Charting Pediatrics

  Around the country and across the globe, children’s hospitals play an essential role in kid’s health and well-being. They provide specialized care, crucial research, essential education and vital community outreach. As we kick off the new year, we take a deep dive into the evolving child health landscape to better understand what issues our patient families are currently facing and identify solutions for the future.   Joining us for this strategic conversation are three experts: Raphe Schwartz, Chief Strategy Officer at Children’s Hospital Colorado; Rhae Gamber, associate principal at Sg2 Healthcare Intelligence; and Brian Thygesen is a senior partner in strategic transformation at Chartis. Some highlights from this episode include:  The current demographics of pediatric healthcare and how that influences care  How and why the workforce is vastly changing   The current landscape of behavioral health  The financial barriers and the role of Medicaid and other government programs  For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org. 

  It’s hard to fathom why certain children receive life altering diagnoses. Pediatricians simply want to help, and that help usually comes in the form of early diagnosis. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, otherwise known as Duchenne or DMD, is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately one in every 5,000 live male births. Early screening and identification can mean quicker access to care, early intervention programs and special education resources. Thanks to early diagnosis and advances in care, life expectancy is increasing.  Our guest joining us to discuss diagnosing and treating DMD is Michele Yang, MD, who specializes in pediatric neurology and neuromuscular medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is also an associate professor of pediatric neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  Some highlights from this episode include:  How diagnosis of DMD has changed over the years.  Understanding the new, advanced treatments that exist.  Tips and tricks for primary care providers to utilize.  Realistic outcomes for these kids with DMD.  For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org. 

  Pediatricians don’t often screen children and adolescents for a lipid profile, an important tool for identifying cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is considered a life-course condition, meaning it can begin in childhood, so why aren’t we screening kids more regularly? Does early intervention make sense for some kids? In this episode, we discuss cholesterol, family history, genetics, and what pediatricians should be doing to educate and screen their patients.  Stephen Daniels, MD, is the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, as well as a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is also a pediatrician in chief at Children’s Hospital Colorado, specializing in pediatric preventative cardiology. Additionally, he is the L. Joseph Butterfield Chair in Pediatrics. Some highlights from this episode include:  What we know about the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in kids  The role of obesity and other important factors to watch  What questions to ask to understand the role of genetics and family history  Steps pediatricians can take for earlier diagnosis   For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org. 

In this special holiday episode, we reflect on our favorite episodes from the past year and look forward to the year ahead. From all of us at Children’s Hospital Colorado, we wish you a happy holiday season. Charting Pediatrics would not be the success it is today without your support, wonderful topic ideas and intrigue. It’s providers like you who are changing pediatric healthcare around the world. For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.