About 28 years ago, Fountain Valley pediatricians Burton Willis, M.D., and Harry Pellman, M.D., and others saw the need for local representation at the national level. They petitioned the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to form a new chapter in Orange County, separate from the Los Angeles Chapter.
Their efforts led to the formation of California Chapter 4 in 1986. Still the youngest AAP chapter, this strong, local organization provides evidence-based education, practice support and advocacy on the local, state and national level.
After nurturing the chapter’s development, Dr. Pellman and Dr. Willis remained involved. Among their many notable successes are the consistently high-quality continuing medical education programs offered by the chapter. In October, they once again chaired “Advances in Pediatrics,” an annual program held in conjunction with CHOC and the University of California, Irvine, that is attended by more than 200 physicians.
Improving The Practice of Pediatrics
Dr. Willis and Dr. Pellman met during medical training at the University of Illinois. Years later, they reconnected at a medical conference, and Dr. Pellman joined Dr. Willis at Edinger Medical Group in 1972.
Forty years ago, the Orange County medical landscape was much different. Office visits cost $8, and there usually was no insurance. Dr. Pellman and Dr. Willis were on-call for afterhours neonatal care and emergency room visits. And at that time, CHOC and UC Irvine Medical Center had the only children’s wards and NICUs in Orange County.
In 1973, Dr. Pellman and Dr. Willis helped develop a pediatric service at Fountain Valley Community Hospital, a newly opened hospital near their practice. Next, they were instrumental in starting the first community NICU in the county. They also joined the teaching faculty at UC Irvine, and became involved with CHOC.
“A lot of our friends asked why we were doing all this,” Dr. Pellman said. “We felt for our own education, as well as for the quality in the community, a university affiliation and a children’s hospital were important.”
Dr. Pellman and Dr. Willis have made lasting contributions to the quality of pediatric care provided in Orange County today. So the next time you receive a mailing from California Chapter 4 of the American Academy of Pediatrics, think about them—and think about getting involved.
Pediatricians Harry Pellman, M.D., and Burton Willis, M.D., are in practice at Edinger Medical Group, which has offices in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach.
Background of Drs. Burton Willis and Pellman
Burton Willis, M.D.
Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics
Past President, American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 4
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UC Irvine
National AAP Involvement: Committee on Development
District IX, AAP Involvement: Past District Chair
Harry Pellman, M.D.
Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics
Past President, American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 4
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UC Irvine
National AAP Involvement: Chapter Coordinator Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) and Chapter Breast Feeding Coordinator. Member of both Infectious Disease and Breastfeeding Sections
Distict IX, AAP Involvement: CME Co-Chairman Chapter Involvement: CME Chairman, Board Member
