A Dose of Optimism

In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Omkar sits down with two leaders shaping the present and future of pediatric healthcare. Paul Viviano, CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, shares a candid perspective on what it means to lead a children’s hospital during a period of unprecedented pressure. From workforce shortages and Medicaid uncertainty to research funding and equity in access, Paul ref...

We’re kicking off Season 2 by spotlighting parent-innovators who turned lived experience into action. This episode brings together founders who are reshaping pediatric mental health, literacy, and NICU care through empathy, technology, and perseverance. Hafeezah Muhammad, founder and CEO of Backpack Healthcare, shares how her son’s mental health crisis led her to build a technology-enabled, family...

Pediatric healthcare is shaped by systems that are often invisible to patients and families, yet deeply influential in how care is delivered. In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Omkar Kulkarni is joined by three leaders working at the intersection of pediatrics, informatics, and digital transformation. Rod Tarrago, CMIO Pediatrics at Amazon Web Services, and Troy McGuire, CHIO at CHLA, share ho...

Improving children’s health requires more than medical care alone. It depends on access to nutritious food, early learning support, trusted information, and healthcare systems designed around families. In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Omkar Kulkarni speaks with three leaders working across different parts of the pediatric ecosystem. Sam Polk, CEO of Everytable, shares how food access and aff...

Parents want fast, credible answers about their children’s health, and asynchronous care is opening a new path to get there.  In this episode, Omkar Kulkarni speaks with two leaders shaping how families access pediatric care. Ellen Da Silva, Founder and CEO of Summer Health, explains how message based pediatric support can deliver answers from real physicians within minutes. She shares how parents...

Once a year, a very special group gathers in person: the behind-the-scenes innovators, operators, clinicians, policymakers, and digital health leaders shaping the future of children’s healthcare. This year, that group met in Chicago at the KidsX Pediatric Health Innovation Summit, and we recorded the entire experience. In this unique live episode, Omkar shares highlights from the day: inspiring st...

Pediatric innovation has never been static, and today, children’s hospitals across the country are adopting new tools that make care more connected, supportive, and responsive to family needs. In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Dr. Bimal Desai of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Dr. Zafar Chaudry of Seattle Children’s share how their teams are rethinking the patient and caregiver experi...

When a child becomes seriously ill, parents often find themselves navigating overwhelming information, emotions, and decisions, all while trying to stay present for their families. In this episode, we meet two remarkable innovators whose ideas were born from these very moments. Aubrey Kelly, CEO of Rabble Health, shares the story of her son’s leukemia diagnosis, the emotional and logistical realit...

Food allergies affect millions of children across the U.S., but what if many could be prevented before they start? In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, host Omkar Kulkarni speaks with Daniel Zakowski, CEO of Ready, Set, Food!, and Dr. Jaclyn Bjelac, pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic, about the groundbreaking science and strategies behind early allergen introduction. Da...

In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, host Omkar Kulkarni sits down with Dr. David Feinberg, Chairman of Oracle Health and one of the most influential leaders in modern medicine. From his beginnings as a pediatric psychiatrist to leading organizations like UCLA Health, Geisinger, Google Health, and now Oracle Health, Dr. Feinberg has always focused on one thing: making healthcare more compassiona...

What does the future of diabetes and nutrition look like for kids? In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, host Omkar Kulkarni speaks with two remarkable pediatricians shaping that future from different angles. Dr. Larry Deeb, a pioneer in pediatric endocrinology, looks back on five decades of diabetes care, from the days of urine glucose tests to the revolutionary technology of continuous glucose...

This episode of A Dose of Optimism explores how technology and compassion are reshaping the autism journey, from early diagnosis to innovative therapy. Host Omkar Kulkarni talks with Dr. Colleen Kraft, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, about how pediatricians are identifying developmental differences earlier than ever. She explains how AI tools like Canvas Dx, developed by Cogn...

What if every family could access nutritious food as easily as sending a text message? In this week’s episode of A Dose of Optimism, Dr. Jessica Knurick, nutrition scientist and science communicator, and Adam Dole, co-founder and COO of Bento, explore the intersection of food, health, and equity. Jessica breaks down how food deserts, systemic policies, and income inequality affect children’s healt...

In this first episode of A Dose of Optimism, host Omkar Kulkarni explores how schools are becoming powerful allies in improving children’s health and well-being. Omkar speaks with Dr. Smita Malhotra , Chief Medical Director for the Los Angeles Unified School District, who shares how her team is reimagining schools as centers for mental, dental, and medical care, bringing services directly to stude...

Dose of Optimism, hosted by Omkar Kulkarni. Healthcare is full of challenges, but it’s also full of optimists. Hosted by Omkar Kulkarni, Dose of Optimism introduces you to the innovators, clinicians, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors who believe the future of healthcare can, and will, be brighter. Each episode shines a light on bold ideas and inspiring solutions in healthcare: from tacklin...