The Pediatric Lounge, Where Pediatric Physicians Come to Share Their Stories and Success

International Medical Graduates, Community Health Workers, and Access to Care in the U.S. On The Pediatric Lounge, hosts discuss with Dr. Ilan Sharps, a pediatrician at AltaMed in California (serving about 600,000 patients across 70+ clinics), how promotores de salud/community health workers support care by translating medical information culturally and linguistically, connecting families to resou...

250 Years of the USA: Democracy, Free Speech, and 250 Episodes of The Pediatric Lounge In this Season 5, Episode 250 recording dated June 30, 2026, The Pediatric Lounge marks the USA’s 250th anniversary with a large panel discussing what makes America lovable and what the podcast has meant to them. Guests highlight democracy, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, freedom of speech, dig...

Embodiment and Trust: Why Human Connection Is Pediatrics’ Superpower In this Pediatric Lounge episode, hosts Herb and George welcome back Dr. Sian Jones-Jobst, MD, to discuss how, amid AI, misinformation, consolidation, and workforce shortages, the pediatrician–family relationship remains irreplaceable because pediatrics is “the embodiment business,” built on vulnerability, trust, and continuity o...

Dr. Steven on California’s New Laws Curbing Private Equity Control of Medical Practices In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, the hosts welcome back Dr. Steven from California to discuss two new state laws addressing private equity and the corporate practice of medicine. Dr. Steven describes his key role as a witness supporting SB 351, which strengthens enforcement against MSOs and private equi...

Four Pillars of Advertising for Pediatric Practices: Newborn ROI, TikTok, Google Maps, and Internal Outreach Hosts discuss pediatric practice marketing with repeat guest Dr. Cliff James, focusing on ROI-driven patient acquisition and replacing attrition by targeting newborns while balancing capacity and scheduling efficiency. James argues marketing spend should be measured by cost per acquired pat...

DPC Is Growing in Pediatrics: Dr. Andrew Hertz on Zest’s Expansion, Survey Findings, and the Future of Care The Pediatric Lounge welcomes returning guest Dr. Andrew Hertz, co-founder and president of the Zest Pediatric Network, to discuss the growth of direct pediatric care (DPC) and results from Zest’s national survey. Hertz reports Zest’s expansion from three Cleveland-area practices to 10 sites...

Dr. Sherif Taraman on Fixing the Primary Care Shortage: Economics, Culture, Policy, and Technology In a Tuesday-morning discussion, repeat guest Dr. Sherif Taraman (dual board-certified child neurology and clinical informatics; CEO of Cognoa behind FDA-authorized Canvas DX for autism) joins Herb and George to examine the U.S. primary care shortage. They argue the core driver is broken health econo...

Communication Is Our Thing: Dr. Todd Wolyn on Vaccine Misinformation, Online Attacks, and Training Trusted Messengers In this Pediatric Lounge episode, hosts interview nationally recognized pediatrician and vaccine advocate Dr. Todd Wolyn, co-founder and former CEO of Kids Plus Pediatrics in Pittsburgh, about communication in pediatric care. Wolyn shares why he chose pediatrics, how Kids Plus grew...

AI Won’t Replace Pediatricians—But Pediatricians Using AI Will In this Pediatric Lounge episode, hosts George and Herb talk with Dr. Igor Trogan about why AI is becoming essential for independent pediatric practices, emphasizing that ambient AI scribing restores eye-to-eye patient interaction, improves documentation, and enables more accurate CPT coding and billing. They discuss financial pressure...

The Brand Is Your Doctor Now: Provider-Agnostic Care and the Risk to Relationship-Based Pediatrics On The Pediatric Lounge, hosts discuss “provider-agnostic” or “physician-agnostic” care with pediatrician Dr. James Reilly, arguing corporate and private-equity models use protocols, EHR-driven algorithms, and lower-cost staffing to make clinicians interchangeable and reduce patient loyalty to indivi...

The Five-Day Weekend: Retirement Planning and Practice Legacy for Pediatricians In this Pediatric Lounge episode, hosts discuss Nicholas Children’s upcoming postgraduate pediatrics CME conference and then interview repeat guest Dr. Neil Bevin of RBK Pediatrics about physician retirement. Bevin describes planning a year ahead to transition administrative responsibilities, defining financial indepen...

Expanding Bluebird Kids Health: Access, Value-Based Pediatrics, and Payment Advocacy Host Dr. Her Bravo welcomes Dr. Shannon Fox Levine and talk about her move into Bluebird Kids Health, which is expanding Palm Beach Pediatrics’ value-based, technology-forward model to new de novo sites in Florida to address pediatric care deserts for Medicaid populations, including new offices in Jacksonville and...

Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education: Opportunities, Risks, and Guardrails In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, the hosts welcome back Dr. Rani Gareige, director of medical education and designated institutional official at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and a clinical professor at Florida International University, to discuss artificial intelligence in medical education now and in the fu...

The Misery of the Vaccine Business: The Real Economics of Pediatric Vaccination In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, the hosts reflect on the PMI conference in New Orleans and discuss how U.S. pediatricians are portrayed as “bad guys” because of vaccines, leading into a conversation with Dr. Gail Schoenfeld about the “misery of the vaccine business.” Schoenfeld describes her participation in a...

Back to Where It All Begins: The Journey of Dr. Jason Haua In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge podcast, hosts George and Jason introduce Dr. Jason Haua, who shares his unique career story of moving from leading a large, successful independent practice back to solo practice, focusing on mental health and autism. Dr. Haua discusses the importance of finding joy and fulfillment in medical practic...

The Pediatric Lounge: Advocating for Pediatric Care and Independent Practices In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge podcast, the hosts discuss various topics relevant to pediatric care and independent practices. They highlight an upcoming event in New Orleans where pediatric practice leaders will gather to discuss their field. Special guest and pediatrician, Brian Birch from Idaho, shares his co...

In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, Dr. Rogu and Dr. Bravo welcome Chip Hart from PCC to discuss practical paths to fairer insurance reimbursement in pediatrics. They delve into the complexities of pediatric payment structures, including disparities in payments based on practice ownership and the impact of insurance models. The conversation also explores broader healthcare issues, including t...

The Journey of Independent Pediatric Practice with Dr. Brian Birch In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, hosts George and Herbie welcome back Dr. Brian Birch to discuss his two years of experience running an independent pediatric practice. They explore the successes and challenges of starting the practice, the key technologies that have supported its operation, and the culture and values drivin...

Applying Implementation Science to the New Paradigm of Autoimmune Diabetes: Preserving Beta Cells Through Early Screening The Brain-Gut Connection: Exploring Pediatric Gastrointestinal Psychology In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, the hosts introduce Dr. Ali Navidi, a clinical psychologist and founder of GI Psychology. Dr. Vedi specializes in the brain-gut connection and works with children...

Article: https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/redefining-type-1-diabetes-early-identification-staging-and-clinical-implications-for-pediatric-care Table: https://thepediatriclounge.com/screening-to-prevent-dka Petiete Trial: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-025-06586-1#Sec5 Prevent Trial: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2308743 Screening Summit: https://medschool...

Setting Goals for 2026 in Pediatric Private Practices In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, Dr. Bravo and Dr. Click and Clack (George and Herb), discuss the importance of setting intentional goals for pediatric private practices as they approach 2026. They cover topics such as the integration of technology, operational efficiencies, and the importance of clinical quality goals. The conversation...

Transforming T1D Care: Innovations, Early Detection, and Empowered Pediatric Practice Article: https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/redefining-type-1-diabetes-early-identification-staging-and-clinical-implications-for-pediatric-care Therapy: https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/novel-therapies-for-type-1-diabetes Table: https://thepediatriclounge.com/screening-to-prevent-dka Petiete...

The Pediatric Lounge: Setting Goals and Improving Practice with Dr. Cliff James In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, hosts George and Dr. Bravo are joined by Dr. Cliff James to discuss setting goals for 2026 in the pediatric practice. Dr. James, an experienced pediatrician and author, shares insights on change management and implementation, building a profitable practice, and the importance of...

Gratitude and Reflection in Pediatrics: Thanksgiving 2025 In this special episode recorded on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving 2025, hosts Dr. Rogu and Dr. Bravo discuss what they're thankful for within the field of pediatrics.  Celebrating milestones such as 50,000 podcast downloads and robust support from their medical community, they reflect on the importance of friendships, the dedication...

Innovative Approaches to Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Screening In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, the hosts interview Dr. Susan Gunduz, an independent pediatrician and founder of Northport Pediatrics. Dr. Gunduz discusses her innovative program, 'Sound Wise for Kids,' which is designed to identify developmental delays in children aged three to nine through interactive assessments....