Pediatrics
Why aren’t more pediatricians leaning into rural health?
Rural health for children is in trouble. Don’t take my word for it, just ask the CDC.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just offered further evidence that American children — and rural children in particular — are in trouble. Previously, the CDC had noted that poor U.S. children 2 to 8 years of age have higher rates of parent-reported mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs) than their …
Shifting social norms and their impact on emerging adulthood [PODCAST]
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We sit down with Eleanor Menzin, a pediatrician, to explore the changing landscape of young adulthood. Join us as we delve into the shifting social norms, technology’s impact on parent-child relationships, and the evolving understanding of brain …
Coping with haunting memories of a patient’s loss
“That patient still haunts me,” I heard one of the PICU fellows murmur as he walked out of the auditorium. I wondered if I should have taken comfort after hearing that I was not the only one still struggling with this patient’s death. Despite months passing since this baby died, the memories of this family and their child continued to gnaw at me. It wasn’t until after that morbidity and …
The art of pediatrics: Connecting through observation
On my first day of inpatient rounds during intern year, I was taken aback when the attending stated, “Let’s stop outside the room and just spend a few moments watching the child and mom.” I started my residency on my community rotation site in Chester, PA, where several of the Philadelphia training programs at that time were sending residents. It was a nice introduction to pediatrics with a smaller inpatient …
Navigating adulthood in the digital age
When my parents were 22, they were two years out of college. My mother was married and commuting from Dallas to graduate school in Houston, on the verge of another cross-country move and a metaphorical world away from her New York City upbringing. My father was the officer running the kitchen on a United States Navy frigate somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, a literal world away from his Brooklyn childhood.
When …
Balancing motherhood and medicine [PODCAST]
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Join Eleanor Menzin, a pediatrician, to explore the intricate dance of motherhood and medicine. In this heartfelt discussion, we delve into her personal journey, navigating the dual roles of a working parent and health care professional. From …
Ethical considerations in medicine: unity and open discourse
Navigating the complexities of medical ethics in our modern world can present significant challenges. It’s worth considering a deeper examination of this issue. In the year 2023, the global landscape is rapidly evolving across various spheres. As a former pediatric resident physician in New York City, I had the opportunity to witness an extraordinary range of social diversity. The city is truly a melting pot, embodying a diverse tapestry of …
Insurance struggles in pediatric headache care
Most of the time, I enjoy my job as a pediatric nurse practitioner working with chronic headache and pain patients. I enjoy the relationships with the families, figuring out what can help manage the headaches and life issues best to allow optimal functioning. I enjoy performing certain procedures, like Botox for chronic migraines or injection procedures for my patients, which very often improve their headache profile. I can even find …
Pediatric mental health care access [PODCAST]
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Join J. Wesley Boyd, a psychiatrist, to dive into the critical issue of child and adolescent mental health care accessibility. Drawing insights from a recent study, we’ll explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges in obtaining …
Navigating patient requests: Balancing care and communication
If you are a practicing physician, then you have definitely come across patients who want something that you feel is unnecessary. Sometimes those conversations escalate and become contentious, and sometimes you reluctantly give the patient what they request even though you know it’s not “best practice.” These demands and interactions can weigh on us and leave us emotionally drained.
In the pediatrics office, that can look like this:
- A parent wants …
The government should establish a Youth Behavioral Health Advisory Council
Even as the declared public health emergency for COVID-19 ended on May 11, two other public health emergencies continued. The first such emergency, the opioid crisis, was initially declared in October 2017, more than two years before COVID-19. A second emergency was declared for youth mental health in October 2021 by three major national associations, including the American …
A pediatrician embraces direct primary care [PODCAST]
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Join Andrea Wadley, a pediatrician who navigated career burnout to embrace the direct primary care (DPC) model. Discover how DPC transformed her practice, offering personalized care, shorter wait times, and improved doctor-patient relationships. Andrea’s journey sheds light …
Trauma-informed care in pediatrics [PODCAST]
Understanding migraine symptoms in children
If you’ve experienced a migraine headache before, the sensation is often very distinct: throbbing pain, sensitivity to light and loud noise, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Migraine symptoms can be uncomfortable and distressing.
Equally concerning is when a migraine sufferer recognizes these symptoms in their child. Migraines typically emerge during early adolescence, particularly when females reach menarche (their first menstrual period). However, as many as half of the children can experience …
How junk food marketers exploit children’s impact on family food choices
Would you let a clown influence what brand of car you buy? How about choosing your household appliances based on the advice of a cartoon bird or tiger?
Probably not. But young people in your family will likely let cartoons and mascots influence where your family eats out or what cereal you buy – indeed, many of your food purchases. Those choices and many others like them will, in turn, affect …
Juggling medicine and motherhood: a doctor’s journey
When my children were in preschool, parents often commented at school events that they did not know I worked or was a physician. I never knew how to handle that double-edged sword. Ostensibly a compliment, their surprise at a working parent’s presence at school felt like an insult; their shock over my medical life cast doubt on my professionalism. I smiled benignly and changed the subject.
For years, I worked in …
How early intervention can transform a child’s speech development
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recent decision to move away from the “wait and see” philosophy to a more proactive intervention when dealing with childhood obesity got me reflecting on how “wait and see” is still used in many other aspects of children’s development.
As a speech therapist and a mother of a child who was at risk for developmental delays, I had personal experience with this approach. My son …
Adolescent medicine at risk [PODCAST]
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Join Meredithe McNamara, a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, in discussing the challenges adolescent medicine physicians face due to the current political climate. We explore the impact of unfilled pediatrics residency spots and the importance of their …
How a teenager with seizures became the face of trauma-informed care
A teenage girl was found alone, having a seizure on a bench outside our clinic’s front door. She had never been inside our clinic, but it was our fault she was seizing.
The office manager from the dentist’s office upstairs found the girl as she returned from lunch. Not knowing what to do, she opened our clinic door and called for help. Our front office staff summoned the doctors from our …
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Past 6 Months
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Past Week
-
The ER doctor who became the new PCP
-
Pay for performance and shared savings are good, but they’re not the solution
-
Reviving the emotional flatline: Addressing burnout in health care professionals
-
The man who changed the world with baseball cards
-
Patient safety in focus: Helping to address risk factors associated with non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia
-
A clarion call about medical malpractice to leaders in health care
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Past 6 Months
-
The ER doctor who became the new PCP
-
Pay for performance and shared savings are good, but they’re not the solution
-
I knew hospitals were not taking good care of doctors. But when I became a patient, I experienced it.
-
Why the public’s anger at a health care CEO’s death speaks volumes
-
When the caregiver becomes the patient: lessons from my experiences in the health care system
-
Medicare’s decision to stop telehealth coverage in 2025: an urgent call to action
-
Recent Posts
-
Patient safety in focus: Helping to address risk factors associated with non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia
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The hidden grief of Black fathers after pregnancy loss
-
The heartbreaking truth about advocating for aging parents in today’s health care system
-
I’ve felt the pain of 3 generations of nicotine addiction
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How a network of changemakers is revolutionizing health care [PODCAST]
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Geographic disparities in advanced cancer care: a call for innovation
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