Well Beyond Medicine: The Nemours Children's Health Podcast

In September 2024, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions released its annual report analyzing 2022 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data on firearm deaths in the U.S. The report highlights a 106% increase in firearm deaths among children ages 1 to 17 since 2013. Since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death for children and teens nationwide. On this episode of Well Beyon...

Health care transformation is starting to move from the realm of concept to reality. One example is a platform called care.ai, which brings together virtual care and artificial intelligence to create “smart hospitals” and “smart care teams.” It's already in action at such luminary health care providers as Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and Henry Ford Health in Detroit — and...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 60% of Americans use the internet for health information. A GoodRx survey indicates that more than 70% of those people have been exposed to medical or health-related misinformation, with social media cited as the most common source. Nationwide Children’s pediatric allergist David R. Stukus, MD, FAAP , believes pediatricians...

We're celebrating our 100th Episode of Well Beyond Medicine — and we're pleased to feature special guests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to share more about their MyPlate resource and other efforts to support access to healthy and nutritious foods. Most parents and caregivers put a lot of thought into how their children are fed and fueled, especially as they head off to s...

The American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all recognize voting as a social determinant of health. In a year when more than 60 nations have or will hold elections (including the United States), the Well Beyond Medicine podcast examines the concepts of civic engagement and voting as ways to improve health. On this episo...

Diversity in health care is more than just a buzzword — it is essential for delivering culturally competent care, addressing health disparities, and creating an inclusive environment for patients, families and providers. For the Latino/Hispanic community, which constitutes a significant and growing portion of the U.S. population, having health care providers who understand their cultural context c...

McDonald’s is more than just the home of burgers, fries and shakes. It's a place where employees can learn valuable basic customer service skills and gain needed entry-level managerial experience. One in 8 Americans has worked at a McDonald's at some point in their lives, gaining these life-changing skills firsthand. In addition to on-the-job experiences where McDonald's provides ch...

This week’s episode features two compelling stories of strength and perseverance in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In our first segment, we remember Corey Phelan. At 19, Corey achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a professional baseball player, signing with the Phillies organization. His dream, though, and his life were cut short by pediatric cancer just after his 20th birthday in 2...

On a single night each September, Major League Baseball holds Childhood Cancer Awareness Night at games nationwide. This major initiative focuses on both educating the public about childhood cancer and providing respite for cancer patients, survivors, and their families.  Join us as we visit Citizens Bank Park - home of the Philadelphia Phillies - for the 2024 edition of Childhood Cancer Awareness...

In this encore presentation of Well Beyond Medicine, we explore the topic of period equity with Nemours Children’s Health adolescent medicine specialist, Robyn Miller, MD.  Menstruation is something half of the world's population experiences. Yet having the right resources — access to period products and health information about menses — can prove elusive for some due to financial concerns or...

Smartphones have become a collective distraction in the classroom. One 2024 Pew Research survey of public-school teachers says 33% of middle school teachers and a whopping 72% of high school teachers see cell phone use in the classroom as a major problem: a disruptor to the educational process.  Here to discuss the benefits of public school cell phone bans are Jay Bastianelli, Principal of HB du P...

When discussing methods of paying for health care in the U.S., you'll often hear the terms fee-for-service and value-based care. What do they mean? And what value can value-based care models bring to pediatric patients and their families?  We discuss these questions and more with Alex Koster, Associate Vice President of Value Transformation for Nemours Children's Health.  Guests: Alexand...

In 2021, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation (EDF) released a study indicating that roughly 2.3 million children across the U.S. serve as primary or secondary caregivers to family members wounded, injured or ill due to their service in the U.S. military. They are our nation’s hidden helpers. To better support these children, EDF partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project and the White House's Joini...

In 2021, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, or EDF, released a study indicating that roughly 2.3 million children across the U.S. serve as primary or secondary caregivers to family members wounded, injured, or ill due to their service in the U.S. Military. They are our nation’s hidden helpers.  To better support these children, EDF partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project and the White House Joining...

George Gershwin says summer is when "the livin’ is easy." But there is something to be said for summer as an opportunity to maintain the learning, safety, and health of our nation’s children when they’re out of school. We dig into the importance of high-quality summer learning to our nation’s children in all its aspects: health, nutrition, safety, equity, workforce impact, and education....

For decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has partnered with state health departments to conduct the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Aimed at new mothers, the PRAMS survey asks women to provide information about their health, attitudes, and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. By the mid-twenty-teens, however, it was realized that su...

The Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Technical Assistance Program (TAP), started in 2018 and is led by the Rodel Foundation and the Nemours Children’s National Office of Policy & Prevention. It uses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding to provide support and resources to early care education providers to make positive changes in their childcare centers and family childcare home...

The Roadmap Project started in 2017 as a simple request from three parents of children with chronic conditions to the American Board of Pediatrics: Create for us a roadmap to improve the emotional health of our children.  Since that time, The Roadmap Project has become a national effort that seeks to do this by:  Raising awareness among patients, families, and clinical teams to validate, assess, a...

There is a growing body of literature that has implicated the role of several environmental hazards in childhood cancer, such as exposure to pesticides, vehicle exhaust, gasoline, and tobacco smoke, all of which can increase the risk of a childhood cancer diagnosis. A new training program developed by the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Speciality Unit at the University of California...

In part 2 of The KIDS Health Act series, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Dan Sullivan discuss ways in which the bill aims to integrate mental and physical health services for children eligible for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Senator Carper (D-DE) highlights his focus on early childhood development and access to healthcare in Delaware, while Senator Sullivan (R-AK) address...

The Kickstarting Innovative Demonstrations Supporting (KIDS) Health Act is a bipartisan and bicameral effort now before the U.S. Congress that would establish a holistic approach to children’s healthcare by integrating mental and physical health services for children and youth who are eligible for both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This legislation would allow the st...

Social determinants of health (SDoH) are non-medical factors that affect health outcomes and quality of life. Much attention and work is focused on examining SDoH and creating pathways to improve them, with the ultimate goal of optimizing wellness for everyone. In this episode, we’ll take a look at two such pathways.  SEGMENT 1 : A paper published in the Journal of Pediatrics examined disparities...

The Well Beyond Medicine Podcast celebrates a milestone: its first "podiversary." It’s been a year complete with influential guests, great conversations, and loyal listeners whose interest in whole child health is piqued by discussions on the podcast. Join us as we look back at some of our achievements from this year, hear from some of those guests, and learn what the future holds for th...

Health informatics stands at the intersection of healthcare and information technology. It’s a science that uses healthcare data to uncover insights, advance innovation, inform research, and help clinicians make the best patient decisions and recommendations. Dr. Stacey Stokes is the Medical Director of Informatics with Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. At the 2024 Pediatric Ac...

According to the Prison Policy Initiative's "The Whole Pie 2023" report, more than 47,000 children under 18 years of age are incarcerated, with 1 in 16 in an adult prison or jail. This statistic underpins the American Pediatric Society’s Issue of the Year: increasing access to quality health care for children who are incarcerated. It’s an effort spearheaded by the APS president, Van...