Primary Care Perspectives

Can you reduce the risk of concussion through specialized protective equipment? In this episode, two of our Minds Matter Concussion Program experts, Kristy Arbogast, PhD , and Christina Master, MD, FAAP, CAQSM, FACSM, FAMSSM , discuss whether the specialized equipment used by NFL players has evidence in pediatric athletes. We also learn other ways that parents, coaches, and trainers can mitigate c...

Imagine intentionally eating an allergen to re-teach your immune system to overcome this allergy? That's what our CHOP Allergists are doing in the Oral Immunotherapy Program and it is life changing science in practice! In this episode, Antonella Cianferoni, MD, PhD , explains oral immunotherapy including the immunologic process, the logistics for patients, and managing the risk of anaphylaxis. A g...

Less well known that SIDS, SUDC is a category of death for a child 12 months of age or older that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation. In this episode,  Richard Goldstein, MD , Director of the Roberts Program on Sudden Unexplained Death in Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, teaches us more about SUDC including possible causes, how to navigate...

A special surprise guest joins us for the 200th episode anniversary! In this episode we explore why CHOP started a medical education podcast, how topics/guests are chosen, and what impact the podcast has had on listeners. Get behind-the-scenes with host and creator, Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd , and learn about the important role of podcasting in medical education. 

This year the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Poison Control Center celebrates it's 40th anniversary! In this episode, Fred Henretig, MD , one of the founders of the Poison Control Center reviews the history of how the Center came to be and it's role in keeping children safe and healthy in 2025. Robert Bassett, DO , teaches us about how the Poison Control Center operates and what the mo...

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can have serious complications. In this episode, Lori Handy, MD, MSCE , an attending in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Associate Director of the Vaccine Education Center at CHOP, explains the symptoms of dengue, why the vaccine is uncommonly used, and how to manage fever in a returning traveler. With half of the world's population living...

Marijuana use by teens has been stable over the past few decades with 1 in 5 high schoolers using marijuana regularly. However, THC levels in marijuana have increased and we are seeing more Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS). In this episode, Adam Kronish, MD , explains current trends in marijuana use, the physiology of CHS, and what we can do in primary care to identify and manage this condition...

Delivering serious news is unfortunately a part of pediatrics. While some believe that we are inherently either good or bad at this skill, we know that is not true and that you can learn how to do this well. In this episode, Julie W. Stern, MD , the Director of Outreach Services with the Division of Oncology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, shares best practices and lessons learned from yea...

Tzield or Teplizumab, is a CD3-directed monoclonal antibody to delay the onset of Stage 3 Type 1 Diabetes in adults and pediatric patients aged 8 years and older. This is an important new treatment option because when diabetes is recognized in the early stages (Stage 2), there is an approved treatment that has been shown to delay the need for insulin by about 2-3 years. In this episode, Neha S. Pa...

Jessi Gold, MD, MS , shares some of the lessons from her book, How Do You Feel: One doctor's search for humanity in medicine, including managing emotions, addressing burnout, and exploring self-identity. This episode feels like self-care! Learn the difference between secondary trauma, burnout, PTSD, and why healthcare workers are particularly at risk for experiencing trauma. Dr. Gold not only expl...

Paul Tran, MD , a pediatric gastroenterologist and medical educator, empowers and encourages medical learners through his comedic online medical education, using the handle @alimentaryschool . Listen as we discuss how he got started, the anatomy of a post, and how to respond to online criticism. In addition, we hear about his viral posts and why he's always carrying a notebook. 

Two experts from the CHOP Bariatric Program , Joy Collins, MD , and Elizabeth Parks Prout, MD, MSCE , update us on the state of pediatric obesity, the current medication and surgical management options, and the outcomes of these interventions. The Adolescent Bariatric Program at CHOP is a unique collaboration between our Health and Well-being Clinic , surgeons at CHOP and HUP , clinical psychologi...

An estimated 11.4% of US children are diagnosed with ADHD. In this episode, Thomas Power, PhD, ABPP , Director of the Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP, discusses a new Clinical Pathway for the Evaluation and Treatment of ADHD and how primary care providers can utilize and promote psychosocial interventions for ADHD. We discuss behavioral parent training, peer interventions, school supports, e...

In light of the recent measles outbreaks, Scott Krugman, MD, MS, FAAP , created a series of social media posts about vaccine-preventable infections. In this episode, he shares pearls from those posts so that we can learn more about these illnesses, which many practicing pediatric providers have never seen outside textbooks thanks to the success of vaccines. He also talks about how his social media...

In this episode, we discuss the definition and work-up of short stature as well as treatment of growth hormone deficiency . Marissa Kilberg, MD, MSEd , an attending physician in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes teaches us about who might qualify for growth hormone deficiency treatment, possible side effects, the logistics of treatment, and when treatment is not indicated. Dr. Kilberg off...

In this episode, Juhee Lee, MD , an attending physician in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at CHOP, discusses some of the nuanced ways anaphylaxis can present and reviews the diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis. We use a few cases to apply the diagnostic criteria to real-world challenges and discuss how to manage patients with anaphylaxis in the outpatient setting. Dr. Lee teaches us about...

Sine 2023, both the FDA and AAP have supported the use of goat milk-based infant formula, but awareness of this option still lags and many think of it as a niche product. Ari Brown, MD , a board-certified practicing pediatrician in Austin, Texas, the author of the best-selling Baby 411 book series, and Kabrita’s Chief Medical Advisor, teaches us more about why families would choose a goat milk-bas...

In honor of American Heart Month, Jonathan Edelson, MD , an attending cardiologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Medical Director of the CHOP Sports Cardiology Clinic , talks with Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd, about sports participation for athletes with cardiac disease. Dr. Edelson addresses the importance of physical activity for children with cardiac conditions and how exerci...

70-80% of patients do not use their asthma inhaler properly and use deteriorates over time. As Dr. Lockwood admits, many providers also don't know how to use some of the inhaler types out on the market and asthma medication shortages have led to prescribing challenges lately, so in this episode, Marcia Winston, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, AE-C , a nurse practitioner with the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep...

Although relatively rare with 300 cases per year in the United States, we look for retinoblastoma at every well visit. Amish Shah, MD, PhD , a neuro-oncologist at CHOP, educates us on the epidemiology, presentation, management, and prognosis of retinoblastoma, as well as how partnership between Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Wills Eye Hospital has improved outcomes for children. 

Become better prepared to respond to an emergency situation on an airplane through the experience of an emergency medicine physician at Nemours Children's Health, Steven Selbst, MD . In this episode, Dr. Selbst and Dr. Lockwood discuss why healthcare providers should respond to emergencies, the most common types of emergencies, what supplies are on board, and the resources available to responders....

Iron plays a crucial role in many vital functions and in this episode, Char Witmer, MD , Clinical Director of Hematology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, gets us excited about hepcidin, ferritin, reticulocyte counts, and more! We discuss why premature infants are particularly vulnerable to iron-deficiency anemia, how to provide supplementation, dietary sources of iron, laboratory measuremen...

Have you ever seen a baby eating a chicken drumstick? Or gnawing on a whole strawberry or broccoli floret? Many healthcare providers may not have learned about baby-led weaning and therefore, may not teach parents about this method of introducing solids and teaching babies about self-feeding. In this episode, Dr. Katie Lockwood and Kary Rappaport, OTR/L, MS, SCFES, IBCLC , a senior feeding and swa...

Healthcare professionals may use social media for a variety of purposes including developing a professional network, increasing personal awareness of news, listening to experts, and/or consulting colleagues. It can also be a tool to disseminate research, market practices, engage in health advocacy, and engage with professional organizations. Increasingly we are seeing health care professionals pro...

Of the roughly 500,000 US children with epilepsy, 30% will continue to have seizures despite medication management. This seizure burden can have significant impacts on a child’s development, school performance, social life, sports participation, driving ability, mental health, and more. In this episode, we talk about surgical approaches to drug-resistant epilepsy and explore some of the newest adv...