A Dose of Optimism

Omkar Kulkarni
  • 4.9 (31)
  • MEDICINE

A Dose of Optimism is a podcast dedicated to exploring the world of healthcare innovation and the optimists driving meaningful change.  Hosted by Omkar Kulkarni, this show shines a light on bold ideas, transformative solutions, and the passionate individuals working every day to make healthcare better for children and their families. Each episode dives into the real-world challenges facing the healthcare industry and highlights the people and organizations pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. From tackling mental health and food allergies to reimagining hospital care and harnessing Artificial Intelligence for better outcomes. Listeners will discover game-changing solutions, hear stories of creativity and resilience, and gain inspiration from leaders who believe in building a healthier, more hopeful future.  From medical professionals and entrepreneurs to patients and community advocates, the podcast brings together diverse voices united by a shared commitment to improving healthcare delivery. Whether you’re working inside the industry or simply curious about the innovations shaping tomorrow’s care, A Dose of Optimism offers insight, connection, and inspiration. “The content, views, opinions, and information presented on this podcast do not reflect the views of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles or of the sponsors of the podcast. CHLA does not endorse the views, opinions and information presented on this podcast and CHLA specifically disclaims any legal liability or responsibility for the podcast’s content.” 

  1. Closing Gaps for Moms and Teens

    3D AGO

    Closing Gaps for Moms and Teens

    What does it take to reach a pregnant mother in rural Kenya, and a teenager in America who's been told not to trust vaccines? In this second episode recorded at the Clinton Global Initiative, two innovators share how they are working to close two very different but equally urgent gaps in children's health. Dr. Lorraine Muluka, obstetrician and founder of Malaika, describes how her maternal health platform is bringing comprehensive, end-to-end pregnancy care to women in Kenya, using WhatsApp as the front door, AI to fill the gaps between clinical visits, and community cohorts to address the loneliness of pregnancy that even trained gynecologists often fail to see. Malaika supports mothers from pregnancy through their baby's first six months, building care that is continuous rather than fragmented, and accessible rather than aspirational. Judy Klein, founder of Unity Consortium, shares how a personal loss to cervical cancer (a disease the HPV vaccine now prevents) drove her to spend a decade fighting vaccine misinformation. Her organization's latest initiative: a national program training 10,000 teen health ambassadors who can carry science-based, empathy-driven conversations about vaccines into their own communities, one trusted relationship at a time. Together, they make the case that the future of global health runs through trust, community, and meeting people where they already are. Episode Resources: Clinton Global Initiative Connect with Dr. Lorraine Muluka: Dr. Lorraine Muluka LinkedIn Malaica Website Malaica LinkedIn Malaica Instagram Connect with Judy Klein: Judy Klein LinkedIn Unity Consortium Website Unity Consortium LinkedIn Unity Consortium Instagram Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    33 min
  2. Care Without Borders: Neonatal Innovation and Humanitarian Health in Crisis Settings

    APR 28

    Care Without Borders: Neonatal Innovation and Humanitarian Health in Crisis Settings

    What does it take to deliver healthcare to the children who are hardest to reach, in conflict zones, refugee settlements, and communities where the health system has collapsed entirely? In this episode, recorded in the context of the Clinton Global Initiative, two innovators share how they are working to close some of the world's most urgent gaps in care for children and families. James Roberts, co-founder and CEO of mOm Incubators, shares how a collapsible, inflatable neonatal incubator (born from a design engineering student's final degree project and the personal story of his own premature mother) is now reaching babies in conflict zones, refugee settings, and healthcare deserts across seven countries. With CE mark and FDA clearance, mOm's incubators are being used in NHS hospitals in the UK, in air raid shelters in Ukraine, and in field hospitals in Gaza and Sudan. Shadi Martini, CEO of Multifaith Alliance, describes his journey from hospital manager in Aleppo to refugee to humanitarian leader, and the work his organization is doing to deliver primary healthcare, nutrition services, reproductive health, and free medication to displaced communities across Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond. In a year, MFA has reached nearly 80,000 people through its programs. Together, they offer a powerful reminder that optimism and action are possible even in the most difficult circumstances Episode Resources: Clinton Global Initiative JENS - Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies Liverpool Women's University Hospital Dr. Georgette F. Bennett  Connect with James Roberts: James Roberts LinkedIn mOm Incubators Website mOm Incubators LinkedIn mOm Incubators Instagram Connect with Shadi Martini: Shadi Martini LinkedIn Multifaith Alliance Website Multifaith Alliance LinkedIn Multifaith Alliance Instagram Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    33 min
  3. Pediatrics, Everywhere: Telehealth for Rural Kids and the Future of Epilepsy Care

    APR 21

    Pediatrics, Everywhere: Telehealth for Rural Kids and the Future of Epilepsy Care

    Half of children in the United States don't have easy access to quality pediatric care. And for children with epilepsy, even accessing the right diagnosis (let alone the right treatment) has until recently been out of reach for many families. In this episode, two pediatric innovators share how they are working to close those gaps. Dr. Lyndsey Garbi, co-founder of Blueberry Pediatrics, describes how her telehealth platform is bringing board-certified pediatricians directly into families' homes, complete with a diagnostic kit that includes an otoscope, pulse oximeter, and thermometer, so that a child in rural America gets the same quality of care as a child down the street from a children's hospital. Dr. Sucheta Joshi, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, reflects on a career that has witnessed one of the most significant transformations in pediatric neurology: the rise of genetic testing and gene-based therapies for epilepsy. What was once an unanswerable question (Why does my child have seizures?), now has an answer for a growing number of families. And that answer is beginning to guide not just treatment, but the prevention of harm from the wrong treatment. Episode Resources: Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program Connect with Dr. Lyndsey Garbi: Dr. Lyndsey Garbi Blueberry Dr. Lyndsey Garbi LinkedIn Dr. Lyndsey Garbi Instagram Blueberry Medical Website Blueberry Medical LinkedIn Blueberry Medical Instagram Connect with Dr. Sucheta Joshi: Dr. Sucheta Joshi Children's Hospital L.A. Dr. Sucheta Joshi LinkedIn Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    17 min
  4. Art, Music and Games... in a Hospital

    APR 14

    Art, Music and Games... in a Hospital

    What does healing look like beyond the medical chart?  In this episode, two practitioners at Children's Hospital Los Angeles share how art, music, and virtual reality are playing meaningful roles in pediatric care, not as extras, but as essential parts of the patient experience. Nicole Albers, art therapist and Team Lead for the Mark Taper – Johnny Mercer Artists Program at CHLA, explains how art and music therapy meet children where they are, giving hospitalized kids a sense of power and control in an environment where almost everything else is decided for them. From lullabies customized to a parent's Spotify playlist to narrative art therapy that lets a child explore fear through a story about a tiny mouse, the work is as varied as the patients it serves. Dr. Joseph Miller, Interventional Radiologist at CHLA, shares how virtual reality is changing the procedural experience for pediatric patients, reducing the need for full anesthesia in certain procedures, easing anxiety, and allowing his team to serve patients they previously would have had to turn away. Together, they offer a picture of a hospital that treats the whole child, not just the diagnosis. Connect with Nicole Albers: Nicole Albers LinkedIn Mark Taper – Johnny Mercer Artists Program Connect with Dr. Joseph Miller: Dr. Joseph Miller CHLA Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    20 min
  5. Closing the Gap in Pediatric Care

    APR 7

    Closing the Gap in Pediatric Care

    Some of the most common conditions affecting children today remain among the most underserved, and some of the rarest are only just beginning to be understood. In this episode, four innovators share how they are rethinking the diagnosis, treatment, and access pathways for pediatric chronic conditions. Dr. Jonathan Santoro, pediatric neurologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, shares his research on a newly identified condition in people with Down syndrome, a regression syndrome that was misdiagnosed for decades and is now showing meaningful response to immunotherapy in clinical trials. Dr. Alesandro Larrazabal and Christina LaMontagne, co-founders of Clarity Pediatrics, describe how their telehealth platform is working to close the chronic care gap in ADHD, anxiety, and pediatric obesity, conditions that affect millions of children but face severe shortages of specialist access, particularly in Medicaid communities. Matt Willis, Co-Founder of Attuned Intelligence, explains how an AI-powered voice agent is helping federally qualified health centers and safety net providers ensure that every patient call gets answered, starting with the front door of healthcare and building toward broader automation. Episode Resources: NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scale—PARENT Informant Epic Integration with Attuned Intelligence Connect with Dr. Jonathan Santoro: Dr. Jonathan Santoro LinkedIn Dr. Jonathan Santoro CHLA Connect with Clarity Pediatrics: Alesandro Larrazabal LinkedIn Christina LaMontagne LinkedIn Clarity Pediatrics Website Clarity Pediatrics LinkedIn Clarity Pediatrics Instagram Connect with Matt Willis: Matt Willis LinkedIn Attuned Intelligence Website Attuned Intelligence LinkedIn Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    38 min
  6. NICU Innovations

    MAR 31

    NICU Innovations

    The neonatal intensive care unit is one of medicine's most remarkable achievements, and one of its most persistent challenges. In this episode of Dose of Optimism, three innovators share how they are working to improve care for some of the most vulnerable patients in healthcare: premature and critically ill newborns. Dean Koch, CEO at smallTalk, explains how a sensor-equipped pacifier and a speaker device are being used to explore whether contingent voice interaction, where an infant controls when they hear their parent's voice, may support early brain development in the NICU environment. Saheel Sutaria, CTO and co-founder of Gravitas Medical, describes how a sensorized feeding tube is working to address one of the most common and potentially dangerous challenges in neonatal care: safely placing and monitoring enteral feeding tubes in tiny patients. Ross Sommers, CEO and founder of Firstday Healthcare and a practicing neonatologist, shares how his company is building a tech-enabled care model that supports NICU families through the transition home, filling a gap that leaves many parents feeling suddenly alone after weeks or months of intensive hospital care. Together, they paint a picture of a field on the move, where better data, smarter devices, and more connected care models are beginning to reshape what's possible for premature babies and their families. Connect with Dean Koch: Dean Koch LinkedIn smallTalk Website smallTalk LinkedIn smallTalk Instagram Connect with Saheel Sutaria: Saheel Sutaria LinkedIn Gravitas Medical Website Gravitas Medical LinkedIn Connect with Ross Sommers: Ross Sommers LinkedIn Firstday Healthcare Website Firstday Healthcare LinkedIn Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    28 min
  7. The Love Metric

    MAR 24

    The Love Metric

    Healthcare has a habit of overlooking the obvious. In this episode, three innovators share how they are addressing some of medicine's most persistent blind spots, from a vital organ that has gone unmonitored for decades, to a fragmented system failing new mothers, to the children whose voices rarely shape the digital tools built for them. Todd Dunn, CEO of Accuryn Medical, shares why the kidney remains one of the least monitored organs in acute care settings, and how better real-time data could support clinical teams managing critically ill patients. He also introduces the concept of "think flow" (understanding how clinicians think, not just how they work), as a foundation for meaningful healthcare innovation. Melissa Hanna, CEO and co-founder of Mahmee, explains how her company is working to improve the fragmented experience of pregnancy and postpartum care in the United States, where maternal outcomes remain among the worst in the developed world. From doula support to remote patient monitoring, Mahmee aims to connect the dots across an often-disjointed episode of care. Michael Preston, Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, reflects on what it means to design technology truly centered on children, including why kids themselves should have a seat at the design table, and how Sesame Street continues to help families make sense of a rapidly changing world, including AI. Episode Resources: Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) LitLab.ai — curriculum-aligned decodables and fluency practice! AI and Us | Digital Well-being - Sesame Workshop YouTube Connect with Todd Dunn: Todd Dunn LinkedIn Accuryn Medical Website Accuryn Medical LinkedIn Accuryn Medical Instagram Connect with Melissa Hanna: Melissa Hanna LinkedIn Mahmee Website Mahmee LinkedIn Mahmee Instagram Connect with Michael Preston: Michael Preston - Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center Michael Preston LinkedIn The Joan Ganz Cooney Center Website The Joan Ganz Cooney Center LinkedIn Sesame Workshop Website Sesame Workshop Instagram Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram

    59 min
  8. New Behavioral Health Care Models for Kids

    MAR 17

    New Behavioral Health Care Models for Kids

    Children’s mental health challenges are rising worldwide, yet access to effective care remains limited. In this episode, we explore new approaches to pediatric mental health with three leaders working to expand access and improve outcomes. Kristina Saffran, CEO of Equip, explains why eating disorders are one of the most misunderstood public health crises affecting children and adults, and how evidence-based family-based treatment can dramatically improve recovery when delivered earlier and more broadly. Dana Klein, co-founder of Gheorg, shares how a new generation of child-centered digital tools is helping children ages 7–12 build emotional resilience, develop coping skills, and identify mental health challenges before they escalate. Sophia Waitt, Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, adds the perspective of a therapist working directly with teens and young adults, discussing the mental health impact of social media, identity pressure, and digital environments on developing minds. Together, the conversation explores how innovation, technology, and early intervention can help address one of the most urgent pediatric health challenges of our time. Episode Resources: National Alliance For Eating Disorders Dr Louise Metcalf, Gheorg Founder & Psychologist Social media ban in Australia Connect with Kristina Saffran: Kristina Saffran LinkedIn Equip Website Equip LinkedIn Equip Instagram Connect with Dana Klein: Dana Klein LinkedIn Gheorg Website Gheorg LinkedIn Gheorg Instagram Connect with Sophia Watt: Sophia Waitt - Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT Sophia Waitt LinkedIn Kincove Website Kincove LinkedIn Kincove Instagram Connect with us: KidsX Website KidsX LinkedIn Children's Hospital L.A. Website Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn

    29 min
See All (31)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

A Dose of Optimism is a podcast dedicated to exploring the world of healthcare innovation and the optimists driving meaningful change.  Hosted by Omkar Kulkarni, this show shines a light on bold ideas, transformative solutions, and the passionate individuals working every day to make healthcare better for children and their families. Each episode dives into the real-world challenges facing the healthcare industry and highlights the people and organizations pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. From tackling mental health and food allergies to reimagining hospital care and harnessing Artificial Intelligence for better outcomes. Listeners will discover game-changing solutions, hear stories of creativity and resilience, and gain inspiration from leaders who believe in building a healthier, more hopeful future.  From medical professionals and entrepreneurs to patients and community advocates, the podcast brings together diverse voices united by a shared commitment to improving healthcare delivery. Whether you’re working inside the industry or simply curious about the innovations shaping tomorrow’s care, A Dose of Optimism offers insight, connection, and inspiration. “The content, views, opinions, and information presented on this podcast do not reflect the views of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles or of the sponsors of the podcast. CHLA does not endorse the views, opinions and information presented on this podcast and CHLA specifically disclaims any legal liability or responsibility for the podcast’s content.” 

Information

  • Creator
    Omkar Kulkarni
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 A Dose of Optimism
  • Show Website
    A Dose of Optimism

You Might Also Like