Bob Block

Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP

My professional experience includes general pediatrics practice, and now subspecialty practice in Child Abuse Pediatrics, the new area I was fortunate enough to help develop and lead over the last few years.

I have been an academician for 34 years, but Chair a department where I am intimately responsible for our general pediatric practice (44,000 visits per year).  Until recently, I have worked in the clinic regularly.  This experience allows me to have a good understanding of practice issues like scheduling, Medicaid and private payers, Immunization issues, maintaining a medical home, providing care to special needs children, compensation, working with advanced practice nurses, staffing, and many others.

I have enjoyed several experiences with the AAP, including state chapter vice-chair and chair; continuing work with the state chapter’s executive committee; participation in the old Chapter Forum, and the new Academy Leadership Forum; COCAN member and four years as Chair; service to the Advisory Commission for Children’s Vaccines (ACCV), representing the AAP; and AAP representative to the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

I am intimately aware of, and support the AAP “Strategic Plan,” the AAP Agenda for Children 2009-2010.  I am excited to see “Early Brain and Child Development” in the planning phase, and hope to be able to contribute.  I firmly believe that previous sociologic research indicating the astounding health influences of adverse childhood experiences (ACE studies, Felitti et al), now verified daily by new reports of biological associations between violence and abuse and medical outcomes ranging from mental health diagnoses to adult arthritis and cancer, could be a principle beacon as the AAP sheds light on the value of primary, longitudinal care, the medical home, and investment in children’s health.

I have always studied leadership, and have intensified my studies over the past several years.  My reading list includes Deep Change (Quinn), Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges (Scharmer), Community (Peter Block – no relation), Leadership and Self-Deception and The Anatomy of Peace (Arbinger Institute), Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading (Heifetz & Linsky), Leadership and the New Science (Wheatley), and Good to Great (Collins).  I believe in open communication, encouragement, quality, and empathy.

I believe I understand the workings of the AAP, and the roles of the President-elect and President; and I also understand the importance of the office as the “face” and “voice” of the Academy.  If elected, I will be able to adjust my current work, allowing me to address all responsibilities of the President-Elect; then devote myself full time to the Presidency year, and all time needed to serve as the Immediate Past President.  I pledge to champion AAP causes, because I have experienced the research, debate, and decision-making that results in a policy or a position by the AAP.

Finally, I have always been committed to my community, both as a physician leader and as a citizen.  I am comfortable with the media, and have delivered approximately 2,000 public presentations, to both professional and lay audiences over the years.  I have been married to Sharon for 40 years.  Together we raised two daughters, and now we are enjoying two toddler grandchildren.  My health is robust.  My active hobbies are woodcarving, developing amateur magician skills, reading and playing tennis.

Here are a few examples of Dr. Block’s adventures in woodcarving. Enjoy!

The baby is a sculpture created for the AAP 75th anniversary fund-raising auction.

An award-winning carving from Dr. Block’s collection

Dr. Block with his friend and instructor, Bob Hegler

The finished piece shown in an early stage above.

Selected excerpts from the AAP News profile on Dr. Block (member access only):

For Robert Block, M.D., FAAP, it all began in the corridors of a Cedar Falls, Iowa, hospital roughly 60 years ago. As a 4-year-old boy, he tagged along with his pediatrician father on rounds, watching how his dad cared for his young patients and seeing the difference he made in their lives.

“I was just a young boy who toddled along while my father talked about what it meant to be ill,” said Dr. Block, now a professor at the University of Oklahoma (OU) School of Community Medicine in Tulsa. “I learned a lot. The commitment he made to his patients and the rewards he received in helping people in the community greatly influenced me, both personally and professionally.”

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“Shortly after arriving in Tulsa, Bob soon distinguished himself in the area of patient care and education,” said F. Daniel Duffy, M.D., dean of OU School of Community Medicine. “Bob has mentored many students and residents over the years, and his patience and unique ability to build consensus makes him an outstanding role model for his medical colleagues.”

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“Dr. Block recognizes the strengths of ‘traditional’ academics and private practice,” said James W. Hendricks, M.D., FAAP, president of the AAP Oklahoma Chapter. “He has worked to combine these individual benefits in Tulsa and Oklahoma through cooperation to overcome inherent weakness in each. This work has been successful in improving the health of all children and their families.”

AAP members may access the entire profile at:

http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/31/6/9

Dr. Block was featured in this article from the September 2003 issue of Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association. From the introduction:

It’s a question people invariable ask someone whose profession involves dealing with disheartening, distressing situations on a daily basis, but Dr. Robert Block admits he doesn’t understand why they ask it.

“The question I get most often is ‘How can you stand working with abused children?’” says Dr. Block. “That’s like asking an oncologist how he can work with cancer patients.”

My first mentor was my father, a pediatrician in private practice in Iowa. Other mentors were clinicians and advisors, who encouraged me during my residency. My friend and career mentor, Dan Plunket, MD, FAAP, demonstrated teaching, clinical, and relationship building skills that have guided me for years. I try to emulate those qualities while mentoring students, residents, young faculty, and pediatricians new to our Tulsa, OK community. Mentoring within the AAP should focus on clinical and business needs of private practices, while fostering alignment between members in private practices and in academics, centering on connecting experienced members with newer members looking for ideas and advice.

A mentor supports another individual or group of individuals as they pursue common goals. Mentoring often is simply leading by example. Good mentors engage others through active listening, encouraging ideas, and by offering suggestions that are designed to support and energize another person. The AAP is a great resource for finding mentors among its many members, and can serve as an organizational mentor by listening to many opinions while guiding members’ best ideas into policies and guidelines.

The AAP should continue to engage our trainees and young physicians, facilitating the acquisition of knowledge in medicine, business, policies, and politics. While advocating for children, the AAP supports members in practice settings through e-mail lists, task forces, sections and other activities. Providing a way for pediatricians to learn about practice management from experienced and successful practitioners is important. The AAP continues to support senior pediatricians, many of whom can use their practice or academic experiences to mentor a new FAAP entering practice or academics.

The AAP can facilitate the development of mentors through a task force, section or council on mentoring. A task force could design methods for connecting interested members with a mentor in their area of interest. I suggest inviting a young physician to observe committee or section executive committee meetings to connect with leaders who might become mentors. Using new technologies, we can support mentor/mentee pairs across time and space, generating, developing, and reviewing ideas. AAP resources can support mentoring program evaluation and improvement.

[From the AAP 2010 Election Center: http://www.aap.org/moc/vp/vpques1.htm]

American Academy of Pediatrics 2010 President Elect

Biographical Summary

ROBERT W. BLOCK, MD, FAAP

Clinical Practice

• Type:  Academic General Pediatrics, Clinical Specialty – Child Abuse Pediatrics.
• Years in Practice (total, 37 years):
  • 1972-1975, USAMC, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
  • 1975-present, University of OK School of Community Medicine
• Current Practice Situation:
  • Chair, Department of Pediatrics; and Clinical and Forensic Child Abuse Pediatrics subspecialist.
  • Administrator for Hospitalist practice and General Pediatric Clinic, and Normal Newborn oversight
• Plan if elected:
  • 2010-2011: (Vice-President Year): Retire from position as Chair, continue as a part-time faculty member with the School of Community Medicine
  • 2011-2012 (President Year): Retire from academic medicine and serve as the AAP President
  • 2012-2013 (Past President Year) and beyond: Continue supporting the mission of the AAP and the new subspecialty board of Child Abuse Pediatrics.

American Academy of Pediatrics

• Elected Positions Held
  • 1990-1993: Vice-President and President Elect, OK Chapter AAP
  • 1993-1996:  President, OK Chapter AAP
• Appointed Positions Held
  • 1990-present:  Member, OK Chapter AAP Executive Committee
  • 1996-2002:  Member, AAP Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect (COCAN)
  • 1999-2002:  AAP Member, U.S. Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines.  Chair of ACCV, 2000-2002
  • 2002-2006:  Chair, AAP COCAN
  • 2005-present:  AAP Member, Steering Committee for the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

Academic Positions

• • Professor and Daniel C. Plunket Chair, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa

Community Involvement

• Local:
  • Advisory Board, Crosstown Learning Center (Early Childhood Education and Child Care)
  • Board of Directors, Child Abuse Network (Founding Member)
  • Board of Directors, American Red Cross Blood Services, Tulsa area
  • Vice-Chair, Tulsa County Juvenile Justice Trust Authority
  • Chair, Council on Medical Education, Tulsa County Medical Society
  • Previous Board memberships: Advisory, Jr. League of Tulsa; Advisory, OK L.D. Association; Margaret Hudson Program for Teen Parents; Town and Country School for Learning Disabled Children;
• State:
  • Board and Executive Committee member, Fit Kids Coalition of OK.
  • OK Child Death Review Board (founding member, 1992, continuing).
  • OK Advisory Board on Child Abuse.
  • OK Board of Child Abuse Examination (Chief Child Abuse Examiner).
• National:
  • Ray E. Helfer Honor Society,
  • Academy on Violence and Abuse (current President)
  • American Board of Pediatrics, Immediate past Chair, Subboard of Child Abuse Pediatrics
• International:
  • International Advisory Board, the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
  • Lectures in Canada, Mexico, and England
• Legislative Experience: Congressional testimony during ACCV Chair years, multiple local and in-session discussions and committee meetings with state legislators, AAP Key Contact, Considerable work with AAP Washington office on a Health CARES initiative.
• Media Experience: Frequent local television and newspaper interviews; AAP media contact for child abuse issues, Newborn Network video on Shaken Baby Syndrome, television news medical spot(s)/PSA/stories  or interviews
• Public Appearances: Over 2,000 community presentations on a variety of issues pertaining to children

Awards

• AAP Special Achievement award for developing Child Abuse Pediatrics Subspecialty with the American Board of Pediatrics. (2009)
• AAP SOCAN Award for Outstanding Service to Maltreated Children (2007)
• Ray E. Helfer Society Award for Service in the Field of Child Abuse (2006)
• ACGME Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” Award for Excellence as a Pediatric Residency Program director (2001)
• University of Oklahoma: Presidential Professorship (1999), Stanton Young Master Teacher Award (1998), Aesculapian Award for Teaching Excellence (1978, 1981, 1982).

Major Career Interests

• Organizational:  Representing AAP as state chapter leader, ACCV and FVPF representation, Health CARES legislation, COCAN.  Thirty-four years in academic pediatrics, thirteen as department chair, working with colleagues on the nation’s first School of Community Medicine
• Policy:  Advocate for public policy and legislative action for Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention, Social Determinants of Health, and Consequences of Violence and Abuse (Adverse Childhood Experiences studies)
• Research:  Publications focus on General and Behavioral Pediatrics and Child Abuse and include 32 papers, 4 book chapters, 1 book (Handbook of Behavioral Pediatrics, 1981), and several media productions.