In observance of Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Heidi Russell speaks with Titilope Fasipe, associate professor of pediatrics and codirector of the Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Program at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center and Baylor College of Medicine.

The conversation explores the role of pediatric hematologists in managing inherited blood disorders and examines policy frameworks governing newborn screening, Medicaid coverage, and access to emerging therapies. Fasipe also discusses systemic barriers and the critical transition from pediatric to adult healthcare settings.

This conversation was recorded on Aug. 31, 2026.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Heidi Russell speaks with Luz Maria Garcini, director of the Center for Community Health at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, associate professor of psychological sciences, and Rice faculty scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy.

The conversation examines how immigration policy, legal uncertainty, and structural barriers affect the physical and mental health of immigrant children and youth in mixed-status families. Garcini discusses the biobehavioral impacts of chronic stress, community-engaged research approaches, and policy strategies to expand healthcare access and resilience among young populations.

This conversation was recorded on Aug. 19, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

How can educators and community leaders help young people understand the difference between advocacy and public policy? In this episode, host Heidi Russell speaks with Shamier Bouie, founder and president of Community First Institute located in Houston, about practical strategies for introducing students to civic engagement and municipal decision-making. Bouie shares insights on how to explain legislative processes, empower student voices, and connect youth-led advocacy to tangible child health outcomes.

This conversation was recorded on Aug. 11, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy“podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Amid a nationwide shortage of primary care doctors, nearly 60% of Texas counties do not have a single practicing pediatrician, even as pediatricians disproportionately practice in major metropolitan centers, such as Houston, Dallas, and Austin. In the Season 2 premiere of "Child Health Advocacy + Policy," host Heidi Russell, director of the Center for Health Policy, examines the systemic factors shaping the pediatric workforce in Texas.

Drawing from her latest issue brief, Russell outlines how medical training timelines, primary care reimbursement structures, Medicaid exposure, and student loan repayments contribute to physician shortages. She also explores the demographic dynamics of Texas’ pediatrician workforce where women represent over 70% of practitioners, unpacking how practice location decisions intersect with regional healthcare infrastructure, pay equity, and access to maternal health services.

This conversation was recorded on Aug. 10, 2026.

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Mentioned in this episode:

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Is artificial intelligence reshaping how children think? Heidi Russell speaks with Moshe Y. Vardi about the developmental implications of synthetic interaction and how new Texas laws, including the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), are attempting to govern the frontier of artificial intelligence for the next generation.

This conversation was recorded on May 28, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

FEMA’s new draft maps show a 43% expansion of the 100-year floodplain in Harris County. How will this affect the nearly 90 HISD schools now located in higher-risk zones? Edward M. Emmett and Bill King join Heidi Russell to explore the policy implications for Houston’s schools and the approaches under consideration to improve long-term resilience.

This conversation was recorded on May 27, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Texas poison center calls are at a 10-year high due to hemp-derived THC products. Heidi Russell speaks with drug policy expert Katharine Harris about the “hemp frontier” and the legislative approaches being considered to address youth exposure to psychoactive substances and deceptive packaging.

This conversation was recorded on May 11, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Heidi Russell speaks with Charles W. Mathias about the link between pediatric nutrition and healthcare financing. The conversation explores how better alignment between Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC could improve health outcomes and reduce long-term costs for the state of Texas.

This conversation was recorded on May 4, 2026.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Texas has invested $200 million in the Thriving Texas Families program, but what has that investment delivered? Heidi Russell speaks with Elena M. Marks and Anna Chatillon about their evaluation of the program’s transition from the Alternatives to Abortion model and how its funding structure prioritizes non-medical services over clinical care.

This conversation was recorded on April 23, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Are we waiting too long to address children’s mental health? Heidi Russell speaks with Quianta Moore, executive director of the Hackett Center for Mental Health, about the policy shifts needed to prioritize prevention and early childhood development over crisis response.

This conversation was recorded on April 21, 2026.

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Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.