Welcome to the Conversations About Care Podcast!
The Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight, in partnership with Bright Futures, has created a pilot podcast series called Conversations About Care. The focus of the series is to highlight pragmatic and lively conversations between health care providers. Host, Sandy Hassink, MD, FAAP, dialogs with guests about important themes in practice associated with healthy childhood weight and related practical strategies and resources to support patient-centered care within the changing landscape of medicine and social norms.
The Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight serves as a translational engine for pediatric obesity prevention, assessment, management and treatment; and moves policy and research from theory into practice in American healthcare, communities, and homes.
Engaging in Obesity Medication Discussions with Families
Dr. Sandra Hassink is joined by Dr. Claudia Fox, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and Co-Director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine, and Dr. Sarah Armstrong, Professor of Pediatrics at Duke University, Director of the Duke Healthy Lifestyles Clinic, and co-author of the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on Obesity. Together, they discuss how to discuss pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy with patients and families. They provide tips on how to introduce the physiology of obesity, how to build alliance with both patients and caregivers, and how to address the long-term nature of treatment.
Resources:
• Coding Quick Reference Card (tinyurl.com/5dk8jh9n)
• AAP Coding Hotline (tinyurl.com/ycfc9957)
• Obesity CPG Website: New Pharmacotherapy Resources Coming September 2026 (https://tinyurl.com/367n7w4m)
21 Sept 2026
How School Recess Promotes Healthy Development
Dr. Sandra Hassink is joined by Dr. Bob Murray, a pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition specialist, and Cathy Ramstetter, Ph.D., a health educator, to discuss the new AAP policy statement, "The Crucial Role of Recess in School." Together, they explore how recess and wakeful rest support the brain's ability to process learning, the role of physical activity in memory consolidation, and how pediatricians can advocate for quality recess in schools.
Resources:
• The Crucial Role of Recess in School | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (https://tinyurl.com/2cp8h4r8)
• Why School Recess Is Important for Kids of All Ages: AAP Policy Explained - HealthyChildren.org (https://tinyurl.com/ydfr3v7k)
• Community Health and Advocacy (https://tinyurl.com/mudu9arr)
21 Sept 2026
Advancing Child Health Through School Nutrition
Dr. Sandra Hassink is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Zmuda, Associate Dean of Health Systems and Operations at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Together, they discuss the new AAP Policy Statement, "The Role of the Pediatrician to Promote Effective Approaches for Child and Adolescent Nutrition in Schools." They examine the foundational role of school nutrition, the social and emotional component of school meals, and how pediatricians can empower families and peers to learn more and support school nutrition.
Resources:
• The Role of the Pediatrician to Promote Effective Approaches for Child and Adolescent Nutrition in Schools: Policy Statement | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (https://tinyurl.com/3nv7ywza)
• AAP: School Meals Play Key Role in Child Nutrition, Growth & Development - HealthyChildren.org (https://tinyurl.com/mr66r3d2)
• Healthy Meals for Children at School and During Breaks - HealthyChildren.org (https://tinyurl.com/mfnn29am)
• Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (https://tinyurl.com/mrytv6zd)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
16,336,584
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.4 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
3.3 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
28
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
50
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Guest appearances
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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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