Ask a Pediatrician

Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa is Board certified in Internal Medicine, and an expert in Ayurveda, Lifestyle Medicine and Integrative Medicine. In this interview she discusses the principles of Ayurveda through a pediatric lens. Resources: Benson - Henry Institute: Relaxation Response and Resiliency Traininghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4603901/Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa: https://drsirichand.comHear more from Dr. Khalsa on the Physician Thriving podcast: https://www.physicianthriving.org/292739/9254792-dr-siri-chand-khalsa-a-healing-perspective-on-physician-wellbeing

Dr. Elizabeth Thompson is the Founder and CEO of the National Centre for Integrative Medicine in the United Kingdom and a Consultant in Palliative Care with extensive training and expertise in complementary therapies. This episode explores her journey through medical training and her path to visionary leadership in the field of integrative medicine for children and adults in the UK and beyond.Dr. Thompson is also President of the forthcoming European Congress for Integrative Medicine taking place in London, UK, in November 5-7, 2021, more here: https://www.ecimcongress.comNational Centre for Integrative Medicine (NCIM)Clinic: Litfield Medical Centre, 1 Litfield Place, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 3LSOffice: Rodney House, Clifton Down Road, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 4AL0117 370 1875www.ncim.org.uk 

Dr. Shiu-Lin Tsai is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics (in Emergency Medicine) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee, Section on Integrative Medicine. She is Board certified in both pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine and in medical acupuncture. She is recent past Co-Chair of the Special Interest Group in Pediatric Integrative Medicine in the Pediatric Academic Society, and teaches locally and nationally on pediatric integrative medicine and medical acupuncture topics and skills. Recent publications: Tsai SL, Bombacie M, Licursi M, Qian Y, Stiles GM, Lee MT. Acupuncture for pediatric sickle cell pain management: A promising non-opioid therapy. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Mar;49:102314. Epub 2020 Jan 10. PMID: 32147028.Hall M, Bifano SM, Leibel L, Golding LS, Tsai SL. The Elephant in the Room: The Need for Increased Integrative Therapies in Conventional Medical Settings. Children (Basel). 2018 Nov 16;5(11):154. PMID: 30453586; PMCID: PMC6262478.Tsai SL, Niemtzow RC, Brown M, Gold MA, Graff DM, Quah-Smith I, McClafferty H. Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine in Pediatrics. Med Acupunct. 2018 Apr 1;30(2):61-67.  PMID: 29937956; PMCID: PMC6011360.Tsai SL, Fox LM, Murakami M, Tsung JW. Auricular Acupuncture in Emergency Department Treatment of Acute Pain. Ann Emerg Med. 2016 Nov;68(5):583-585.  Epub 2016 Jun 8. PMID: 27287548.

Dr. Abby Hollander is a Professor of Pediatrics and Diabetes at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is Board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology. Dr. Hollander’s clinical interests include all pediatric endocrine disorders and diabetes mellitus. She is a co-leader of a multidisciplinary team providing care for children with disorders of sex development and adolescents with gender dysphoria.Dr. Hollander has a focused interest in treatment of endocrine problems in children with brain tumors and has been a member of the multidisciplinary neuro-oncology team for St. Louis Children’s Hospital for over 15 years. Resources for transgender youth and their families:Parent support group—Transparent; URL: www.transparentusa.orgSt. Louis Children’s Hospital Transgender Center URL: www.stlouischildrens.org, search for Transgender Center; medical co-directors are Christopher Lewis, MD and Sarah Garwood, MD

Holly Spraker-Perlman, MD, MS, is a faulty member at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the Department of Oncology, Quality of Life and Palliative Care Division.  She completed her Pediatric Residency training at Emory University and her Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.  Dr. Spraker-Perlman completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) and is a national leader in bringing evidence-based pediatric integrative care into the pediatric hematology/oncology population. In this interview she shares her wisdom and insights on empowering these children and their families and how these skills can be used in other children living with chronic illness or challenging diagnosis. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org

A conversation with Dr. AnnMing Yeh,  Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University in Pediatric Gastroenterology. Dr. Yeh practices at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Children’s Health. She completed her pediatric residency and GI fellowship at Stanford University.Dr. Yeh’s research interests include diet therapies for inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and integrative medicine for pediatric gastroenterology. She has presented her work on fatty liver, inflammatory bowel disease and integrative medicine at national meetings.She completed a two-year distance learning fellowship in integrative medicine through the University of Arizona where she gained additional expertise in mind-body therapies, botanicals, and nutritional supplements. With skill and compassion, Dr. Yeh treats her patients with a comprehensive, evidence-based, holistic approach. She is also a formally trained and board-certified medical acupuncturist. She is currently the program director for the nation’s premier fellowship for Pediatric Integrative Medicine at Stanford. 

Kathi Kemper, MD, PhD  is an internationally respected pediatrician, researcher, author, editor, and leader in the fields of pediatric integrative medicine and physician wellbeing. She is Past President of the Academic Pediatric Association, and  founded the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Integrative Medicine. She is the editor-in-chief of the international journal, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, and is engaged in research to promote optimal health and well-being in health professionals as well as the children and families they serve.Dr Kemper has served on the faculty of the University of Washington, Yale, and Harvard University, and has founded three Centers for Integrative Medicine: Boston Children’s Hospital, Wake Forest University, and the Ohio State University. She has published hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers and 4 books for the public (The Holistic Pediatrician (2 editions); Mental Health Naturally; Addressing ADD Naturally, and Authentic Healing).As discussed in the podcast: Inner Explorer https://innerexplorer.orgInner Explorer is the only audio-guided mindfulness program in Education and one of the few in the field that is Formatted on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) protocol. MBSR is a very specific pathway that has been rigorously researched for nearly 40 years, with over 6000 scientific studies demonstrating proof of efficacy. Aligned with MBSR, Inner Explorer provides daily mindfulness practice that moves from concrete to more abstract concepts, while building skills of Attention, Self Awareness, Emotional Regulation and Resilience. 

Dr. Allison Ast is a Board Certified Pediatric Oncologist and Hospitalist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with fellowship training in integrative medicine. In this interview she provides a window into a world seldom experienced by most parents and shares valuable wisdom and insights on working with children and families in one of the world's most respected children's hospitals. 

Dr. Mark received his medical degree from the University of Kansas and completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric pulmonary medicine at the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York. In 1999, Dr. Mark completed the first fellowship in Pediatric Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. He practices at Packard Children’s Hospital where he utilizes non-conventional approaches with patients who have chronic illnesses such asthma and cystic fibrosis. He is interested in nutrition and the mind/body approach to healing in an effort to decrease dependence on medication. Dr. Mark is the Program Director for the Pediatric Pulmonary fellowship program, Associate Director for the Pediatric residency program and the Medical Director for the Coordinating and Optimizing Resources Effectively (CORE) Program at Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University. This innovative program assists with care coordination and communication with all health care providers for children with complex medical needs.

Dr. Valerie Jacobs earned her medical degree as well as her PhD in Neuro-Immunology/Pharmacology from Dartmouth College. She completed her residency at Boston Children's Hospital and stayed on as faculty there at Harvard Medical School where she worked full time in the Emergency Department. It was during this time that she also completed her medical acupuncture training. She then went on to study Integrative Medicine at University of Arizona. She practices General Pediatrics at Paradise Pediatrics in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her medical interests include nutrition, mental and behavior health and integrative practices. She incorporates an evidence-based integrative and holistic approach to all her visits.

Dr. Abby Hollander is a Professor of Pediatrics and Diabetes at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is Board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology. Dr. Hollander’s clinical interests include all pediatric endocrine disorders and diabetes mellitus. She has a focused interest in treatment of endocrine problems in children with brain tumors and has been a member of the multidisciplinary neuro-oncology team for St. Louis Children’s Hospital for over 15 years. Dr. Hollander participates in clinical research regarding growth disorders in children with neurofibromatosis and is co-leader of a multidisciplinary team providing care for children with disorders of sex development and adolescents with gender dysphoria.Diabetes at Camp course for CME credit (6.5 hours for doctors, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists) can be accessed on the American Diabetes Association website, URL: www.ada.healthmonix.com, under E-learning, look for Diabetes at Camp.

Dr. Larry Rosen is an integrative pediatrician and founder of the Whole Child Center. He is the co-author of “Treatment Alternatives for Children,” an evidence-informed guide for parents interested in natural solutions for common childhood ailments. Dr. Rosen is appointed as Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University. Additionally, he is a founding member and former Chair of the AAP Section on Integrative Medicine, and he received the AAP’s Pioneer in Integrative Medicine award in 2015. A graduate of New York Medical College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he completed his residency and chief residency in pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Rosen received his yoga teacher certification under the guidance of Ben Wisch and Denise DeLuca and teaches yoga and meditation to medical students. He serves as Senior Advisor and Chair of the Health Advisory Board for WholeHealthED, a nonprofit devoted to bringing whole health learning to U.S. schools. http://wholechildcenter.org

Maria R. Mascarenhas, MBBS, is a pediatric gastroenterologist and Nutrition Pediatrician in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is Director of the Nutrition Support Service, Section Chief of Nutrition in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Medical Director of the Clinical Nutrition Department and Director of the Integrative Health Program.https://www.chop.edu/doctors/mascarenhas-maria-rAnti-inflammatory Diet Recipe Videos: CHOPhttps://www.chop.edu/health-resources/anti-inflammatory-recipes

Gary Soffer, MD specializes in Pediatric Allergy/Immunology and Integrative Medicine. He completed a degree in Human Development at Cornell University and received his medical degree at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Dr. Soffer board certified in pediatrics, and adult and pediatric allergy and immunology. He has training from the University of Arizona/Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and received certifications in Mindfulness Meditation. He has interests in food allergies, mind-body medicine, eczema, asthma, and environmental allergies. He currently sees patients for pediatric allergy/immunology in Norwalk and Greenwich and integrative oncology at the Smilow Cancer Center. 

Valerie Jacobs, MD, PhDDr. Valerie Jacobs is an Arizona native who after graduating from Arizona State University, she went on to receive her medical degree as well as her PhD in Neuro-Immunology/Pharmacology from Dartmouth College. While there, she completed her motivational training at Columbia which she used to help develop an on-campus counseling program for college students struggling with addiction. She completed her residency at Boston Children's Hospital and stayed on as faculty there at Harvard Medical School where she worked full time in the Emergency Department. It was during this time that she also completed her medical acupuncture training. She then went on to study Integrative Medicine at University of Arizona. Her medical interests include nutrition, mental and behavior health and integrative practices. She incorporates an evidence-based integrative and holistic approach to all her visits. She works at Paradise Pediatrics in Scottsdale, Arizona. https://www.paradisepediatrics.net/staff.html