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. HPV Vaccine 20 Year Anniversary Episode

    2d ago

    HPV Vaccine 20 Year Anniversary Episode

    Twenty years ago, the HPV vaccine was approved in the United States. It is one of the most powerful cancer prevention tools ever developed, protecting against 90% of HPV-related cancers, with a safety record spanning more than 500 million doses worldwide. And yet today, only about 63% of eligible adolescents in the US are fully vaccinated. In this special anniversary episode, six voices from across the HPV prevention landscape share what 20 years of this vaccine has taught us, and what still needs to happen. Dr. Heather Brandt, Senior Director of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, explains what HPV is, how the vaccine works, what the science says about safety and efficacy, and how to address the most persistent myths, including the infertility myth, the promiscuity myth, and the "it's too new" myth. Antoinette Barrett, Nurse Practitioner with Cedars-Sinai's COACH for Kids mobile health program, shares 30 years of frontline experience vaccinating underserved children in Los Angeles, and how the conversation around HPV vaccination has shifted over two decades. Cynthia Au and Catherine Peters of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network discuss the policy landscape, including Guam's new school entry requirement, what states with mandates have achieved, and the full range of levers available to close the vaccination gap. Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, offers a candid reflection on where the HPV vaccine recommendation worked, what works to drive uptake, and what vaccine advocates need to do differently in an era of growing anti-vaccine sentiment. Judy Klein, founder of Unity Consortium, makes the case that framing matters enormously, that calling this a cancer prevention vaccine, not an STI vaccine, is the message that breaks through, and that community-level trust is the most powerful lever we haven't fully used. Episode Resources: 20 years of HPV vaccination in the U.S. - Join us on Friday, June 12 from 12-1 pm Central Time History Of HPV Vaccination - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Prevent 6 Cancers with the HPV Vaccine - American Cancer Society Know Your Vax - Recommended Vaccines Schedule for Adolescents and Young Adults, Unity Consortium Amanda Kanowitz Foundation Connect with Dr. Heather M. Brandt: Heather M. Brandt Faculty Profile Heather M. Brandt Linkedin St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Website St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital LinkedIn St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Instagram Connect with Antoinette Barrett: Antoinette Barrett, RN, CPNP Cedars-Sinai COACH for Kids Cedars-Sinai Website Cedars-Sinai LinkedIn Cedars-Sinai Instagram Connect with Cynthia Au: Cynthia Au LinkedIn American Cancer Society Website American Cancer Society LinkedIn American Cancer Society Instagram Connect with Catherine Peters: Catherine Peters LinkedIn American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Website American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) LinkedIn American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Instagram Hawaii Cancer Action Center Connect with Dr. Paul Offit: Dr. Paul Offit Website Dr. Paul Offit LinkedIn Dr. Paul Offit - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Website The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia LinkedIn The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Instagram Connect with Judy Klain: 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

    1h 5m
  2. Biofeedback, AI, and Anxiety

    Jun 2

    Biofeedback, AI, and Anxiety

    What if the most effective treatments for children looked nothing like traditional medicine? In this episode, three innovators share how games, biofeedback, and AI are being used to treat some of the most overlooked conditions in pediatric healthcare. Juliette Hawa, pediatric physical therapist and founder of PFRx, describes how a gamified biofeedback device is helping children with pelvic floor dysfunction (a condition affecting around 10 million kids) learn to control muscles that cause constipation, incontinence, and pain. Designed with Children's Hospital Colorado and built for home use, PFRx turns muscle training into a video game children can play from the couch. Dika Vilic, Senior Clinical Scientist in AI at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, shares what it looks like to build AI from the inside of a health system, including why pediatric AI is uniquely challenging, why children's hospitals tend to produce more innovators than adult hospitals, and what happens when a drug calculator accidentally attracts 10,000 users and has to be taken offline for regulatory compliance. Raj Amin, CEO and co-founder of Arcade Therapeutics, explains how a game called StarStarter for Anxiety is using attention bias modification (a subconscious, neuroscience-backed form of cognitive behavioral therapy) to reduce anxiety symptoms in children and adults. A published clinical study showed a 68% reduction in symptoms within 30 days. And a depression version is now in clinical trials, funded by an NIMH grant. Episode Resources: Children's Hospital Colorado StarStarter for Anxiety, App by Arcade Therapeutics Attention Bias Modification (ABM) Connect with Juliette Hawa: Juliette Hawa LinkedIn Connect with Dika Vilic: Dika Vilic LinkedIn Guy's and St Thomas'​ NHS Foundation Trust Website Guy's and St Thomas'​ NHS Foundation Trust LinkedIn Connect with Raj Amin: Raj Amin LinkedIn Arcade Therapeutics Website Arcade Therapeutics LinkedIn Arcade Therapeutics Instagram Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary 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

    21 min
  3. Standout Insights From the First 30 Episodes

    May 26

    Standout Insights From the First 30 Episodes

    Thirty episodes in, and this is a special one. Over the first 30 episodes of A Dose of Optimism, host Omkar Kulkarni has sat down with physicians, founders, researchers, and change makers working at the edges of what's possible in pediatric healthcare. In this episode, he revisits some of the moments that stayed with him the longest, ideas that challenged conventional thinking, insights that sparked optimism, and reflections that encouraged deeper thinking about the future of children's health. Featuring standout moments from: Dr. Bimal Desai on  how digital check-ins are supporting medically complex children at home. Dr. Solfrid Raknes on how children in conflict zones describe a digital mental health game as "a school break, a break from the war." Andrew Post on the measurable impact of school-based health services: up to 11 fewer days of absenteeism, and nearly $2,800 in reduced annual healthcare costs per child served. Dr. Sucheta Joshi on the coming era of gene therapy for epilepsy, and the shift from treating symptoms to treating disease at the cellular level. John Brownstein on where AI is heading in healthcare: beyond documentation and into patient-facing equity, access, and a future where physicians can't imagine going back. Carla Small on why AI tutoring may be the most important application of AI for children, and why 98% of kids who need high-dose reading support aren't getting it. Dr. Jonathan Santoro on preventive neurology: using genetics and family risk scores to stop neurological disease before it starts. David Feinberg on why he is, by his own admission, wildly optimistic about the future of healthcare, and why that might just be a character flaw. Episode Resources: From Minecraft to Remote Monitoring: Innovating the Patient Experience Trauma, Grief and Resilience Schools: A Hub for Children's Healthcare Pediatrics, Everywhere: Telehealth for Rural Kids and the Future of Epilepsy Care Public Health: Policy, Trust, and Emerging Technology Season 2 Premiere: Return of the Parentrepreneurs! Closing the Gap in Pediatric Care Oracle Health: David Feinberg, MD → For more episode resources, please check out our blog 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

    15 min
  4. From Pregnancy to Pain: Closing Gaps for Kids

    May 19

    From Pregnancy to Pain: Closing Gaps for Kids

    What happens when the people who need care most are also the least likely to receive it? In this episode, two innovators share how they are building solutions for populations that healthcare has consistently underserved, BIPOC mothers navigating the perinatal period, and children living with pain from complex medical conditions. Priya Iyer, Founder & CEO of Our Roots, describes how her virtual peer coaching platform is working to prevent and address perinatal anxiety and depression in BIPOC and low-income communities, where mood disorders occur at twice the rate of the general population, and where access barriers, language gaps, and a shortage of culturally concordant care mean that too many mothers never receive the help they need. With a 65% reduction in depression and anxiety scores observed among participants, and a reimbursement pathway through Medicaid, Our Roots is pioneering what virtual peer coaching in maternal mental health can look like at scale. Francesca Wuttke, CEO and Founder of nen, shares how her company has gamified cognitive behavioral therapy to help children with complex medical conditions understand and manage their pain. Children with cancer and other serious illnesses are placed on waitlists for pain psychology support that can stretch 12 to 18 months. nen is designed to fill that gap, with virtual companions, game-based CBT modules, and a clinical trial now expanding to potentially reach 80 to 90% of all children with cancer in Mexico. Episode Resources: CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) Alameda Alliance for Health Dr Diana Ramos Surgeon General in California Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) Harper Cancer Research Institute - University of Notre Dame Una Nueva Esperanza A.B.P. Secretaría de Salud | Gobierno de Mexico UNICEF España Connect with Priya Iyer: Priya Iyer LinkedIn Our Roots Website Our Roots LinkedIn Connect with Francesca Wuttke: Francesca Wuttke LinkedIn nen Website nen 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

    29 min
  5. Teens, Tech, and Belonging: What the Data Says About Youth Well-Being

    May 12

    Teens, Tech, and Belonging: What the Data Says About Youth Well-Being

    Teenagers today are navigating something genuinely new, a world where the pressure to belong, the weight of social expectations, and the tools of social media and AI are all arriving at once, during the most identity-defining years of their lives. In this episode, two researchers and innovators share what the data actually shows about youth well-being, and what's being done to help. Dr. Kristine Gloria, founder of YoungFutures, describes how her organization is working to fund, connect, and amplify the community programs already helping young people build the resilience, life skills, and social connections they need, and why the narrative about technology and teens needs to make more room for solutions, not just problems. Dr. Sema Sgaier, founder of Surgo Health, shares how her team is building a behavioral intelligence layer for healthcare, and what their youth mental health research is revealing about how different groups of teens are using AI. The findings challenge the dominant narrative: AI use among youth is more a reflection of their lives and needs than a cause for alarm, and the role of parents and trusted adults turns out to be central to nearly everything. Episode Resources: Clinton Global Initiative Connect with Dr. Kristine Gloria: Dr. Kristine Gloria LinkedIn Young Futures Website Young Futures LinkedIn Young Futures Instagram Connect with Dr. Sema Sgaier: Dr. Sema Sgaier LinkedIn Surgo Health Website Surgo Health 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

    21 min
  6. Closing Gaps for Moms and Teens

    May 5

    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
  7. 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
  8. 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
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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
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 A Dose of Optimism
  • Show Website
    A Dose of Optimism