This week we had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Jon David Oden to find out how he and the rest of the team at the Arkansas Children's Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity team champion for the children in the community.

This special series from "Better Today, Healthier Tomorrow – An Arkansas Children's Podcast" is designed to bridge the gap for health care providers who predominantly treat adults. Pediatric care can be intimidating for those unaccustomed to it; with a mix of expert knowledge and relatable experiences, Charles ensures that no child's healthcare needs are left unaddressed.

Join us as we make pediatric care more approachable and ensure every child receives the best possible care.

We are thrilled to introduce our newly rebranded video podcast— 'Better Today, Healthier Tomorrow – an Arkansas Children’s Podcast.’ The name reflects our mission of a healthier future for the children of Arkansas and beyond.

We couldn’t think of a better way to launch than sitting down with Arkansas Children’s President and CEO, Marcy Doderer, who is celebrating a decade of serving the state’s only pediatric health system. 

Doderer reflected on what she’s most proud of during her tenure at AC Arkansas Children’s, her experience on the “parent side of the bed,” and its impact on her leadership style. She also revealed that being president and CEO was not her first job at Arkansas Children’s — as a teenager, she worked in the billing department, converting paper files to microfiche.

Is your child part of the 6-8% of kids in the U.S. with a food allergy? Knowing the signs, triggers, and what to do if it happens will help you navigate food allergies with confidence.

Dr. Stacie Jones joined us for Food Allergy Awareness Week to share vital insights on managing food allergies and the exciting research her team is conducting.

Dr. Jones is the director of the food allergy program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

With an uptick in respiratory illnesses, it's important to know the differences between RSV, flu and COVID-19 viruses and when it's time to take your child to a primary care doctor or the emergency room.

 In our latest Live. Learn. & Play podcast, we asked Dr. Kaitlin Cockerell, a general pediatrician at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock and assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences explains what a respiratory illness is and goes in depth on the symptoms to watch for when deciding which type of care a sick child may need. 

Endometriosis is more than just a painful period, and it may be difficult to know what's normal and what's not. 

It takes a team of experts to keep young athletes healthy and get them back on the field. 

On our latest “Ask the Experts”, Dr. Lauren Poindexter a non-surgical sports medicine physician at Arkansas Children’s Northwest shares how she uses her own story and personal experience with multiple sports injuries, to help treat young athletes at our Springdale location.

Endometriosis is more than just a painful period, and it may be difficult to know what's normal and what's not. 

On the latest episode of our Live. Learn. Play video podcast, Dr. Laura Hollenbach, one of only two fellowship-trained pediatric and adolescent gynecologists in Arkansas, shares her expertise on the signs of this condition, when it's time to make an appointment for your daughter and the benefits of seeing a pediatric gynecologist. 

We all know kids and adults snore from time to time. Most of us just pass it off as being tired or exhausted. What happens if that snoring is everyday or they were not active the day before sleep? Could it be a sign of a more serious condition? Janine Amos, D.O., a Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Arkansas Children's sits down to talk about snoring and kids. She breaks down what makes kids snore, what to listen for, and when it may be time to see a physician. 

Incontinence can impact kids in various ways. From bedwetting to accidents while out and about, each form affecting their wellbeing. We talk with Sally Puckett, CPN from the Urology department at Arkansas Children's about incontinence and kids.

Learn about the types of incontinence that kids experience, what is happening mentally and physically around an incontinence accident, and what parents can do to help out. 

Are you new to breastfeeding? It can be hard to know if you're producing enough milk for your baby or how long you should breastfeed. 

We're here to answer your top breastfeeding questions with Dr. Sarah Sobik, outpatient breastfeeding medicine specialist at Arkansas Children's.

It's Migraine Awareness Month and we're asking Dr. Joe Elser, pediatrician and pediatric headache management specialist, what parents need to know about kids and migraines. What is a migraine? What are the symptoms of headaches vs. migraines? What can be done to relieve symptoms?

Join us as we take a deep dive into fetal echocardiograms (fetal echo) with Dr. Elijah Bolin, Pediatric Cardiologist at Arkansas Children's Hospital. A fetal echocardiogram is a highly specialized type of prenatal ultrasound. This type of imaging study is performed to evaluate the structure of the heart of the unborn child. We discuss how a fetal echo is performed, what conditions it can diagnose in your baby, what patients it is essential for, and hear Dr. Bolin talk about real scenarios where fetal echo's catch cardiovascular conditions before birth..

The weather is warming up and kids want to spend more time outdoors.  Along with the beauty of spring, come seasonal allergies. Tree pollen, grass pollen, weeds, mold, and more will all meet your little ones outside. Dr. Matthew Bell, Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, joins us to share his tips on minimizing the effects of seasonal allergies in kids with and without using medicine. We discuss what symptoms to look for in seasonal allergies. He gives an in depth review of which allergy medications work best for each symptom, and tells us one medication to throw in the trash immediately. 

We talk with Dr. Jessica Snowden, Division Chief, Pediatric Infectious Disease to get an update on the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Why is Omicron different?  What are the symptoms and how to stay safe? When should a child return to school after having symptoms? We answer all these questions and more.

Join us as we talk with Christopher Manbeck, MD about Tourette Syndrome. What is Tourette Syndrome? What are Tics? Why do Tics happen? What is Tourette's effect on kids and their self esteem? Learn about the Tourette Clinic at Arkansas Children's, the only pediatric Tourette Syndrome focused program in the state. The Arkansas Children's Tourette's Clinic includes a Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) program with a CBIT certified therapist.

We talk with Dr. Joana Mack about types of Vascular Anomalies, how the nationally renowned team at Arkansas Children's are bringing next-level treatments to patients, and how mental health, confidence, and self-esteem can also be affected. 

The Vascular Anomalies Center at Arkansas Children’s is recognized as a leading center committed to providing expert care of infants, children and adults with vascular anomalies. That’s why parents from all over the United States and other parts of the world entrust their children with our team of specialists. We provide great outcomes, outpatient focus (reduced length of stay), telemedicine, international reputation, leaders in the field, and clinical trials.

It's not something most parents worry about, but happens more than you may think. It is possible for children to get kidney stones. Join us as we talk with Dr. Rachel Millner about how common kidney stones are in children, how parents can help prevent them, what symptoms to look for and when to see your pediatrician.

Bone marrow transplants and cellular therapies are critical, life saving procedures.  Dr. Arunkumar Modi, Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant  and Cellular Therapy program at Arkansas Children's explains how these treatments work in the body,  what a patient and donor can expect during the transplant process, and talks about building a Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy program at Arkansas Children's.

At any given time, more than 250 patients are being treated for cancer or blood disorders at Arkansas Children's.  Arkansas Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Program is the only pediatric cancer treatment program in the state. www.archildrens.org

Most of the time when you are sick, you can go to store and pick up something at the counter to make you feel better, but in some cases we have patients that need more precise treatment.  At Arkansas Children's we have precision medicine, which is a personalized test to help guide treatment for your child.  Today we sit down with Ashley Chastain, Mom of Harper.  Harper has gone through our precision medicine testing.  Ashley shares her and Harper's journey with Precision Medicine and how it has impacted her and her family for the better. After talking with Ashley we sit down with Dr. Brad Schaefer, Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at Arkansas Children's. Dr. Schaefer gives us the medical side of Precision Medicine and its benefits.

It's Volunteer Week and at Arkansas Children's we know how important our volunteers are in helping kids be better today and healthier tomorrow. In this episode we sit down with Fant and Carol, two of our longest serving volunteers at Arkansas Children's, to discuss their passion for volunteering, the impact COVID-19 had, and the special calling that volunteers feel, especially at a childrens hospital.

Organ Donation save lives. In this episode of the Live, Learn and Play podcast we sit down with Elementary School teacher and Jacob's Mom, Holly Trucks. Holly shares Jacob's story, from having kidney disease at birth, his journey with Arkansas Children's, and flourishing in life as an ever growing and curious kid; all made possible by the unbelievable sacrifice and donation from his most loving supporter, his Mom.

The power of play can help heal a child. In this episode of the pod we talk with Brianna Shannon and Sarah Frantz, two child life specialists at Arkansas Children's, about the importance of being a child life specialist,  normalization in the hospital, discuss coping methods, and explore all the facets of the Child Life Department!

"They always said I had a 99% chance of dying, so to give life 110% chance now" says our next guest on the Live, Learn and Play podcast. For our special heart month episode, teenager Camden Tucker sits down to discuss her multiple heart surgeries at Arkansas Children's, the special care her and her family have received, and how she is using art to give back to children who need it most. 

How are you guys doing? What are you doing to handle the stresses of the pandemic and how are you talking your kids? We know that there has been a intense focus on the mental health of kids, parents, patients, and healthcare workers during the last year.  In this episode of the Live Learn & Play podcast we sit down with Social Worker and Program Director of Good Mourning at Arkansas Children's, Greg Adams, to discuss mental health during COVID-19, advice and mental health resources for families and kids, and how in an imperfect world we can strive doing good for ourselves and others.  

Resource Information
Arkansas Children's Support Group information: www.goodmourningcenter.org 
Arkansas Children's Behavioral Health Line: 501-364-4411
National Suicide Lifeline:  CALL 1(800)-273-8255 or TEXT 741-741