Well Beyond Medicine: The Nemours Children's Health Podcast

Hurricanes, wildfires, power outages — disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. But how do they affect children’s health, and how can we better prepare? This episode looks at disaster response through a pediatric lens to highlight the unique risks kids face and the steps we can take to protect them.

We hear from Dr. Cindy Calderon in Puerto Rico, who shares lessons from Hurricane Maria and the 2020 earthquake, and Malia D'Alio from Seattle Children's, who reflects on the 2023 Maui wildfires and the importance of community resilience.

Guests:
Cindy Calderon, MD, Pediatrician, Past President, Puerto Rico Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Malia D'Alio, Manager, Workforce Community & Connection, Seattle 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.

Mental health is an essential part of overall health – and pediatric primary care providers are increasingly serving on the front lines. With one in five children facing a diagnosable mental health disorder and rates of anxiety and depression on the rise, the routine pediatric well visit has become a critical opportunity for early identification, intervention and support.

To explore how primary care practices are integrating behavioral health screening and care into their everyday work, we brought together experts from across the country – including rural Alaska – for a roundtable discussion. Together, they examined the benefits and challenges of this integrated care model.

Guests: 

Rebecca A. Baum, MD, FAAP, Chief, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Marian F. Earls, MD, MTS, FAAP, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician, Pediatric Specialists, Cone Health
Joan Jeung, MD, MPH, MS, Clinical Professor, Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Elisa Marie Rosier, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician, Owner, Pacific Pediatrics

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 a parent is recovering from a substance use disorder, stigma can impact the entire family – including kids. This episode explores how that stigma affects children and what physicians and others can do to promote a more compassionate approach in pediatric health care.

Guests: 

Andrew Terranella, MD, MPH, FAAP, Medical Epidemiologist, Division of Overdose Prevention, Centers for Disease Control
Rachel H. Alinsky, MD, MPH, Adolescent & Addiction Medicine, Medical Director, Substance Use Intervention & Treatment Unit, University of Maryland College Park, University Health Center

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 CDC, nearly 1 in 5 children between the ages of 3 and 17 has a diagnosable mental health disorder, and more than half of those children never receive treatment. The reasons most cited for this lack in care include problems getting an appointment, issues related to cost, and lack of access to services in the child’s geographical area. Certainly, these challenges are not good for kids in need of treatment; it also places extraordinary pressure on the people trying to treat them, including licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors, many of whom carry overwhelming caseloads. 

A model developed by telehealth provider Handspring Health is working toward alleviating these provider pressures — increasing access to clinical support, investing in clinician training and prioritizing manageable caseloads.

Guest:
Amy Kranzler, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer, Handspring 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.

Dr. Anita Ravi, President, CEO and Founder of PurpLE Health Foundation, shares how the organization provides free, trauma-informed health and mental health care to children and adults affected by violence, including human trafficking and sexual assault. PurpLE Health Foundation also uses data to identify best practices and trains other providers to better care for populations facing threats and barriers to optimal health.

Note, this conversation includes sensitive topics that some listeners may find upsetting.

Guest: Anita Ravi, MD, MPH, MSHP, FAAFP, President, CEO and Founder, PurpLE Health Foundation

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 honor National Nurses Week by featuring an in-depth interview with Margo B. Minissian, PhD, ACNP-BC, NEA-BC, FAHA, FAAN, cardiac nurse practitioner and leader, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles. Dr. Minissian's broad scope of work bridges bedside care and scientific research, and she is a passionate champion for a future where nurse-led innovation drives better outcomes for all. 

Watch the video episode on our Nemours Children's YouTube channel.

Guest:
Margo B. Minissian, PhD, ACNP-BC, NEA-BC, FAHA, FAAN, Executive Director, Geri & Richard Brawerman Nursing Institute, Simms/Mann Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Nurse Education, Innovation and Research, Assistant Professor, Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai

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 2024, an estimated 186 million health care records were breached across the U.S. Jen Waltz and Rob Courtney, both cybersecurity experts, share an update on the state of health care cybersecurity, outline actions being taken by regulators and providers, and offer tips to help protect private health information.

Guests:
Rob Courtney, Healthcare CTO, Carahsoft
Jennifer Waltz, Chief Cybersecurity Officer, IMAJENATIVE

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 Larry Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, President and CEO of Nemours Children's Health, delivering on Whole Child Health is the next step toward creating the healthiest generations of children. This approach emphasizes accountability for every child's health — not just for those in geographic areas served by Nemours Children’s and not just for kids in need of medical care — for all children and to ensure care and partnerships that address all factors that influence children’s health and well-being. Whole Child Health includes education and literacy, food security, safe housing, and freedom from violence, in addition to medical care. Dr. Moss shares his vision for Whole Child Health in this episode of Well Beyond Medicine.

Watch the video episode on the Nemours Children's YouTube channel.

Guest:
R. Lawrence “Larry” Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, President and CEO, 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 Family Resource Center at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida, offers a fresh approach to the traditional family resource center. For starters, it’s run entirely by volunteers who will be future health care providers. These student volunteers work closely with community partners and the hospital’s social work team to share up-to-date resources with families. The goal is to meet both immediate and long-term social needs – like food, clothing, transportation and housing – that directly impact a child’s health and well-being.

Guests:
Laura Chilcutt, MD, Medical Director of Medical-Social Impact, Nemours Children’s Health, Florida
Amrita Singh, Resource Navigator Lead, Family Resource Center, 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.

Peggy Greco, PhD, Vice President and Chief Patient Experience Officer at Nemours Children's Health, joins us to discuss patient experience, including the Speak Up program, which empowers families to share feedback that improves children's health and safety. She also explores how AI enhances patient care.

Guest:
Peggy Greco, PhD, Vice President, Chief Patient Experience 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.