Well Beyond Medicine: The Nemours Children's Health Podcast

Why are children across the U.S. falling behind on key health measures – and what can we do about it? Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, President, The Commonwealth Fund, joins us to explore solutions. We discuss the Fund’s long-standing work in child and maternal health, recent state health findings, and key factors affecting pediatric care, from policy and primary care investment to trust, data and urgent mental health needs.

Watch the episode on YouTube.

Featuring:
Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, President, The Commonwealth Fund

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.

Clinical psychologist, parenting expert and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Lisa Damour joins us to explore the emotional lives of teenagers – what’s typical, when to worry and how adults and systems can better support adolescents today. Listen to Dr. Damour’s Ask Lisa podcast for more insights.

Watch the episode on YouTube.

Featuring:
Lisa Damour, PhD, clinical psychologist, parenting expert and NY Times best-selling author

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.

How can we guide boys through health, emotions and relationships in a culture that often tells them to “toughen up”? Christopher Pepper and Joanna Schroeder, co-authors of Talk to Your Boys: 16 Conversations to Help Teens and Tweens Grow into Confident, Compassionate Men, share practical, real-world advice. We cover everything from navigating social media and digital culture to building friendships and emotional skills, giving parents, grandparents, educators and health care providers the tools they need to start and sustain meaningful conversations with the teen boys in their lives.

Watch the episode on YouTube.

Featuring: 
Christopher Pepper, award-winning health educator and author
Joanna Schroeder, journalist and author

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 celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we speak with Adela Casas-Melley, MD, Chair of Surgery, Nemours Children's Health. She shares her journey from a young Cuban immigrant in Miami to a leader in pediatric surgery, how her family’s belief in education guided her, the challenges she faced, and the legacy she’s creating through mentorship and advocacy.

Watch the episode on YouTube.

Featuring: 
Adela Casas-Melley, MD, Chair of Surgery, 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.

When technology promises to lighten the load but instead adds to it, what’s really going on? Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FADLN, FAONL, Senior Vice President for Equity and Engagement, American Nurses Association,  joins us to share her journey from aspiring accountant to national nursing leader — and explores how AI, virtual care and innovation can actually empower nurses instead of overwhelming them.

Watch the episode on YouTube.

Featuring:
Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FADLN, FAONL, Senior Vice President for Equity and Engagement, American Nurses Association

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.

Nemours Children’s Health is proud to be the official Children’s Hospital of the Philadelphia Phillies. For the third year in a row, the Phillies welcomed our podcast team to share powerful stories from Childhood Cancer Awareness Night on September 13, 2025.

In our first segment, we talk with Douglas J. Harrison, MD, MS, Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology/Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Inaugural Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Presidential Endowed Chair, Nemours Children’s Health, who reflects on his unlikely journey from college theater major to nationally recognized pediatric oncologist and researcher.

In our second segment, we meet 11-year-old pediatric cancer patient Vishaal and his sister, Sahasra, who share how life shifts for a family after a cancer diagnosis. We’re also joined by Vishaal’s clinician, Nicholas Manini, MD, Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist, Nemours Children's Health, who offers insights into Vishaal’s care and prognosis.

Watch the episode on YouTube.

Douglas J. Harrison, MD, MS, Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology/Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Inaugural Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Presidential Endowed Chair, Nemours Children’s Health
Nicholas Manini, MD, Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist, Nemours Children's Health
Vishaal A., pediatric cancer patient
Sahsra A., sister of a pediatric cancer patient

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.

Charles Johnson walked into a California hospital expecting joy – hours later, his wife, Kira, was gone after preventable delays and inaction. Charles shares how that devastating loss sparked the creation of 4Kira4Moms, a nonprofit dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes, advancing policy reform and supporting families impacted by maternal mortality. The U.S. is facing a maternal health crisis, with Black women most at risk. 4Kira4Moms works to close these gaps and make childbirth safe, empowering and free of fear for every mother.

Guest: Charles Johnson IV, Founder and President, 4Kira4Moms

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.

Asthma and food allergies remain major health concerns, especially as students head back to school. Chris Martinez, President and CEO, Asthma and Allergy Impact and Rescue (AAIR), joins us to share life-saving, practical solutions that keep kids healthy and learning. From stocking albuterol in schools to equipping families with diagnostic kits and advancing key policy initiatives, AAIR is transforming how communities respond to these chronic conditions.

Guest:  Chris Martinez, President and CEO, Asthma and Allergy Impact and Rescue (AAIR)

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.

Caring for a child with a chronic condition can feel overwhelming – especially when it involves coordinating specialists, therapies and countless appointments. That’s where Health Hug helps. By combining technology with a personal touch, Health Hug streamlines pediatric care, connects families to resources, and eases burdens for both parents and providers. On this episode, Health Hug’s CEO & Co-founder, Christina Sloan-Vélez, takes us back to the kitchen table where Health Hug was born as a result of personal, professional and world circumstances she was facing.

Guests:
Christina Sloan-Vélez, CEO & Co-Founder, Health Hug
Christina Nadaskay, RN, BSN, Chief Clinical Officer, Health Hug

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.

Mama Glow founder Latham Thomas shares her personal journey into birth work, breastfeeding and the difference between doulas and midwives. A SuperSoul 100 honoree, she’s advancing maternal health through advocacy, education and birth equity.

Guest: Latham Thomas, Founder, Mama Glow

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.