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

Digital Tools for Kids' Health and Minds

What would it mean to catch a problem earlier, whether it's a child missing therapy between sessions, a student whose mental health needs are going unidentified, or a promising young researcher who never gets the mentorship to find their path? In this episode, three innovators share how they are working to close the gaps that appear before the crisis. George Frey of Cognishine and Arie Melamed from ALYN Hospital (Cognishine’s design partner) describe Cognishine’s digital therapy platform, used by more than 5,000 therapists across 10 countries, that gives occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and psychologists the tools to deliver, and extend, therapy across synchronous, asynchronous, and teletherapy settings. They also share how AI is beginning to personalize the platform in ways that support therapists rather than replace them. Kenzie Butera Davis, CEO and Founder of Maro, explains how her company is addressing a striking gap in pediatric mental health: an average of 11 years between a child's first symptom and their first treatment. Maro's universal mental health screening platform is helping schools identify students earlier and connect them to care more efficiently, including working within new state policies in Illinois and California that are expanding school-based mental health infrastructure. Dr. Rohit Kohli, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at CHLA, reflects on three decades in pediatric academic medicine and what it takes to build the next generation of clinician-researchers, including the critical role of mentorship, sponsorship, and protecting the time and conditions that allow academic pediatricians to generate new knowledge. Episode Resources: Illinois 1st state to require universal mental health screenings at schools [https://www.k12dive.com/news/Illinois-universal-mental-health-screenings-schools/756741/] The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) [https://cybhi.chhs.ca.gov/] Connect with Adi Topaz and George Frey: George Frey LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-frey-1586581/] Cognishine Website [https://www.cognishine.com/] Cognishine LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cognishine-therapy-and-education-ltd/] Cognishine Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cognishine/] Arie Melamed LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariemelamed/] ALYN Hospital Website [https://www.alyn.org/] ALYN Hospital LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/alyn-hospital/] ALYN Hospital Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/alyn_hospital/] Connect with Kenzie Butera Davis: Kenzie Butera Davis LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenzie-butera-davis/] Kenzie Butera Davis Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kenziebuteradavis/] Maro Website [https://www.meetmaro.com/] Maro LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/meetmaro/] Maro Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/maro_health/] Connect with Dr. Rohit Kohli: Dr. Rohit Kohli CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/rohit-kohli-mbbs-ms?__cf_chl_f_tk=4nvEXgwdlkceh7m2lieXYUWl7RgDzL9BwpUMcQOA8J0-1783085053-1.0.1.1-pMAMzqNAAaSC3Ve6jsPKbp7OwiQ3SrMDBSv.ivAQIB8] Connect with us: KidsX Website [https://www.kidsx.health/] KidsX LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsx/] Children's Hospital L.A. Website [https://www.chla.org/] Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/childrensla/] Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/childrensla/]

The Power of Avatars

What if technology could make a frightened child feel safer, less alone, or better understood, without replacing the human beings who care for them? In this episode, three innovators share how they are using avatars, robots, and wearable sensors to improve the pediatric care experience. Erin Bogdanski, licensed therapist, CEO and Founder of THERA VR, describes how virtual reality with customizable avatars is creating new possibilities for therapy with traumatized and hard-to-reach children, giving young patients the ability to choose what their therapist looks like, and to engage in ways that Zoom and traditional in-person sessions haven't been able to achieve. Karen Khachikyan, CEO and Founder of Robin the Robot, shares how a socially assistive robot deployed across more than 40 pediatric facilities is giving hospitalized children something the clinical environment rarely provides: a friend. Robin uses human-assisted AI to engage children during procedures, reduce fear, and bring some much-needed joy into hospital stays. Dr. Molly Easterlin, neonatologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, explains how a multidisciplinary research team is exploring wearable motion sensors on NICU b abies as a potential tool for earlier sepsis detection and long-term neurodevelopmental prediction, adding movement as a quantitative data point alongside existing clinical assessments. Connect with Erin Bogdanski: Erin Bogdanski LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bogdanski-ceo-ma-psychotherapist-52103197/] THERA Inc. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/thera-inc/] THERA Inc. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thera.inc/] Connect with Karen Khachikyan: Karen Khachikyan LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenkhachikyan/] Robin the Robot Website [https://robinrobot.com/] Robin the Robot LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/expper/] Robin the Robot Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/robin.robot/] Connect with Dr. Molly Easterlin: Dr. Molly Easterlin CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/molly-easterlin-md-ms] CHLA Fetal and Neonatal Institute [https://www.chla.org/fetal-and-neonatal-institute/neonatology] Connect with us: KidsX Website [https://www.kidsx.health/] KidsX LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsx/] Children's Hospital L.A. Website [https://www.chla.org/] Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/childrensla/] Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/childrensla/]

Pigs, Texts & Sim

Three very different innovations. Three very different settings. One shared direction: pediatric care moving closer to children and families. Dr. John Cleveland, Associate Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, shares the science and the hope behind xenotransplantation, the use of genetically modified pig hearts as a bridge to human heart transplantation for infants dying on the waiting list. With baboon models now surviving over two years with pig hearts, and human trials potentially one to two years away, this may be the most significant breakthrough in pediatric cardiac care in a generation. Dr. Katie Richardson, CEO of Lantern, describes a deceptively simple but genuinely valuable solution to one of pediatrics' oldest problems: parents don't get enough guidance between well visits. Lantern delivers free, expert-vetted, age-specific child development information directly to parents via text message (in English, Spanish, and Arabic) paired with hyperlocal resources linked to the family's zip code. Dr. Todd Chang, Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician and simulation expert at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, explains why simulation matters more in pediatrics than almost anywhere else, because pediatric emergencies are rare, which means clinicians never get enough practice unless they simulate. He also shares a compelling vision for what AI and advanced technology could do for healthcare simulation, and for parent education, in the years ahead. Episode Resources: Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Heart Institute [https://www.chla.org/heart-institute] Las Madrinas Simulation Center at CHLA [http://chla.org/las-madrinas-simulation-center?__cf_chl_tk=KXbrWazGrLJPoQZ4F3rHejYTDYHUnIeop5BZSsby.Xo-1782399966-1.0.1.1-8apdKNIKJ3JVCw6qRQmENwc4uzWS4MNJy409GWRht3M] The Society for Simulation and Healthcare [https://www.ssih.org/] Aaron Kornblith, MD, MS LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-kornblith-md-ms-308965a5/] Connect with Dr. John Cleveland: Dr. John Cleveland CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/john-david-cleveland-md] Connect with Dr. Katie Richardson: Dr. Katie Richardson LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-richardson-pediatrician/] Dr. Katie Richardson Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/dr.katie.richardson/] Lantern Website [https://mylantern.org/] Lantern LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/lantern-families/] Lantern Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lantern.families/] Connect with Dr. Todd Chang: Dr. Todd Chang CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/todd-chang-md-macm] Dr. Todd Chang LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtoddchang/] Connect with us: KidsX Website [https://www.kidsx.health/] KidsX LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsx/] Children's Hospital L.A. Website [https://www.chla.org/] Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/childrensla/] Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/childrensla/]

Diabetes & Obesity Management

For too long, diabetes and obesity in children have been treated as failures of willpower, by the child, by the parent, by the family. In this episode, three innovators share how they are rewriting that story. Dr. Jennifer Raymond, Division Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at CHLA, describes her community-based research with Latinx families living with type 1 diabetes, and what she has learned about the role of spirituality, peer support, language, and parental guilt in diabetes management. She also shares a striking clinical observation: that GLP-1 medications, most often discussed for their metabolic effects, are producing dramatic improvements in mental health and food anxiety in some of her young patients. Dr. Alaina Vidmar, Medical Director of the Obesity Medicine and Bariatric Surgery Program at CHLA, makes a clear and evidence-based case: obesity is a complex chronic disease, it is not the child's fault or the parent's fault, and the toolkit for treating it, including GLP-1 medications and bariatric surgery, is more effective, more accessible, and more underutilized than most people realize. Since launching the bariatric surgery program at CHLA in August 2023, her team has completed 150 surgeries with no insurance denials. Shireen Abdullah, founder of Yumlish, shares how she built a culturally adapted, web and text-based diabetes prevention platform for low-income Hispanic communities, after her own doctor told her to "eat healthy" without any meaningful guidance. Yumlish has achieved CDC full recognition, with at least 60% of completers achieving weight loss or A1c reduction, and recruits 95% of participants through federally qualified health centers. Episode Resources: Weight Management for Adults with Obesity - Wegovy® [https://www.wegovy.com/] Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2293292/] National Diabetes Prevention Program [https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention/index.html] When Should Kids Get Bariatric Surgery? Obesity Medicine Experts Share the Science [https://www.chla.org/blog/advice-experts/when-should-kids-get-bariatric-surgery-obesity-medicine-experts-share-science] CHLA Bariatric Surgery Program [https://www.chla.org/bariatric-surgery-program] Peer Support Lowers HbA1c in Adolescents and Young Adults With Diabetes [https://www.chla.org/blog/experts/care-innovation/peer-support-lowers-hba1c-adolescents-and-young-adults-diabetes] Connect with Dr. Jennifer Raymond: Dr. Jennifer Raymond CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/jennifer-raymond-md-mcr] Dr. Jennifer Raymond LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-raymond-76653a18/] Connect with Dr. Alaina Vidmar: Dr. Alaina Vidmar CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/alaina-vidmar-md] Dr. Alaina Vidmar LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaina-vidmar/] Connect with Shireen Abdullah: Shireen Abdullah LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shireenabdullah/] Yumlish Website [https://yumlish.com/] Yumlish LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/yumlish/] Yumlish Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/yumlish_/] Yumlish: Diabetes and Multicultural Nutrition Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yumlish-diabetes-and-multicultural-nutrition/id1504260353] Connect with us: KidsX Website [https://www.kidsx.health/] KidsX LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsx/] Children's Hospital L.A. Website [https://www.chla.org/] Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/childrensla/] Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/childrensla/]

Phone Calls, Home Visits, and Virtual Hearts

What does it look like to meet a child where they are, not just physically, but technologically, emotionally, and clinically? In this episode, three innovators share how they are redesigning pediatric care delivery around the child rather than around the hospital. Dr. Caitlin Sayegh, clinical psychologist and researcher at CHLA and USC Keck School of Medicine, describes her work using cell phone coaching to help teenagers with chronic illness take their medications. The insight that drives it: a small dose of human accountability (a phone call or text from a coach who sees a teen as a whole person) can produce meaningful improvements in medication adherence across a wide range of conditions, from HIV to sickle cell disease to organ transplants. Taylor Beery, co-founder of Imagine Pediatrics, shares how his company is delivering integrated medical, behavioral, and social support to children with complex special healthcare needs (at home, virtually, and at no cost to families) through value-based contracts with Medicaid health plans. His personal story of losing his son Walker to pediatric brain cancer, and founding Imagine Pediatrics a week after his funeral, is one of the most powerful origin stories in this podcast's history. Dr. Sassan Hashemi, Assistant Professor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Heart Institute, explains how virtual surgical planning (using 3D models derived from imaging data, viewed in virtual and augmented reality) is changing how surgeons prepare for complex congenital heart procedures, enabling interventions that once seemed impossible, and building toward an AI-enabled future of pediatric cardiac care. Episode Resources: ▶️Randomized pilot trial of cell phone support to improve medication adherence among adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11360945/] ▶️Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine CHLA [https://www.chla.org/adolescent-and-young-adult-medicine] ▶️Kids Join The Fight: Nonprofit [https://www.kidsjointhefight.org/] ▶️Heart Institute | Cincinnati Children's [https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/h/heart-institute] Connect with Dr. Caitlin Sayegh: Dr. Caitlin Sayegh LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinsayegh/] Dr. Caitlin Sayegh CHLA [https://www.chla.org/profile/caitlin-sayegh-phd] Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California Website [http://keck.usc.edu] Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/school/keckschoolusc/] Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/KeckSchoolUSC/] Connect with Taylor Beery: Taylor Beery LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-beery-7a98643/] Imagine Pediatrics Website [https://www.imaginepediatrics.org/] Imagine Pediatrics LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/imagine-pediatrics/] Imagine Pediatrics Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/imagine_pediatrics] Connect with Dr. Sassan Hashemi: Dr. Sassan Hashemi LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sassan-hashemi-md/] Cincinnati Children's Hospital Website [https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/] Cincinnati Children's Hospital LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cincinnatichildrens/] Cincinnati Children's Hospital Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cincychildrens/] Connect with us: KidsX Website [https://www.kidsx.health/] KidsX LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsx/] Children's Hospital L.A. Website [https://www.chla.org/] Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/childrensla/] Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/childrensla/]