Local Doctor Is American Academy of Pediatrics Liaison

Andrew Hashikawa, a resident of Dexter and a University of Michigan emergency room doctor specializing in pediatrics, hopes to improve the way child care centers deal with children with mild illnesses in his new role as an American Academy of Pediatrics child care health expert.

Hashikawa moved to the Ann Arbor area in July and was named the American Academy of Pediatrics’ child care health expert and contact person for Michigan in January.

“I’m the contact person for child care-related issues, health and safety for the state,” Hashikawa said.

Hashikawa received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Flint campus and attended medical school at the Mayo Clinic, studying under Dr. Young J. Juhn, his mentor and a pediatric expert in childhood asthma and the impact of  socioeconomics on health outcomes.

As part of his role with the AAP, Hashikawa will serve as a resource and consultant in education and training to child care providers statewide, while connecting the academy with local child care leaders and directors across Michigan.

Hashikawa said he’s been interested in issues related to health in child care settings since he was in medical school.

“We’d have rotations, or shifts, in the emergency room, and you’d sometimes see kids at night with cold symptoms,” he said. “It’s not something you’d expect at that time of night, and I thought it was odd that somebody would ask their child to be seen for a cold. Then, I would find out there was a child care issue and the related issue of mom or dad missing work.”

Hashikawa said it’s usually a matter of lack of training when a child care provider sends a child home unnecessarily.

“Part of the issue is that we, as an organization, haven’t gotten out the message very well,” he said. “We don’t offer a good amount of training or support. We know that sometimes kids are sent home unnecessarily. Now that we know it’s occurring, how can we do better?”

Hashikawa said some parents feel that child care providers should err on the side of caution and send a child home sick, even if it's not necessary.

“The problem is missed time from work and possibly job loss,” he said.

In the years after welfare reform under President Clinton, Hashikawa said single parents were often required to return to work or be in job-related training in order to continue receiving benefits, which required putting their children in child care.

“Most entry-level jobs often don’t have dedicated sick leave, so if the kids miss child care, parents lose income or even lose their jobs,” Hashikawa said. "Even for middle class families, if they don’t have an aunt or another backup child care provider, it’s a significant issue.

"That’s why we’re trying to find ways to safely keep kids in day care who have a runny nose," he said. "Maybe it’s from being sick, but maybe it’s just allergies. Obviously, that’s not contagious, and there’s no reason to send the child home.”

He said AAP data show that some sick children can remain in child care safely, and national guidelines have been established to help workers determine when a child should be sent home.

“What we need to do is get word out to child care providers,” he said. “I’m trying to do that in my role as liaison, and I’m trying to establish and network with other groups, such as the Early Childhood Investment Corp.”

Hashikawa was born and raised in Michigan in a small town near Flint and said it felt good to come back to Michigan after working out of state for several years.

He said he chose a home in Dexter for himself and his family in part because it’s close to where he works.

“It’s also a great family town. We live in an area that gives us more land for the kids to be on, and it’s just a really nice town,” he said.