Well Beyond Medicine: The Nemours Children's Health Podcast

Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist whose clinical work focuses on the intersection of mental and physical health. She brings a strong commitment to equity and inclusion to her role as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We had the privilege of speaking with her ahead of the 2024 election to discuss a wide range of public health issues affecting children, including vaccinations, health disparities, hunger, nutrition and whole-child health.

Guest:
Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health and Head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar 

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

Orlando, "The City Beautiful," is emerging as a global center for medical care, innovation and research. A new partnership between Nemours Children’s Health and the University of Central Florida (UCF) — highlighted by the launch of the Nemours/UCF Department of Pediatrics — aims to train future pediatricians and drive advancements in pediatric health research.

Guests:
Debra German, MD, Vice President of Health Affairs and Founding Dean, University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Heather A. Fagan, MD, MS, FAAP, Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for Graduate Medical Education, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

Dr. Robert Pearl, former CEO of the Permanente Medical Group and a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, discusses his latest book, ChatGPT, MD. He shares how generative AI could transform health care by empowering patients and clinicians through real-time data analysis and insights. These AI tools could significantly improve chronic disease management, helping to reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. In this wide-ranging interview, we explore his vision for the potential of generative AI in reshaping the future of health care.

Guest:
Robert Pearl, MD, author, podcaster, former CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

Bullying is more than “I know it when I see it” behavior. According to stopbullying.gov, bullying is distinguished by certain specific elements: it is repetitive, aggressive, threatening behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. From name-calling and teasing to hitting and spitting and beyond, the negative effects of bullying on our youth are well-documented. 

Guest:
Daniel J. Flannery, PhD, Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention, Case Western Reserve University

Host/producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

In September 2024, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions released its annual report analyzing 2022 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data on firearm deaths in the U.S. The report highlights a 106% increase in firearm deaths among children ages 1 to 17 since 2013. Since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death for children and teens nationwide.

On this episode of Well Beyond Medicine, we explore firearm safety with two of the nation’s leading researchers on the topic.

Guests:
Lisa M. Costello, MD, MPH, FAAP, Assistant Professor, West Virginia University
Lois K. Lee, MD, MPH, Senior Faculty Advisor, Office and Health Equity & Inclusion; Senior Associate in Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

Health care transformation is starting to move from the realm of concept to reality. One example is a platform called care.ai, which brings together virtual care and artificial intelligence to create “smart hospitals” and “smart care teams.” It's already in action at such luminary health care providers as Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and Henry Ford Health in Detroit — and coming soon to Nemours Children’s Health. 

care.ai President Bruce Brandes and Nemours Children’s Chief Nursing Executive Jane Mericle stepped up to the podcast mics during the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics Experience National Conference in Orlando to talk about care.ai and the solutions it brings to myriad issues faced in today’s crucial care setting.

Guests:
Bruce Brandes, President, care.ai
Jane Mericle, DNP, MHS-CL, BSN, CENP, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Chief Nursing Executive and Patient Operations Officer, Nemours Children's Health

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 60% of Americans use the internet for health information. A GoodRx survey indicates that more than 70% of those people have been exposed to medical or health-related misinformation, with social media cited as the most common source.

Nationwide Children’s pediatric allergist David R. Stukus, MD, FAAP, believes pediatricians can play a key role in countering medical misinformation on social media, both in the exam room and on their social media platforms. He presented on the topic at the American Academy of Pediatrics Experience 2024, training his colleagues on how to tip the balance toward evidence-based information for 21st-century parents.

Interested in hearing more? Check out Conversations From the World of Allergy, a podcast from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) moderated by Dr. Stukus, AAAAI Social Media Medical Editor.

And, if you’re a parent looking for reliable health information, visit Nemours KidsHealth®, the world’s most-visited site for trusted health information with content specific to parents, teens and kids.

Guest:
David R. Stukus, MD, FAAP, Pediatric Allergist & Director, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Nationwide Children's

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar 

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

We're celebrating our 100th Episode of Well Beyond Medicine — and we're pleased to feature special guests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to share more about their MyPlate resource and other efforts to support access to healthy and nutritious foods.

Most parents and caregivers put a lot of thought into how their children are fed and fueled, especially as they head off to school each day. Yet feeding their children can be a challenge for those unsure of what foods best support their children’s healthy development or who struggle to consistently access healthy, safe, affordable food. That’s where the USDA and the resources and programs it provides, including MyPlate, can help fill in the gaps.

Access additional resources and information on how to support healthy nutrition created in collaboration with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

Guests:
Caree Jackson Cotwright, PhD, RDN, LD, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service
Yetunde Akingbemi, MPH, RDN, Nutritionist, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Allison Gertel-Rosenberg, MS, Vice President, Chief Policy and Prevention Officer, Nemours Children's Health

Host/producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

The American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all recognize voting as a social determinant of health. In a year when more than 60 nations have or will hold elections (including the United States), the Well Beyond Medicine podcast examines the concepts of civic engagement and voting as ways to improve health.

On this episode, we’re joined by Aliya Bhatia, Executive Director of Vot-ER, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to integrate civic engagement into health care.

Register to vote

Guest:
Aliya Bhatia, Executive Director, Vot-ER

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

Diversity in health care is more than just a buzzword — it is essential for delivering culturally competent care, addressing health disparities, and creating an inclusive environment for patients, families and providers. For the Latino/Hispanic community, which constitutes a significant and growing portion of the U.S. population, having health care providers who understand their cultural context can lead to better patient outcomes. Building a workforce pipeline for Latino and Hispanic individuals is essential to serve this population and to create an inclusive health care environment.

Joining in the discussion are nurse innovator Dr. Bonnie Clipper as well as Nemours Children’s workforce partnership development director Dr. Margaret LaFashia, and Merry Ann Carde Garcia, a member of Adelante — a Latino/Hispanic employee resource group, who weigh in with national and system perspectives.

Guests:
Bonnie Clipper, DNP, Nurse Futurist and Founder & CEO, Virtual Nursing Academy
Margaret LaFashia, DNP, Director of Workforce Partnerships, Nemours Children's Health
Merry Ann Carde Garcia, RN, Administrative Manager, Nemours Children's Health

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.