The Pediatric Lounge, Where Pediatric Physicians Come to Share Their Stories and Success

Hosted by Dr. George Rogu, MD, MBA and Dr. Herb Bravo

Business Entrepreneurship Health Fitness

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Episodes

258

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into just what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between.

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September 22, 2026Episode 2511 hr 2 min

251 Dr. Budd Shenkin MD, Humanistic Medicine

Dr. Shenkin on Humanistic Pediatrics, Health Policy, and Fixing Incentives in U.S. Healthcare On The Pediatric Lounge, the hosts interview Dr. Shenkin, a Harvard-trained pediatrician, physician leader, and health policy expert who founded Bayside Medical Group in Oakland and grew it to a 35-physician, 10-office organization later sold to Stanford/Children’s Hospital. He describes choosing pediatrics as “falling in love,” shaped by a neurosurgeon father, and recounts work in the Public Health Service during the Vietnam era, including leading and reshaping migrant health into early regional rural health centers and studying health systems and policy in Stockholm and Yale. The conversation critiques U.S. insurance, fee-for-service/RBRVS, RVUs, networks, PBMs, and administrative waste, arguing costs stem from high prices and bureaucracy, not patient overuse. They emphasize restoring humanistic care—patients feeling “cared for and cared about”—through values, systems, mentorship, and better measurement, while criticizing hierarchical training, Epic-driven box-checking, and misaligned incentives that prioritize revenue over care. 00:00 Welcome to the Lounge 00:30 Meet Dr. Bud Shenkin 01:18 Why Pediatrics Chose Him 01:34 Family Roots in Medicine 05:13 Policy Path and Vietnam Era 06:48 Training Abroad and Independence 07:47 Great Profession, Bad Job 09:40 Residency Mentors and Customer Service 12:06 Why He Rejected Academia 13:32 Insurance and Fee-for-Service Critique 15:02 Catastrophic Coverage Debate 17:15 Humanistic Care Without Money Anxiety 18:58 Where Healthcare Overspends 20:15 Hospital Pricing and System Power 21:27 PBMs and Pharma Incentives 24:45 Leading While Still Seeing Patients 26:17 Hospitality Lessons for Healthcare 29:07 Systems Thinking and Safety Design 31:33 Building Humanistic Relationships 32:49 Name Tags and Respect 33:58 Selling to Big Systems 36:27 Training and Hierarchy 37:41 Epic and Box Checking 38:14 Humanistic Exam Room 40:27 Mentorship and Great Practices 43:46 Networks vs Fiduciary Duty 44:55 Falling in Love with Pediatrics 48:36 Paying for Humanistic Care 53:06 Trust, Dissent, and Leadership 54:34 Becoming a Great Clinician 01:00:08 Keeping Idealism Alive 01:01:08 Closing and Credits Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

September 8, 2026Episode 2491 hr 28 min

249 Have We Lost Trust in The Age of AI

Pediatrics, Trust, and the Age of AI: Evidence, AAP Policy, and Vaccine Mandates Hosts Herb and George welcome back Dr. Jesse Hackell to discuss declining trust in medicine amid overwhelming information and AI summaries, emphasizing the need for physicians to critically appraise evidence rather than rely on authority or EHR prompts. They debate perceptions of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a “corporation” versus a volunteer membership organization, how AAP governance works, and how AAP outputs (technical reports, clinical reports, policy statements, and more rigorous clinical practice guidelines) should be read as guidance, not gospel or standards of care, with evolving examples like peanut introduction and biliary atresia screening. The conversation covers malpractice implications, screening controversies (e.g., ferritin/iron, milk and anemia), COVID-era messaging failures and politicization, vaccine policy opposing non-medical exemptions as choice with consequences, nuanced school-entry requirements (e.g., Florida Hib/pneumococcal), and tees up a future discussion on insurance and coverage for all children. 00:00 Show Intro 01:40 AI Trust Crisis 03:42 Reading Evidence Today 07:16 AAP Critics And Mission 09:48 Volunteerism Versus Pay 12:56 AAP Guidance Not Gospel 18:20 Governance And Elections 24:03 Types Of AAP Reports 33:48 Med Legal Standards 42:36 COVID And Vaccine Trust 47:01 RFK And Opinion Politics 48:02 Fauci Versus RFK 48:49 Natural Immunity Messaging 50:41 How Science Pivots 52:36 Peer Review Explained 54:22 Evidence Bars And Coercion 57:32 Bright Futures Screening Debate 58:59 Ferritin Screening Controversy 01:05:01 Cow Milk And Iron Loss 01:06:51 AI And Trust Erosion 01:11:37 School Vaccine Exemptions 01:18:03 Community Versus Freedom 01:19:40 Florida Hib And PCV Nuance 01:24:41 Insurance Policy Teaser 01:26:58 Wrap Up And Credits Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

September 1, 20261 hr 0 min

248 Life after Clinical Practice, what next? Jeanne Marconi M.D

Life After Clinical Practice: Finding Impact Beyond the Exam Room On The Pediatric Lounge, Herb and George welcome returning guest Jeanne Marconi to discuss “Life After Clinical Practice: What’s Next?” Jeanne describes stepping away from patient care during COVID, wanting to scale what she built in practice (integrated urgent care, behavioral health, lactation, nutrition/obesity care), and helping develop a behavioral health arm at PM Pediatrics leveraging telehealth. The group debates who represents pediatrics, arguing that the AAP prioritizes child advocacy over pediatrician advocacy, while clinical practice faces declining visit volume, rising costs, a worsening payer mix and skewed RVU incentives, growing chronic and mental health complexity, and low adoption of recommendations, which can overwhelm clinicians and erode family trust. Jeanne outlines paths for “burnt on” physicians: redesign services within practice, pursue governance/boards, advocacy, or nonclinical roles, and accept starting as a beginner. They discuss private equity tradeoffs, instability, and the need for strong change management centered on explaining “why,” addressing resistance, and building community forums for pediatricians. Jeanne highlights nonprofit work supporting youth aging out of foster care and her board role at Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center, urging colleagues to support one another’s mental health and view transitions as applying medical skills in new ways. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:37 Meet Dr Marconi 02:12 Leaving Clinical Practice 03:36 Building Behavioral Health 04:33 Who Speaks Pediatrics 06:42 Practice Pressures Today 08:05 Payment Model Problems 14:08 Guidelines And Evidence 17:29 Burnt On And Pivoting 20:35 Paths Beyond Medicine 21:43 Private Equity Reality 28:27 Costs And Practice Change 32:18 Finding Your Impact 33:44 Drop the Doctor Ego 33:58 Reframing Leaving Medicine 35:22 Becoming a Change Agent 38:18 Change Management That Works 40:03 Generational Shifts in Practice 43:06 AI Tools for Better Leadership 46:26 When to Move On 51:10 Passion Versus Paycheck 51:50 Mental Health and Toxicity 53:14 Building Community Meetups 57:23 Advocacy That Feeds the Soul 59:03 Final Takeaways and Wrap Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

August 25, 20261 hr 6 min

247 Anemia

New AAP Anemia Screening Guidelines: Ferritin, Hemoglobin, and Real-World Pitfalls. You can read a full review of the Clinical Report from Dr. Bravo et al on T he Society for Pediatric Innovation. On The Pediatric Lounge, hosts interview Dr. Lia Phillips, a pediatric hematologist at NYU Langone, about new anemia screening guidance that emphasizes using ferritin to detect iron deficiency before anemia develops. They discuss the evidence and limitations linking early iron deficiency to neurodevelopment and IQ, including concerns that correcting iron deficiency may not improve long-term cognition and that proposed ferritin cutoffs (e.g., 20 in toddlers, 30 in females) could label and treat a large share of children. The conversation highlights real-world workflow barriers to lab-based screening, risks of misdiagnosis and inappropriate iron therapy (e.g., in sickle cell disease or thalassemia), the need for follow-up response checks, and focusing on symptoms such as adolescent fatigue, heavy menstrual bleeding management, cow’s milk reduction, and potentially prioritizing maternal iron status in pregnancy. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:39 Meet Dr Leah Phillips 01:18 Why Pediatrics and Heme 04:45 Iron and Brain Development 08:15 AAP Screening Shift 11:46 Ferritin Cutoffs Debate 14:23 Risks of Misdiagnosis 15:54 Newborn Screen Systems 27:54 Workflow and Access Barriers 35:41 What Screening Should Mean 36:52 Ferritin and Bone Marrow 38:52 CBC Over Hemoglobin 40:00 Microcytosis Early Warning 40:32 Anemia and Brain Oxygen 41:46 Iron Treatment Nuance 43:59 OTC Iron Confusion 46:10 Fatigue and Ferritin 48:47 Heavy Period Root Cause 50:48 Team Based Bleeding Care 53:39 Treat Patient Not Labs 55:25 Ferritin Cutoffs Debate 57:29 Follow Up and Milk 01:00:37 Picky Eaters and Parenting 01:04:23 Pregnancy Prevention Focus 01:05:40 Wrap Up and Credits Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

August 19, 2026Episode 2481 hr 9 min

246 What Pediatricians Do Every Day That Is Great And Nobody Knows About.

What Pediatricians Do Every Day That’s Great—and Nobody Knows About (with Dr. Lisa Cronin) On The Pediatric Lounge, hosts interview Dr. Lisa Cronin, a general pediatrician and chief marketing officer at Children’s Medical Center, a 17-physician independent practice in the Tampa Bay area with four locations and about 50,000 patients, 40% Medicaid, open 362 days a year with extensive after-hours access and an integrated behavioral health component in Pinellas County through a Juvenile Welfare Board partnership. Cronin describes her path from intending emergency medicine to pediatrics, briefly training in anesthesiology, and choosing primary care for continuity and relationships, while discussing why general pediatrics can be more challenging than controlled inpatient settings. The conversation covers maintaining culture across offices, generational communication, marketing and digital presence, business education, efficiency as reducing pain points without sacrificing quality, and resisting private equity consolidation. Cronin shares how a conference talk on early type 1 diabetes screening led her to identify a 10-year-old with abnormal A1c/glucose and positive antibodies, refer to endocrinology, and confront family reluctance about further testing and treatment. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:39 Meet Dr Lisa Cronin 01:12 Why Pediatrics 02:10 Inside Her Practice 04:28 Hospitals And Coverage 07:41 Detour Into Anesthesia 10:44 Why General Peds Is Hard 14:37 Culture Across Offices 17:35 Information Overload And Trust 25:01 Chief Marketing Officer Role 31:40 Marketing Meets Modern Pediatrics 34:04 Hiring Accountability And Work Ethic 36:00 Part Time Scheduling Wins 37:20 Flexibility Beats Rigidity 38:47 Weekend Coverage Reality 39:34 Motivating Future Partners 43:02 Leadership Explaining The Why 46:58 Private Equity Misconceptions 49:16 Efficiency Without Volume 54:13 OP Engage Diabetes Screening 56:03 Case Finding Early Type 1 01:04:10 Why Screening Matters 01:06:25 Conference Hook And Hope 01:07:55 Wrap Up And Farewell Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

August 14, 20261 hr 0 min

245 Pediatric Podcasts - Bringing parents and professionals together to help kids.

Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

August 7, 2026Episode 1056 min

244 Building Wealth After Training”Guest: Neil Bellovin, MD

Building Wealth After Residency: Debt, Investing, and Insurance Pitfalls In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge, George and Herb interview pediatrician Dr. Neil Belovin about building wealth after residency, focusing on why new attendings can still feel broke due to debt, high living costs, and slow income growth in pediatrics. They discuss common mistakes like lifestyle inflation, expensive cars, credit card debt, and ignoring low required student-loan payments during residency that can count toward loan forgiveness. Belovin emphasizes starting early with retirement contributions and simple, low-fee investing (e.g., ETFs and dollar-cost averaging) while comparing loan interest rates to expected returns. The conversation covers insurance priorities—own-occupation disability insurance first, then life insurance when needed, plus umbrella and underinsured motorist coverage—and warns against costly whole life policies. They also address malpractice policy types and tail coverage, keyman insurance for practices, long-term care insurance risks, and the value of reviewing policies annually and using prenuptial/partnership agreements to clarify exits and expectations. 00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro 01:45 Why Doctors Feel Broke 03:38 Cost Of Living Reality 05:56 Lifestyle Inflation Traps 11:28 First Paycheck Priorities 13:27 Saving And 401k Basics 15:29 Loans Versus Investing 16:53 Investing Through Bubbles 18:34 Term Life Versus Whole 20:51 Disability Insurance Must 28:56 Disability Lapse Lesson 29:38 Term Versus Whole Life 30:58 Umbrella Coverage Basics 32:32 Keyman Insurance Planning 35:18 Prenup As Negotiation 41:41 Malpractice Tail Explained 48:50 Long Term Care Reality 53:02 Annual Policy Checkups 55:15 Insurance Priority Order 55:52 Closing Thanks Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

July 21, 2026Episode 91 hr 4 min

243 From Exam Room to Empire: How Doctors Can Build Wealth and Independence Dr. Po Raval

From Exam Room to Empire: Building a Practice, Brand, and Wealth with Dr. Po Raval (Doc Dynasty) In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge , the hosts interview Dr. Po Raval , founder of Doc Dynasty , who shares her remarkable journey from launching a solo podiatry practice to becoming a successful entrepreneur, consultant, and physician branding expert. Dr. Raval explains how a podiatrist's successful treatment of her mother's ankle injury inspired her career path. She discusses gaining valuable hands-on experience during training and opening her first practice immediately after residency by leasing an affordable office inside a health club—creating an instant referral base among athletes and active patients. As healthcare reimbursement evolved, Dr. Raval diversified her income through nursing home care, consulting, and business development. She describes how earning an MBA expanded her perspective beyond clinical medicine and led to opportunities advising New Jersey Medicaid and other healthcare organizations on practice operations and systems improvement. The conversation then shifts to the modern realities of physician entrepreneurship. Dr. Raval explains why every physician should develop a personal brand, build a strong digital presence, and consistently create educational content. She shares practical strategies for leveraging websites, search engine optimization, social media analytics, and AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to generate ideas, optimize profiles, and improve marketing efficiency. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Raval emphasizes that AI should enhance—not replace—clinical judgment. She encourages physicians to think critically, question guidelines when appropriate, maintain authentic relationships with patients, and recognize that building a successful medical practice requires both excellent clinical care and intentional business strategy. Whether you're starting your first practice, growing an established office, or exploring physician entrepreneurship, this episode provides practical advice on building a sustainable career and lasting professional legacy. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and Guest Introduction 01:49 – Why Dr. Raval Chose Podiatry 04:04 – Understanding Podiatry Training 05:29 – Building a Specialty Referral Network 07:34 – Launching a Practice on a Budget 11:56 – Early Growth and Marketing Strategies 14:25 – Adapting to HMOs and Creating New Revenue Streams 18:22 – An MBA Mindset: Consulting and Business Growth 22:29 – The Modern Practice Growth Playbook 26:46 – Reaching the Right Audience on Social Media 31:03 – Patient Outcomes, Reviews, and Practice Growth 32:35 – Creating an Effective Marketing Budget 33:59 – The Story Behind Doc Dynasty 37:29 – Batch Content Creation for Busy Physicians 39:01 – Using AI for Hooks, Headlines, and Hashtags 42:29 – Why Consistency Outperforms Viral Content 44:26 – Why Marketing Is Essential for Every Practice 47:52 – Patient Retention and Staying Top of Mind 50:21 – Negotiation Lessons for Physicians 52:33 – AI Tools Every Physician Should Know 57:08 – Why AI Still Requires Critical Thinking 1:02:00 – Why AI Won't Replace Great Physicians 1:03:12 – Closing Remarks Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

July 14, 2026Episode 81 hr 14 min

242 AAP Essential Equipemnet for Office Emergencies

The Pediatric Lounge Podcast Evidence-Based Pediatric Office Emergency Preparedness: Practical Implementation and Real-World Debate Hosts: Dr. Herb Bravo & Dr. George Rogu Guests: Dr. David Mathison & Dr. Seth Toback In this episode of The Pediatric Lounge , hosts Dr. Herb Bravo and Dr. George Rogu welcome Dr. David Mathison , Senior Vice President of Clinical Performance at PM Pediatrics, and Dr. Seth Toback , Chief Medical Officer at ARMR Science, for a timely discussion on evidence-based pediatric office emergency preparedness. The conversation explores the American Academy of Pediatrics' 2026 Technical Report, which updates and replaces the 2007 guidance on office emergency preparedness. Together, the panel examines how pediatric practices can translate evidence into practical workflows while balancing patient safety, costs, staffing realities, and the diverse environments in which pediatricians practice. Dr. Toback also discusses the science behind ARMR Science's investigational fentanyl conjugate vaccine, its potential role in addressing the opioid crisis, and the populations that may benefit if future clinical studies prove successful. The discussion focuses on preparing pediatric practices for the emergencies they are most likely to encounter—including respiratory distress, seizures, anaphylaxis, behavioral health crises, and diabetic emergencies—while emphasizing rapid recognition, stabilization, activation of EMS, structured communication during patient handoffs, defined team roles, simulation-based training, and continuous quality improvement through post-event debriefing. The panel also explores: How evidence should guide recommendations for office emergency preparedness Whether "essential" equipment recommendations should vary by practice setting The costs, return on investment, and potential liability associated with emergency equipment The role of AEDs, CPR, PALS, and ACLS training in outpatient pediatric practices Why simulation training may be more effective than traditional mock codes Recognition skills for front-office staff and non-clinical personnel Appropriate stocking of emergency medications, including naloxone and epinephrine Innovation gaps in pediatric emergency preparedness The growing challenge of pediatric behavioral health emergencies Creating practical, scalable guidance for practices of every size Whether you are a solo pediatrician, part of a large health system, or responsible for quality improvement within your organization, this episode provides a thoughtful discussion of how to build an emergency preparedness program that is evidence-based, sustainable, and realistic. Episode Chapters 00:00 — Introduction and Guest Welcome 02:24 — Why Dr. Mathison Chose Pediatrics 04:18 — Understanding the Fentanyl Vaccine 05:56 — Dr. Mathison's Journey at PM Pediatrics 08:40 — The Biggest Challenges Facing Pediatrics Today 11:46 — Training Gaps and Effective Patient Handoffs 15:02 — Reviewing the 2026 AAP Emergency Preparedness Guidance 20:48 — The Debate: Practical Office Emergency Preparedness 32:28 — Mock Codes vs. Real-World Readiness 38:45 — Why Simulation Training Matters 40:33 — Gaps in Current Training Standards 42:15 — Teaching Front Desk Staff to Recognize Emergencies 45:10 — What Every Office Should Stock—and What It Can Skip 47:25 — Naloxone, Epinephrine, and Medication Preparedness 50:32 — AEDs: Liability, Cost, and Return on Investment 55:33 — The Public Health Role of Pediatric Practices 58:03 — Should Offices Maintain ACLS Skills? 1:03:40 — Developing Right-Sized Guidance for Every Practice 1:06:22 — Debriefing, Continuous Improvement, and Future Updates 1:10:59 — Final Takeaways Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.

July 7, 2026Episode 752 min

241 What Have IMGs Contributed to USA

International Medical Graduates, Community Health Workers, and Access to Care in the U.S. On The Pediatric Lounge, hosts discuss with Dr. Ilan Sharps, a pediatrician at AltaMed in California (serving about 600,000 patients across 70+ clinics), how promotores de salud/community health workers support care by translating medical information culturally and linguistically, connecting families to resources, addressing barriers like food insecurity, safe spaces for exercise, transportation, and improving outcomes and costs through programs such as CalAIM and risk-based funding. They explore follow-up challenges for asymptomatic conditions (e.g., early type 1 diabetes screening) and how telehealth and home monitoring can reduce unnecessary visits while maintaining engagement. The conversation then focuses on international medical graduates (about 25% of the U.S. physician workforce), their role in underserved primary care communities, visa and licensing barriers, discrimination in training and hiring, balancing “brain drain” concerns, and developing safe pathways that verify competency while meeting U.S. workforce needs. 00:00 Podcast Intro and Guest 01:12 AltaMed Role and Reach 02:37 Access and Urgent Care Options 03:45 Promotoras Explained 07:48 Funding and ROI 09:37 Lifestyle Support for Diabetes 11:53 Getting Patients to Follow Up 15:55 Telehealth and Removing Barriers 18:33 Immigrants and IMG Contributions 23:05 Brain Drain and Underserved Care 25:38 Healthier Workforce Case 27:03 IMGs Fill Primary Care 29:05 Primary Care Shortages 30:18 Public Health Models Abroad 31:57 Mexico Doctor Oversupply 33:14 Mexican Physician Program 34:50 Quality And Fair Exams 38:02 Licensing Barriers Worldwide 41:55 IMG Exploitation And Bias 45:49 Building Better Pipelines 46:37 IMGs To Admire 50:14 Parting Thoughts And Wrap Support the show 🔴 Subscribe for more Doctor stories like this: 🎧Apple and give us a 5-star review. Read more on the TPL Website SOCIAL Media Pages =============================== 📝 - Substack 🎧 - PODCAST 👥 - FACEBOOK 🐦 - TWITTER 📸 - Instagram ➡️ - Linkedin The Pediatric Lounge - A Podcast taking you behind the door of the Physician's Lounge to get a deeper insight into what docs are talking about today, from the clinically profound to the wonderfully routine...and everything in between. The conversations are not intended as medical advice, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the host and guest.