Episodes

In this episode, Gina Cronin, FACHE, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Children's National Hospital, discusses aligning leaders around a new five year strategy, redesigning roles amid major ERP and EHR transformations, and building resilient workforce capabilities and well being initiatives to support growth in world class pediatric care.

In this episode, Eric Hamon, President and CEO of Driscoll Children's Hospital, discusses how Driscoll Children's is increasing access to pediatric care through new facilities, specialist recruitment, and an innovative fleet of planes that brings care directly to children across South Texas. He shares insights on the importance of early investments in children's health and strategies to address pediatric specialist shortages.

In this episode, Jamie Wiggins, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Arkansas Children's, discusses record patient growth driven by streamlined access, a multi year expansion including the National Center for Opioid Research and Clinical Effectiveness, and a five year strategy to strengthen rural pediatric care and chronic disease management across the state.

In this episode, Anjalee Galion, MD, President of the Medical Staff and Chief Physician Wellness Officer at Rady Children’s Health of Orange County, shares how clinician led wellness initiatives, leadership development, and culture building are reducing burnout, strengthening alignment, and positioning the organization for growth amid industry uncertainty.

In this episode, Hillery Smith Shay, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer and Senior Vice President of Communications at Children's Minnesota, shares how the organization is embedding a systemwide total experience strategy, launching Epic to power a seamless digital front door, and positioning experience as a true strategic differentiator amid financial and care delivery challenges.

In this episode, Dr. Zafar Chaudry, Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer and Chief AI and Information Officer at Seattle Children's, shares how the organization is deploying agentic AI for clinical pathways, ambient documentation and translation tools, while strengthening cybersecurity, optimizing IT spend and expanding digital access for patients and families.

In this episode, Matt Timmons, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Manning Family Children’s, shares how the organization rebuilt its pediatric heart center through focused leadership, culture change, and physician recruitment. He also discusses 2026 priorities including campus expansion, a new NICU, growth in pediatric cancer and sickle cell care, and scaling school based health programs amid Medicaid funding uncertainty.

In this episode, Ben Goodstein, Vice President and Chief Ambulatory Officer at Dayton Children's Hospital, shares insights on the new $180 million behavioral health hospital, strategies for workforce recruitment and retention, and efforts to expand access to pediatric and primary care. He also discusses how a focus on provider engagement and integrated care supports the hospital’s growth and community impact heading into 2026.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Weiss, Vice President of Population Health at Rady Children's Health, shares how his team is shifting pediatric care from reactive treatment to proactive prevention. He discusses value-based care, advanced primary care models, and strategies to improve outcomes for children while addressing social drivers of health.

In this episode, Joseph Carr, Vice President of Supply Chain at Akron Children’s, discusses how his team is shifting supply chain decision-making back to a clinically integrated, strategic model. He shares lessons from driving standardization, freeing up clinician time for patient care, and balancing innovation, automation, and workforce well-being while supporting the mission of pediatric care.

In this episode, Meysam Kebriaei, MD, Medical Director of Neurosurgery at Children’s Minnesota, and Collin Torok, MD, Medical Director of Neurointerventional Surgery at Children’s Minnesota, discuss the launch of the region’s first dedicated pediatric neuroangiography suite. They share how multidisciplinary collaboration, long term planning, and creative partnerships made comprehensive on site neurovascular care possible for children and families.

In this episode, Dr. Tom Shanley, President and CEO of Lurie Children’s, discusses the organization’s evolution into a pediatric health system through suburban expansion, community investment, and academic research growth. He shares how Lurie Children’s is addressing access gaps, Medicaid pressures, and workforce challenges while staying anchored to its mission of improving child health and well being across Illinois.

In this episode, Giovanni Piedimonte, MD, FAAP, FCCP, Professor of Pediatrics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology at Tulane University School of Medicine, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming research, clinical care, and academic medicine. He also discusses the risks, ethical challenges, and workforce implications health systems must prepare for as AI adoption accelerates.

In this episode, Dr. Kelly Sandberg, Chief Medical Quality Officer and Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Dayton Children’s, and Dr. Katherine Winner, Division Chief of Psychiatry at Dayton Children’s, discuss the quality improvement initiatives driving lower mental health readmissions. They share how individualized programming, follow up calls, standardized processes, and collaboration are strengthening care across inpatient and crisis settings.

In this episode, Ryan Cameron, Chief Information and Innovation Officer at Children’s Nebraska, discusses how AI driven tools, digital therapeutics, and virtual care are expanding access, improving Medicaid navigation, and shaping the future of pediatric care across urban and rural communities.

In this episode, Nathaniel Beers, CEO of Blythedale Children’s Hospital, joins the podcast to discuss caring for children with complex disabilities and the importance of meeting patients where they are. He shares how partnerships with school systems help improve quality of life, why bringing patients home is a critical goal, and how healthcare teams can support children in doing what matters most—being kids.

Dr. Amy Thompson, Chief Executive of Covenant Children's Hospital, highlights her focus on improving outpatient care, including advancements in intensive outpatient services. She discusses efforts to break the stigma surrounding mental health care, as well as initiatives to strengthen and streamline transfer care for patients.

In this episode, Dr. Lisa Howley, Director of the Fetal Cardiology Program at Children’s Minnesota, discusses the biggest challenges and innovations shaping fetal and pediatric cardiology, including disparities in prenatal detection, the growing adult congenital population, and the promise of AI and telehealth in expanding access to care.

This episode features Dr. Wayne J. Franklin, Senior Vice President of the Children’s National Heart Center, as he discusses the top challenges shaping cardiology today, including workforce shortages, the evolving role of AI, and the impact of private equity on healthcare. Dr. Franklin also shares his optimism for technology-driven innovation and the importance of humanism in modern medicine.

In this episode, Sean Lally, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, shares his career journey, the organization’s mission to care for medically complex children, and the role of Medicaid policy, technology, and parent partnerships in shaping the future of pediatric care.

In this episode, Dr. Robert Insoft, Neonatologist and Chief Operating Officer at Franciscan Children’s Campus, Boston Children’s Hospital System, shares his perspective on guiding teams through healthcare integrations, prioritizing staff engagement, and evolving as a leader to ensure high quality patient care.

In this episode, Dr. Miriam Parsa, Chief Pediatric Medical Officer at Cottage Children’s Medical Center, shares how her team is collaborating with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to expand specialty care, strengthen training, and improve access for families along California’s central coast.

In this episode, Dr. Goutham Rao, Chair of Family Medicine and Community Health at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University, shares insights on the global challenges of recruiting primary care physicians. He discusses strategies for making the work more engaging, the role of innovation and AI, and how to inspire future physicians through meaningful connections with patients.

In this episode, Dr. Douglas Graham, Chief of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, shares progress in pediatric leukemia and sickle cell disease treatments, the impact of a 30-year partnership with Aflac, and breakthroughs in precision medicine, CAR T-cell therapy, and gene therapy that are reshaping outcomes for children and families.