The Lead in Peds

How can investing in the pediatric workforce improve care for children and families? In this episode of The Lead in Peds, guest host Michelle Riley-Brown, MHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Children's National, speaks with Matthew Cook, president and CEO of the Children's Hospital Association, and Torey Mack, MD, chief medical officer and neonatologist at the Children's Hospital Association. They discuss why children's healthcare requires specialized training, how Medicaid and Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education, or CHGME, support access to pediatric care, and why strengthening these programs is essential to building a stable, sustainable workforce for kids.

Looking for more? Explore the Children's Hospital Association's report, Securing the Workforce that Cares for America's Children, for a closer look at the pediatric workforce challenges and policy solutions discussed in this episode.

How can better education lead to better care? In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, speaks with Lanre Falusi, MD, MEd, medical director of advocacy education, and Priti D. Bhansali, MD, MEd, MBA, director of the Children's Academy of Pediatric Educators and Director of Scholarship and Faculty Development in the Division of Hospital Medicine, both at Children's National. They explore how rigorous study, simulation, advocacy education and partnerships with patients, families and communities can prepare healthcare professionals to communicate more effectively, address social needs and improve pediatric care.

Pediatric nursing is at the heart of how care is delivered, shaping every moment a child and family spends in the hospital. In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH sits down with Cicely "CC" Brooks, DNP-ENL, MSN, RN, NE-BC, FAB, and Christine Riley, NP, CPNP-AC, to explore how nurses lead at the bedside, drive research and push innovation forward. From supporting families in their most vulnerable moments to rethinking the future of care, this conversation reveals how pediatric nursing is transforming medicine.

Shows like The Pitt have brought attention to emergency medicine, but pediatric emergency care is even more challenging. In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, interviews Joelle Simpson, MD, MPH, and Kenneth McKinley, MD, about the realities of pediatric emergency medicine, nationwide pressures and how research and technology – especially AI –are enhancing care.

Survival is only the beginning. In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, talks with pediatric cardiologist and researcher Pascal Amedro, MD, PhD, about redefining cardiac rehabilitation to help children move beyond survival toward better function, confidence and quality of life. They discuss how CPET and VO2 max can uncover early deconditioning, and why a three-pillar model of exercise training, patient education and mental health support can transform recovery.

What does whole-child care really look like for children with brain tumors? In this episode of The Lead in Peds, host Dr. Nathan Kuppermann is joined by Dr. Jennifer Dorr, a child and adolescent psychiatrist embedded directly in pediatric neuro-oncology at Children's National. They explore how integrating mental health into cancer care is transforming treatment, improving outcomes, and reshaping what comprehensive pediatric care can be. The conversation also dives into advocacy, access to behavioral health, and why treating the mind and body together is essential for the future of pediatrics.

Matthew Oetgen, MD, MPH, and Kevin Cleary, PhD, share how robotics, imaging and motion capture are transforming pediatric orthopaedics at Children's National. Between stories of coaching their kids' sports teams and leading breakthrough research, they reveal how innovation is helping kids move, heal and thrive.

Children's National is leading the way in tackling some of the most challenging pediatric brain tumors. In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Drs. Roger Packer and Adriana Fonseca share how focused ultrasound, precision medicine and global collaboration are opening new doors for children and families. Their conversation is a reminder that behind every breakthrough is hope, humanity and the courage of patients who inspire the work.

A point guard uses vision, precision and teamwork during a basketball game. These same strategies drive Dr. Anthony Sandler's approach to surgical innovation. In this episode of The Lead in Peds, he shares how Children's National is advancing robotics, artificial intelligence, T cell immunotherapy and augmented reality-guided imaging to make surgery better and safer for kids.

Federal funding for research is being cut - leading to potentially devastating impacts for our nation's health - especially for children. In this episode, our host, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, discusses the importance of investing in pediatric research, clinical trials, and training future generations of researchers, alongside Catherine Bollard, MBChB, MD, senior vice president and chief research officer at Children's National, and Sallie Permar, MD, PH, chair of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. You'llalso get a peek into how these top-of-their-field experts unwind when they're not advocating for kids or chasing the next research breakthrough.