Alabama Pediatrician: Conversations & Information for Your Practice

Welcome back Dr. Shannon Ross of Children's of AL's Infectious Disease Department to talk about best practices on antibiotic stewardship for the most common pediatric bacterial infections!Check out this AAP article: click here.Check out these AAP resources on antibiotic stewardship: click here. Check out the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society's Antibiotic Stewardship Program Toolkit for more resources and information: click here. 

All you need to know about pediatric tuberculosis! Dr. Wes Stubblefield with the AL Dept of Public Health and Dr. Claudette Poole with Children's of AL's pediatric infectious disease department join to share all about tuberculosis, from microbiology to treatment, public health response and more!For more information on pediatric tuberculosis: click this AAP article.For more info from the AL Department of Public Health: click here. 

Chief Operating Officer of Feeding Alabama, Kim Lawkis, joins us today to share about this wonderful organization and its resources, including the CARES program and the hunger vital signs screening, and what to do when your patients and families have food insecurity. For more information on Feeding Alabama: click here. For more information on the CARES program: click here. Check out more about the Hunger Vital Sign screening: click here. For those outside of AL, check out Feeding America: click here. 

Let's gear up for this year's Reach Out and Read- Alabama's Grand Pediatric Pentathlon at our AL AAP Spring Meeting, April 16-18 at Gulf Shores! Our Reach Out and Read Communications Specialist Salina Sowell joins us today with All About Books' Sarah Pelkey! Come join us and support Reach Out and Read Alabama!To register for the AL AAP Spring Meeting and Grand Pediatric Pentathlon: click here. To register for the virtual Grand Pediatric Pentathlon: click here. Stay up to date on Grand Pediatric Pentathlon information: click here. Thank you to our Grand Pediatric Pentathlon sponsors: - All About Books- Porch Band of Creek Indians - Joe Piper Inc - Children's Rehab Services- Medical Association of the State of AL (MASA)- My Care Alabama - Jackson Thornton - Alabama Academy of Family Physicians- So.Med- River Bank & Trust- Ilona Overmann 

Join us today as our Chapter's Mental Health Champions, Dr. Shawn Cecil and Dr. Madeleine Blancher, talk about all the mental health resources the Chapter has to offer for pediatricians and families, as well as tips in talking and guiding families. This is an episode you don't want to miss!Check out the Healthy Mental Development Resources: click here. Check out the AL AAP's Suicide Prevention Resources: click here. For more mental health resources and info from the National AAP: click here. Thank you to our sponsor for this episode, the Children's of AL's PATHS program! For more information: click here. 

Last month many of our AL AAP Chapter members visited our State Capitol for Legislative Day! I was fortunate enough to have the chance to sit with Representative Ed Oliver and chat over some of the inside scoop of Legislation and get advocacy tips! Bonus: Representative Oliver is one of our Chapter's Graham Champion Legislative Hero award winners and I can see why!Be sure to join Legislative Day next year!!Thank you to our sponsor, the AL Dept. of Public Health, Immunization Division! For more information: click here. 

Join us in this momentous occasion as we celebrate 20 years of Reach Out and Read-Alabama! Listen as Dr. Marsha Raulerson shares the origins of this program and as Salina Sowell gives us program updates and what we can look forward to this milestone year! Joining us also is Dr. Sara Smith T, who is a big pediatric champion for ROR-AL!To apply to become a Reach Out and Read-Alabama sitehttps://www.myror.org/Follow Reach Out and Read-Alabama on social mediaFacebook -- RORAlabama (https://www.facebook.com/RORAlabama)Instagram -- @reachoutandreadalabama (https://www.instagram.com/reachoutandreadalabama)LinkedIn -- https://www.linkedin.com/company/reach-out-and-read-alabama/Youtube -- @roralabama (https://www.youtube.com/roralabama)Check out the list of current program siteshttps://www.roralabama.org/our-program-sitesParticipate in the Grand Pediatric Pentathlon! https://www.roralabama.org/grand-pediatric-pentathlon

Listen in on some AL AAP Chapter updates and join us as we say farewell to Linda Lee as she retires and help us welcome Sabra Sutton as our new Executive Director! For more information on the AL Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics: click here. Chapter members, don't forget to submit your vaccine-friendly video for a chance to win free registration to the Spring meeting: click here. Use #provenprotectionaapapprovedTo register for the Spring Meeting in Gulf Shores: click here. Thank you to our episode sponsor, the AL Department of Public Health Immunization Division! For more information: click here. 

It's Legislative Session time, time to advocate for our patients to our elected officials! Joining us today are Dr. Nola Ernest, our Chapter's Legislative Chair, and former Representative, Jay Love, who is our AL AAP's lobbyist! Get a crash course on how a bill becomes a law, tips on talking to legislators, and what the Chapter's agenda this year includes! To find out who your local officials are: click here. For more AL AAP info on legislative advocacy: click here. 

Alabama pediatric legend and AL-AAP's first Afro-American President, Dr. A.Z. Holloway, shares about his experiences growing up and as a Black pediatrician in Alabama, how healthcare and health disparities have changed through the years and more. This is truly an episode that will inspire more conversations on social and health inequities, as well as how we as pediatricians can advocate for and support our patients and their families. 

Discover the PATHS Program from the Children's of AL's Behavioral Health Department and all the resources it provides to pediatric providers across the state! From tele-mental services to didactic lectures and more, the PATHS Director, Margo Harwell shares how great this program is! For more information on the PATHS Program: click here. For more information on COA's Behavioral Health Services: click here. To contact Margo Harwell: [email protected] or 205-638-5673. 

Join us as pediatric infectious disease Dr. Shannon Ross of COA talks about the importance of antibiotic stewardship, the impact of antibiotic resistance, and how to approach good antibiotic practices and more! Check out the AAP Statement on antibiotic stewardship: click here.For AAP resources on antibiotic stewardship: click here. For more information on the Children's of AL antibiotic stewardship program and their antibiogram: click here. For resources from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society: click here. For information from the AL Department of Public Health: click here. For resources and toolkit from the CDC: click here. It's our last episode of 2025! Thank you to all you listeners and guests out there. If there are any topics or guests you would like to hear on this show, contact the AL AAP (click here). Looking forward to a new year!

Our friends from our favorite non-profit Reach Out and Read - Alabama are here to share how this year has been in terms of grants, sponsorships, successes, experiences, and more! Reach Out and Read provides books to children at well child checks, not just to support childhood literacy, but to provide building blocks in the foundation of relational health for children and family, as well as for pediatric providers and their patients!! With your help, more books (all development and age appropriate) will reach the hands of children everywhere!To learn more about Reach Out and Read Alabama and to donate: click here. 

Pediatric Rheumatologist Dr. John Bridges at Children's of AL joins us today to answer the question of, "What exactly is a rheumatologist?" He shares what history and exam findings are concerning for a pediatric rheumatologic issue, what labs to get, when to refer, and more! For more information on COA peds rheum: click here. Check out resources from Rheum for Primary Care: click here. For other information from the American College of Rheumatology (ACOR): click here. For more information and resources from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA): click here. For more information and resources for your patients, check out Take a Pain Check Foundation: click here. Unfortunately Rheum2Play is not available anymore but check out this one episode: click here. 

Our Executive Director Linda Lee is joining us to give Chapter updates!Check out the Firearm Injury Prevention Virtual Symposium: click here. Check out Pages Over Pixels: click here. For Healthy Mental Developmental Resources: click here. For more information on HR-1 updates from AAP: click here. To contact Linda Lee for feedback on Practice Management sessions and any legislative interests: [email protected] to remember: - AL AAP Legislative Day: February 4, 2026- AL AAP Spring Meeting: April 16-19, 2026- AL AAP Fall/Annual Meeting: September 11-13, 2026

We have a great panel today! Dr. Keri Read, Dr. Marquisha Jarmon, and Dr. Katie Fogle join us to talk about some highlights of the 2025 AL AAP Fall and Annual Meeting! There were some great talks, resources, and people at this meeting so make sure you join us in the future!!

Newborn nursery.. a happy and exciting place to work but can also be nerve-wracking with these sweet babies! Dr. DeeAnne Jackson joins to talk more about the Early Onset Sepsis (EOS) Protocol and the EOS Calculator! For the EOS Calculator: click here. Check out the AAP's article on the update to the EOS Calculator: click here. Check out this article on EOS Calculator from the American Journal of Perinatalogy: click here. Check out CDC's epidemiology info on EOS: click here. 

Dr. Nick CaJacob joins us today to talk about everything EOE! Learn about the different presentations based on age, diagnosis, treatment and more!To learn more about EOE, check out this free article: click here. Also check out this article!: click here. Check out the website for American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED): click here. Learn more about Children's of AL's GI Eosinophilic Disorders Clinic: click here. For more information on Children's of AL's Aerodigestive Clinic: click here. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, the AL Department of Public Health's Immunization Division. Don't wait, vaccinate! For more info: click here. 

I literally brought the podcast to the 2025 AL AAP Annual/Fall Meeting this weekend with Open Mic Time! Get to know a little more about some of the attendees and guests with some fun questions they had to draw from a bowl! Because these were live recordings, there may be a little buzz or background noise but I hope you are still able to enjoy the episode and get to know some  awesome pediatric people I got to hang out with! 

Don't skip this episode! Dr. Yameika Head shares why acknowledging physician burn out is important and how it affects not just pediatricians, but the healthcare system and our society. How can we do better and how can we help ourselves and others? Listen in!Maslach Burnout Inventory Survey: click here. Check out Past-AAP President, Dr. Sandy Chung's letter on physician burnout: click here. Info on Physician Burnout from the American Medical Association: click here. 

Get to know University of South Alabama's new Pediatric Interim Chair, Dr. Benjamin Estrada! We talk about what's going on in infectious disease, as well as what Dr. Estrada looks forward to in his new role!Got a topic you want to hear about? Let us know! 

Hearing loss is the most common birth defect so early newborn screening is important! Joining us today is AL Department of Public Health's Newborn Screening Nurse Supervisor, Mary Wigham! We'll learn about the newborn hearing screen, why it's important, the types of hearing screens, risk factors for congenital hearing loss and more! For more information from the AL Dept of Public Health: click here. For more information from the AAP on hearing screening: click here. For info on National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM): click here. For more information on Hands and Voices: click here. For more information on cytomegalovirus: click here. Check out the AL Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB): click here. Thanks again to the AL Department of Public Health's Immunization Division for sponsoring this episode!

Check out another awesome resource in the state of Alabama! VitAL is here for everyone to help not only Alabamians struggling with mental health, substance use, and trauma-related challenges, but also for those who love and care for them! Joining us today is Shanna McIntosh to tell us more!! To learn more about VitAL: click here. Check out the VitAL Annual Conference: click here. Don't forget to get the VitAL App and sign up for the newsletter!

What is mindfulness? Listen in as GA pediatrician and yogi, Dr. Michelle Kelly, educates us on mindfulness, its history and its benefits for medical providers and for our patients/families! Check out Healthy Children's info on meditation and mindfulness: click here. Check out this article from the Journal Medical Society of Psychiatry on mindfulness: click here. To contact Dr. Michelle Kelly: [email protected] you again to our sponsors, the AL Dept of Public Health's Immunization Division. Don't wait, vaccinate! For more info: click here. 

Mary Florian and Lindsey DeMarco of Help Me Grow share with us about this great resource for children, families/caretakers, and medical providers! They even bring a special AL AAP - renowned guest with them! For more information on Help Me Grow: click here. 

District Medical Officer for the ADPH, Dr. Wes Stubblefield, returns to share some updates from the AL Department of Public Health! From new initiatives, recent statistics, review of some of ADPH's resources and more! * Please note, this was recorded June 6th and does not cover any updates since then. For more information on HPV Communication Skills Training: click here. Report a notifiable disease with the ADPH: click here. ADPH Measles information site: click here. CDC Vaccine and Immunization site: click here. ADPH Home Page: click here. ADPH Contact info/hotline page: click here. Check out and sign up for Children's of AL's Project ECHO: click here. To contact Dr. Wes Stubblefield with any questions: [email protected]

Dr. Natalie Carlisle, Dr. Steffane Battle and Dr. Hannah Brooks join us today to share about their experiences at the AL AAP Spring Meeting in Gulf Shores last month! Listen in on the highlights of the talks and expo participants, as well as how fun it was hanging out with fellow pediatricians!Join us at the 2025 AL AAP Fall/Annual Meeting: click here. 

Listen to what's new with the AL Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics with our Chapter President, Dr. Norma Mobley, and our Executive Director, Linda Lee! Check out how the Spring Meeting went, legislative updates (as of June 6th), to current and upcoming Chapter updates!For more information on the Fall/Annual meeting: click here. For more information on Pages Over Pixels: click here. If you are a pediatrician/pediatric provider and interested in joining the AL AAP: click here. 

Check out our AL AAP Chapter's initiative on encouraging less screen time and more reading and playtime, Pages Over Pixels! Joining us are our initiative's physician Champion, Dr. Jaime McKinney, and our Chapter's Program Coordinator, Beth Johns! Be sure to spread the word!For more information on Pages Over Pixels: click here. For more information on Fair Play: click here. - Also, check out some of their helpful handouts! click here. For more tips from the AAP on media guidance: click here. Be sure to come to our Chapter's Annual Meeting Sept 12-14 for our Pages Over Pixels' session! Click here for more info. Don't forget to check out resources provided by our episode's sponsor, the AL Department of Public Health's Immunization Division: click here. 

Michelle McDaniel and Cherish Fletcher of the Regional Autism Network of AL (RAN) join us to share more about what RAN is, how it came about, and how it can help anyone with autism and their families, as well as their community! It's a great resource hub for all medical providers and for the general public; and there are multiple campuses to help the entire state!For more information on the Regional Autism Network: click here.For Region I (Univ of AL- Huntsville): [email protected] II (Univ of AL): [email protected] III (Univ of South AL): [email protected] IV (Auburn Univ): [email protected] V (Univ of AL at Birmingham): [email protected] more information on the Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (AIACC) : click here. For more information on Sibshops: click here. 

Check out what our Reach Out and Read 's Prescription for Summer Reading Book is for this year and also meet the author!! ROR-AL's Summer Reading campaign is an annual event that brings pediatric practices and families together to promote early childhood literacy and relational health! Also joining us is Brittany Winans from All About Books!To learn more about Baby Unplugged: click here. - Also check out this video about Baby Unplugged! Click here.Check out Blue Manatee Press: click here.Check out All About Books and some blogs Dr. Hutton wrote: click here. Thank you to our sponsor, the Alabama Dept. of Public Health's Immunization Division for supporting this episode! For more information and resources on vaccines: click here. 

Today our AL AAP Chapter's Oral Health Champion, Pediatric Dentist Dr. Richard Simpson, shares why oral health is important not just for mothers, but for their children as well! Check out the Protect Tiny Teeth Toolkit: click here. For the Prenatal Oral Health Conversation Guide: click here. Check out the HealthChildren.org page on oral health: click here. For more information, tools and resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics to share with your families about oral health: click here. Thanks again to our sponsor, the Alabama Department of Public Health's Immunization Division! Don't Wait, Vaccinate!!

Meet the Pediatric Department Chair of the Univ of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama, Dr. Yung Lao! Listen as we get to know him and what his goals for UAB Pediatrics and for the children of Alabama are! For more information on Dr. Lau: click here.For more information on Children's of AL's Project ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes): click here. Check out Alabama LifeStart! Click here. 

Our favorite non-profit people of Reach Out and Read - Alabama return to share updates from the organization, both nationally and statewide, as well as lots of exciting details about the Grand Pediatric Pentathlon (GPP) and the Summer Rx Program!! We have a surprise guest from All About Books too!To check out the Grand Pediatric Pentathlon and register: click here. For more information on the Virtual Grand Pediatric Pentathlon: click here. Follow Reach Out and Read-AL on Facebook to catch updates and GPP prizes: click here. For more information on the AL AAP Spring Meeting and to register: click here. Interested in becoming a Reach Out and Read site? Learn more: click here. Interested in working for Reach Out and Read? Check it out: click here. 

Brush up on your Measles knowledge with one of the leading pediatric infectious disease specialists in the country, Dr. David Kimberlin! We discuss the virus, why it's so contagious, diagnoses and prognoses, how to address family concerns, and more! For more resources on Measles:- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Resource Page on Measles: click here. - Free Red Book (AAP Pediatric Infectious Disease textbook) Chapter on Measles: click here.- Red Book Online facts on Outbreaks: click here. - Red Book Online On-Demand Webinars: click here. - AAP Tools and Resources on Measles: click here. - Resources for Families about Measles: click here. - For other AAP resources on Infection Prevention and Control and Project Firstline: click here.

Dr. Stacy Marshall of UAB Emergency Medicine and the AL Poison Information  Center joins us in discussing Teen Substance Use Disorder. Dr. Marshall gives a great overview of common drugs used, signs and symptoms, as well as a look forward in managing. Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics' resources on Teen Substance Use and Prevention: click here. Check out this AAP article on terminology on Substance Use Disorders: click here. Check out the Children's of AL Adolescent Clinic for more information on the Teen Substance Use Disorder Clinic: click here. To reach the AL Poison Information Center call 1-800-222-1222 or: click here. 

Our fabulous Executive Director, Linda Lee, shares updates within the Chapter, Legislative items to be on the lookout for, and upcoming Chapter events!Check out our Chapter's Legislative Advocacy Tools: click here.For more information on the Spring Meeting (May 1-4) and to register: click here. For more information on the Annual Fall Meeting (Sept 12-14): click here. 

Today we have a trio of legendary Alabama pediatricians here to share what it was like before there were vaccines such as for measles, polio and hepatitis B, and how vaccines have changed the course of medicine! Listen in to the wisdom and experiences of Dr. Marsha Raulerson, Dr. Karen Landers, and Dr. Albert "AZ" Holloway; together, we can use this knowledge to fight for a healthier, safer community!For AAP resources and support on immunizations: click here. For immunization resources for families: click here. 

Our AL Chapter's President, Dr. Norma Mobley, and Immediate Past President, Dr. Nola Ernest, join us today to tell us about AL AAP's Legislative Day! Join us February 19th in Montgomery!To learn more about Legislative Day: click here. If you are a Chapter member, please check your email to register or donate to Legislative Day!

Happy New Year! Let's start the year off getting to know the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics! Meet this year's Board members, learn about our committees and champions, and check out how to get involved with the Chapter!To learn more about the AL AAP go to: alaap.org or click here.Check out our Chapter interest committees and how you can get involved: click here. 

We have a great panel today! Dr. Claudette Poole, Dr. Isabella Virella-Lowell and Dr. Linda Gibson-Young share about Children's of AL's Project ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes) sessions on Pediatric Asthma and all their hard work in helping decrease pediatric asthma exacerbations and mortalities, helping schools, families and pediatric medical providers!For more information on Children's of AL's Project ECHO: click here.  For more information and to get started with Project ECHO, contact Sydney Poulson: [email protected] .For more information on the AAP's Project ECHO: click here.For more information on the Alabama Asthma Coalition: click here or https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/asthmacoalition/Thank you for a great 2 years of the AL AAP Pediatrician Podcast! If you have any topics you want covered, would like to be a part of the podcast, and/or be a guest, contact us at: [email protected]. Catch you in the new year! 

It's Giving Tuesday! Join us as our favorite sister non-profit Reach Out and Read - Alabama's Amy Crosby and Salina Sowell look back on 2024! Catch up on updates from Reach Out and Read, as well as what to look forward to in the new year! Don't forget to support Reach Out and Read - Alabama! Reach Out and Read is a wonderful non-profit that promotes early literacy and relational health, 2 big things us as pediatric providers definitely support!To support Reach Out and Read - AL by donating and/or sharing social media posts: click here.  For the Reach Out and Read survey (due Dec 9th): click here. For more information on Reach Out and Read as an organization: click here. 

Our returning guest, Kendall Hampton, puts on her sleep counselor hat to share tips on best sleep practices! It might also come in handy for yourself!For more information on recommended sleep requirements by age: click here. To check out Kendall's website for more tips: click here. Check out this AAP article on sleep times and more: click here. 

Jessica Delashaw is the AL Department of Public Health's is the Nurse Manager of the Northern District of the Remote Patient Monitoring Program and she's here to tell us about how this program can be helpful for you and many of your patients (and their families)! For questions, concerns, and for referrals, contact Ms. Delashaw: [email protected] more information: click here. 

Returning on the show today is Dr. Tyler McDonald to talk about pediatric scoliosis, more specifically, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Learn about diagnosing scoliosis, management and updates in scoliosis!For more information on bracing for scoliosis: click here. 

Get to know our new Chapter President, Dr. Norma Mobley, as she and our Executive Director, Linda Lee, discuss updates from the Annual Chapter Meeting, National AAP, and what's to come!For more information on the Chapter Challenge, Locking Arms: click here. 2025 Dates to Remember: - AL Legislative Day: February 19th- AL Chapter Spring Meeting: May 1st - 4th- AL Chapter Annual Meeting: September 12th - 14th

In this episode we have Gay Finn and Kendall Hampton with the Alabama Partnership for Children's Feed Me Words program to share with us about their campaign, Talk With Me Baby. Learn about the importance of early language and literacy, as well as what language nutrition is, tips for helping children with language and social development, and more!Learn more about Alabama Partnership for Children: click here.- Don't forget to check out the AL Parent Manual in your app store!Learn more about Alabama Family Central: click here. Learn more about Feed Me Words: click here. Check out Cox Campus: click here.AAP Resources on Screen Time Guidelines: click here. For more information, group training, and flyers on Talk With Me Baby, email Gay and Kendall at [email protected]

Dr. William Rushton shares all things envenomations, including what to do and not to do if (or when) you encounter such a situation. Learn about which bites and findings are concerning, how to manage envenomations and more! This episode will surely get your spidey senses tingling! For more information on the venomous snake workshop at Mount Ruffner: click here. For more information on anti-venom, including the treatment algorithm: click here. Check out this AAP article on rattlesnake envenomation! Click here. For more questions or concerns, check out the Alabama Poison Information Center (aka Poison Control): click here. 

Our guests today include the University of Alabama in Birmingham/Children's of Alabama's Pediatric Department Chair, Dr. Mitch Cohen, and the University of South Alabama's Pediatric Department Chair, Dr. Gul Dadlani. Join us as we discuss updates and future plans of these programs and the future of pediatrics in our state! To learn more about UAB's Pediatric Department: click here.To learn more about USA's Pediatric Department: click here. 

Learn about the Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) with its Vice President, Dr. Nina Ford-Johnson, who is a pediatrician! She shares why it's a great organization to be a part of, alongside the AL Chapter of the AAP, and legislative updates MASA is currently working on. Be on the lookout for her awesome quote on why it's important to be involved!To learn more about MASA: click here. Share your stories about prior authorizations to help MASA help you! Click here.