A Dose of Optimism – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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Optimistic Canadians

Saison 2 · Épisode 10

mardi 10 mars 2026 • Durée 51:24

Canadian healthcare innovators are proving that optimism, data, and thoughtful technology can reshape pediatric care. In this episode, three leading physician-innovators share how digital health, artificial intelligence, and smarter care models are transforming outcomes for children and families.

Dr. Shazhan Amed discusses how her startup Haibu Health is using digital health platforms and data integration to improve the lives of children living with type 1 diabetes, reduce hospitalizations, and support care across the entire lifespan.

Dr. Joshua Liu, CEO at SeamlessMD, explores the evolving landscape of AI in healthcare, from the rapid rise of AI scribes to the next generation of tools focused on care delivery, workflow automation, and patient engagement.

Dr. Devin Singh, Founder & CEO Hero AI, shares groundbreaking work using real-time AI models in the pediatric emergency department to accelerate diagnoses, reduce wait times, and improve care for vulnerable populations.

Together, they offer an optimistic perspective on how Canada’s healthcare ecosystem is driving meaningful innovation in pediatric care.

Episode Resources:

Revolutionize how you write text - AI Sidekick

Connect with Dr. Shazhan Amed:

Dr. Shazhan Amed LinkedIn

Haibu Health Website

Haibu Health LinkedIn

Dr. Shazhan Amed BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Live 5210 - BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Connect with Dr. Joshua Liu:

Dr. Joshua Liu LinkedIn

SeamlessMD Website

SeamlessMD LinkedIn

SeamlessMD Instagram

Connect with Dr. Devin Singh:

Hero AI Website

The Hospital for Sick Children Website

The Hospital for Sick Children LinkedIn

The Hospital for Sick Children Instagram

Dr. Devin Singh LinkedIn

Connect with us:

Orton-Gillingham Approach

Season 2 Premiere: Return of the Parentrepreneurs!

Saison 2 · Épisode 1

mardi 6 janvier 2026 • Durée 38:55

We’re kicking off Season 2 by spotlighting parent-innovators who turned lived experience into action. This episode brings together founders who are reshaping pediatric mental health, literacy, and NICU care through empathy, technology, and perseverance.

Hafeezah Muhammad, founder and CEO of Backpack Healthcare, shares how her son’s mental health crisis led her to build a technology-enabled, family-centered mental health platform that serves children as young as four and supports parents, caregivers, and clinicians together. Carla Small, founder of Sprout Labs, explains how science-backed literacy tools and AI can identify dyslexia early, personalize instruction, and prevent years of academic struggle and declining self-esteem. Phil Martie, founder of Nicolette, reflects on his NICU journey as a parent of premature twins and how it inspired him to build tools that turn complex hospital data into clear, empowering insights for families navigating neonatal intensive care.

Together, these conversations highlight the power of early intervention, empathetic design, and technology that meets families where they are, before crises deepen and systems fail them.

Episode Resources:

Medicaid

Learn more from the previous ‘’parentrepreneurs’’ episodes:

The Mighty Parentrepreneurs

Autism: Tools to help doctors and parents

Connect with Hafeezah Muhammad:

Backpack Healthcare Website

Backpack Healthcare Facebook

Backpack Healthcare Twitter

Backpack Healthcare Instagram

Backpack Healthcare LinkedIn

Backpack Healthcare TikTok

Hafeezah Muhammad LinkedIn

Connect with Carla Small:

Sprout Labs Website

Sprout Labs LinkedIn

Sprout Labs Instagram

Carla Small LinkedIn

Connect with Phil Martie:

Connect with us:

TEFCA - Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement

CMIOs: Speaking Multiple Languages to Deliver Innovation

Épisode 12

mardi 30 décembre 2025 • Durée 25:17

Pediatric healthcare is shaped by systems that are often invisible to patients and families, yet deeply influential in how care is delivered. In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Omkar Kulkarni is joined by three leaders working at the intersection of pediatrics, informatics, and digital transformation.

Rod Tarrago, CMIO Pediatrics at Amazon Web Services, and Troy McGuire, CHIO at CHLA, share how informatics and data-driven design can reduce friction in pediatric care. Together, they discuss interoperability, clinician workflows, and the importance of building systems that support care teams without adding unnecessary burden.

Shaun Miller, CHIO at Cedars-Sinai, brings a health system perspective on clinical decision support, physician wellness, and the responsible use of digital tools. He explains how thoughtful technology implementation can improve efficiency while keeping clinicians focused on patient care.

This conversation highlights how careful system design, collaboration, and practical innovation can make pediatric healthcare more connected, more humane, and more sustainable for the people delivering and receiving care.

Episode Resources:

CDEC - California Data Exchange Center

RHIO - Regional Health Information Organization

LANES - Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services

K Health: 24/7 Access to High-Quality Medicine

Cedars-Sinai Connect - 24/7 world-class care without the wait

RPM - Remote Patient Monitoring - example 1 example 2

Connect with Rod Tarrago:

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Website

Amazon Web Services (AWS) LinkedIn

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Instagram

Rod Tarrago LinkedIn

Connect with Troy McGuire:

Troy McGuire LinkedIn

Children's Hospital L.A. Troy McGuire

Connect with Shaun Miller:

Cedars-Sinai Website

Cedars-Sinai LinkedIn

Cedars-Sinai Instagram

Shaun Miller LinkedIn

Connect with us:

Compton Unified School District

Community Health Innovations

Épisode 11

mardi 23 décembre 2025 • Durée 32:11

Improving children’s health requires more than medical care alone. It depends on access to nutritious food, early learning support, trusted information, and healthcare systems designed around families.

In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Omkar Kulkarni speaks with three leaders working across different parts of the pediatric ecosystem. Sam Polk, CEO of Everytable, shares how food access and affordability shape health outcomes and why he believes nutritious meals should be available in every community. Patti Miller, Director of Too Small to Fail (Clinton Foundation), discusses the role of early childhood development, media, and caregiver support in building lifelong health and learning foundations. Laura Wood, EVP, Patient Care Operations and System Chief Nurse Executive at Boston Children's Hospital brings the perspective of a nurse leader, highlighting how care delivery models, professional practice environments, and digital tools can better support children and families.

Together, they explore how cross sector collaboration can help address complex challenges in children’s health and why optimism comes from practical, people centered solutions already taking shape.

Episode Resources:

CLA, The Laundry Association

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

California Department of Social Services

Read: Early Literacy Policy Statement

Read: Univision Communications, Inc. and Too Small to Fail

Read: Spotify launches a new Kids category with a focus on learning activities, language development

Epic Corporation

American Academy of Nursing (AAN)

Read: The CAMEO tool: Capturing the complex nature of pediatric nursing

Connect with Sam Polk:

Connect with Patti Miller:

Clinton Foundation Website

Clinton Foundation LinkedIn

Clinton Foundation Instagram

Too Small to Fail

Too Small to Fail Instagram

Patti Miller LinkedIn

Connect with Laura Wood:

Boston Children's Hospital Website

Inside the New Asynchronous Pediatrics

Épisode 10

mardi 16 décembre 2025 • Durée 30:37

Parents want fast, credible answers about their children’s health, and asynchronous care is opening a new path to get there.

In this episode, Omkar Kulkarni speaks with two leaders shaping how families access pediatric care. Ellen Da Silva, Founder and CEO of Summer Health, explains how message based pediatric support can deliver answers from real physicians within minutes. She shares how parents use text, photos, and videos to get both urgent and everyday questions addressed without needing live appointments. Then, designer and digital health leader Arna Ionescu Stoll describes how Wavely Dx is turning the smartphone into a diagnostic tool, starting with ear infection detection through sound analysis and expanding to concussion screening. Together, they explore how asynchronous care can reduce unnecessary visits, improve access, and give parents confidence in moments of uncertainty.

Connect with Ellen Da Silva:

Summer Health Website

Summer Health LinkedIn

Summer Health Instagram

Ellen DaSilva Instagram

Ellen DaSilva LinkedIn

Connect with Arna Ionescu Stoll:

Wavely Diagnostics Website

Wavely Diagnostics LinkedIn

Wavely Diagnostics Instagram

Arna Ionescu LinkedIn

Connect with us:

Learn more about our sponsor:

CTIP - FDA-funded MedTech accelerator

40 Optimists in One Room in Chicago

Épisode 9

mardi 9 décembre 2025 • Durée 38:42

Once a year, a very special group gathers in person: the behind-the-scenes innovators, operators, clinicians, policymakers, and digital health leaders shaping the future of children’s healthcare. This year, that group met in Chicago at the KidsX Pediatric Health Innovation Summit, and we recorded the entire experience.

In this unique live episode, Omkar shares highlights from the day: inspiring stories from leaders like AVIA CEO Clay Holderman, discussions on patient experience and digital tools from Stacy Zoucha, insights into pediatric AI from Ali Nasser, and conversations about policy, innovation pathways, device development, and the role of federal agencies with Stephen Konya and Dr. Juan Espinoza.

It’s a rare look at the community of “innovation enablers” working to make healthcare better for children, the people who build connections, remove barriers, and help new ideas find their way into practice.

Episode Resources:

Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI

MAHA report

FDA Pediatric Device Consortia (PDC) Grants Program

Connect with summit speakers:

Clay Holderman - CEO at AVIA

Stacy Zoucha - Director of Digital Health and Innovation at Children's Nebraska

Ali Nasser - Manager, Insights & Advisory at AVIA

Stephen Konya - Chief, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships for the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Dr. Juan Espinoza - Chief Research Informatics Officer at Lurie Children’s Hospital

Connect with us:

KidsX Summit was sponsored by:

AVIA Health Website

AVIA Health LinkedIn

Gozio Health Website

Gozio Health LinkedIn

Learn more about today’s podcast episode sponsor:

Q-rounds Website

Q-rounds LinkedIn

Learn more about our podcast sponsor:

Infant Single Ventricle Monitoring and Management Program (ISVMP) at CHOP

From Minecraft to Remote Monitoring: Innovating the Patient Experience

Épisode 8

mardi 2 décembre 2025 • Durée 42:01

Pediatric innovation has never been static, and today, children’s hospitals across the country are adopting new tools that make care more connected, supportive, and responsive to family needs. In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, Dr. Bimal Desai of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Dr. Zafar Chaudry of Seattle Children’s share how their teams are rethinking the patient and caregiver experience through digital innovation.

Dr. Desai discusses the unique realities of pediatric remote patient management, how digital check-ins are supporting medically complex children at home, and why small, high-need populations are often the biggest drivers of meaningful impact.

Dr. Chaudry then shares how Seattle Children’s is approaching AI thoughtfully (emphasizing culture, trust, and workflow) and why tools like their Minecraft hospital world are giving young patients a sense of agency during their hospital stay.

Together, they offer a grounded and hopeful look at how digital health, careful design, and cross-disciplinary collaboration can make care more supportive for families, while keeping clinicians at the center of decision-making.

Episode Resources:

CHOP Neonatal CATCH Program

Remote patient management (RPM) at CHOP

CHOP's Compass Care

Seattle Children’s, Mojang Studios and Hive Games Partner to Craft Unique Minecraft World for Kids in the Hospital

Inside the AI-powered assistant helping doctors work faster and better at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Connect with Dr. Bimal Desai:

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Connect with Dr. Zafar Chaudry:

Seattle Children’s Hospital

Connect with us:

Learn more about our sponsor:

The Mighty Parentrepreneurs

Épisode 7

mardi 25 novembre 2025 • Durée 29:31

When a child becomes seriously ill, parents often find themselves navigating overwhelming information, emotions, and decisions, all while trying to stay present for their families. In this episode, we meet two remarkable innovators whose ideas were born from these very moments.

Aubrey Kelly, CEO of Rabble Health, shares the story of her son’s leukemia diagnosis, the emotional and logistical realities of living at a children’s hospital, and how that experience reshaped her understanding of patient support. Drawing on her biopharma background, she explains why she created Rabble Health to help families access information, resources, and shared decision-making tools when they need them most.

We also meet Ella Casano, the Stanford student who invented Medi-Teddy at age 12 after seeing how intimidating IV bags looked to children receiving treatment. What began as a school project has now supported more than 15,000 pediatric patients worldwide through a nonprofit committed to making care feel a little less frightening.

This conversation highlights how families, through lived experience, creativity, and determination, can drive meaningful improvements in pediatric healthcare.

Connect with Aubrey Kelly:

Aubrey Kelly LinkedIn

Rabble Health Website

Rabble Health LinkedIn

MyRabble App

Connect with Ella Casano:

Medi Teddy Website

Medi Teddy Instagram

Ella Casano LinkedIn

Ella Casano Instagram

Make a tax-deductible donation to 501(c)3 nonprofit at www.medi-teddy.org

Connect with us:

Learn more about our sponsor:

Centene Corporation: Managed Care & Healthcare Solutions

Preventing Allergies Before They Start

Épisode 6

mardi 18 novembre 2025 • Durée 32:16

Food allergies affect millions of children across the U.S., but what if many could be prevented before they start?

In this episode of A Dose of Optimism, host Omkar Kulkarni speaks with Daniel Zakowski, CEO of Ready, Set, Food!, and Dr. Jaclyn Bjelac, pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic, about the groundbreaking science and strategies behind early allergen introduction.

Daniel Zakowski shares how a personal family experience led to the creation of Ready, Set, Food!, a company making it simple for parents to safely introduce common allergens like peanut, egg, and milk during infancy. He explains the public health impact, from insurance coverage to Medicaid partnerships and legislative progress across states.

Dr. Bjelac brings the clinical perspective, breaking down decades of research and the pivotal LEAP study that changed everything, proving that early exposure can reduce peanut allergy by more than 70%. She explains the connection between eczema and food allergies, and why empowering parents with the right information can transform lives.

It’s an inspiring look at how science, innovation, and advocacy are reshaping the future of childhood health, one spoonful at a time.

Episode Resources:

Aetna: Health Insurance Plans

Medicaid: Keeping America Healthy

Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP)

Oral immunotherapy (OIT)

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)

Epicutaneous Immunotherapy (EPIT)

Peanut Allergy Drop

Allergy Therapeutics advances peanut allergy vaccine with promising early trial data

Connect with Dr. Jaclyn Bjelac:

Cleveland Clinic - Dr. Jaclyn Bjelac

Cleveland Clinic Instagram

Dr. Jaclyn Bjelac LinkedIn

Dr. Jaclyn Bjelac Instagram

Connect with Daniel Zakowski:

Ready. Set. Food! Website

Ready. Set. Food! Instagram

Daniel Zakowski LinkedIn

Connect with us:

Learn more about our sponsor: