Robert Haggerty, the New Morbidities, and the Dissonance between Education and Child Health Needs.

Abstract

1. Julia A. McMillan, MD* 1. *Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD > In April 2018, the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and invited pediatric department chairs and pediatric residency program directors participated in a 2-day workshop dedicated to developing ways to prepare future pediatricians to meet the behavioral and mental health needs of children, needs that are increasing each year. Each participant pledged to develop a way. One way is to spread the word of such needs. What follows is a commentary by one of the workshop facilitators. > > —JZ Anniversaries are appropriate occasions to mark longevity and to celebrate achievements and progress, and the 40th anniversary of Pediatrics in Review (PIR) is no exception. As we celebrate the achievements of the past 40 years, however, it is also important to recognize opportunities that have been missed, warnings that have not been heeded. Robert J. Haggerty was the first editor-in-chief of PIR , and he served in that capacity for 25 years. Although Dr Haggerty is well-known and respected for his service as the founding editor of PIR, it is his recognition of the importance of what he called the biosocial aspects of pediatrics for which he may be best remembered. Just 4 years before the first issue of PIR was published, Dr Haggerty and coeditors Klaus Roghman and Ivan Pless wrote of the importance of biosocial considerations in child health. They cited, in particular, behavior disorders in preschool children, inadequate functioning in schools, and adjustment issues during adolescence. They called for a shift in the orientation of pediatric training programs and for allowing for more time during pediatric office visits to address these problems, which they called the new morbidities . (1) Dr Haggerty and his colleagues at the University of Rochester advocated a multidisciplinary approach to child health, addressing psychological problems and …