award by the AAP's Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. The award honors an individual whose career has had a sustained and profound influence on the welfare of newborn infants. The Virginia Apgar Award is made possible by a continuing grant from Abbott Nutrition.
Lakshminrusimha is pediatrician-in-chief and the Dennis and Nancy Marks Endowed Chair in Pediatrics at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. He is also executive associate dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. He received the AAP Education Award in 2023 for his work on the Council on Communications and Media, the Committee on Pediatric Education and the Committee on Continuing Medical Education.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the Virginia Apgar award from the American Academy of Pediatrics for 2025,” Lakshminrusimha said. “Neonatal critical care physicians care for the tiniest and most vulnerable human beings and their families. Our goal is to reduce mortality and morbidity of these neonates not only in the U.S. but all over the world.”
He added: “There is an urgent need to support the providers such as neonatologists and other pediatric subspecialists, with flexible staffing models, compensation and support to pursue scientific and scholarly activities to improve patient safety and outcomes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We are committed to enhancing provider engagement and involving families in shared decision making, and to strive to improve the care of critically ill newborns.”
The AAP, the largest professional association of pediatricians in the United States, is dedicated to the health of all children.
