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2026-27 Ep. 2: Inside the OR: A Life-Changing Cleft Lip & Palate Repair

FACULTY:
Richard Thomson, MD, is a pediatric plastic surgeon at University Health in San Antonio, devoted to transforming the lives of children through specialized reconstructive care. Inspired by the remarkable resilience of his young patients, he approaches each procedure with precision, compassion and innovation.

OVERVIEW:
Host Holly Wayment brings you this special episode from right outside the OR on the surgical unit at University Hospital. Dr. Richard Thomson performs a bilateral cleft lip repair and leads a team debrief afterward. The episode explains the staged timing of lip and palate surgeries, the role of the multidisciplinary cleft team, and why early palate repair supports better speech and hearing outcomes.

Listeners learn about feeding and hearing management, long-term follow-up from infancy through adolescence, support programs like Fresh Start and Austin Smiles, and the emotional and functional impact of cleft care on families and children.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Richard Thomson, MD has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.     

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this enduring material up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
9/11/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2029

2026–27 Ep. 1: Clean Hands, Humble Minds: The Semmelweis Lesson - Eight Years Later

FACULTY:
Woodson “Scott” Jones, MD, is Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, where he is Professor of Pediatrics and the Lois L. Bready, M.D. Endowed Professor. A board-certified pediatrician, former pediatric residency program director, and retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Dr. Jones has spent his career at the intersection of clinical education, professionalism, quality improvement, patient safety, and health systems leadership.

OVERVIEW:
Dr. Jones revisits Ignaz Semmelweis’s story to show why evidence alone rarely changes practice and how humility, trust, collaboration, and systems thinking drive lasting improvements.

He connects the evolution of hand hygiene and central line safety to clinical learning environments, organizational culture, and the careful adoption of AI, urging educators and clinicians to shape safer care and better-trained physicians.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Woodson “Scott” Jones, MD has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.     

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this enduring material up to a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn 1.00 MOC point in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
9/1/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2029

Life-Changing Surgery: Inside a Baby’s Cleft Lip & Palate Repair

Host Holly Wayment takes you right outside of the Operating Room after life changing surgery for a baby.  Dr. Richard Thomson performs cleft lip and palate repair on an infant at University Hospital and explains why timing—lip around three months, palate before the baby starts speaking—is critical for feeding and long-term speech outcomes.

The episode highlights the multidisciplinary follow-up (speech therapy, ENT, audiology, orthodontics), potential later procedures, and supportive programs like Fresh Start and Austin Smiles that help families access care.

2025-26 Ep. 1 From Foodborne Outbreaks to Rabies: What Pediatricians Need to Know

FACULTY:
Deena Sutter, MD, Colonel (retired), United States Air Force, joined the faculty after retiring from the Air Force in December 2020, after 21 years of service.

OVERVIEW:
Dr. Deena Sutter joins Pediatrics Now to explain the current cyclospora outbreak, how testing and PCR panels detect cases, and practical food-safety steps for families – especially for young or immunocompromised children. She reviews the limits of washing produce, differences between prepackaged and whole-head lettuce, and the recommended treatment (trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole) when infection is confirmed.

The episode also covers rising local rabies concerns in Bexar County, high-risk animals (bats, skunks, foxes), when bites or exposures warrant post-exposure prophylaxis, and the importance of timely public-health reporting and vaccination. Practical advice for pediatricians and families on prevention, testing, and when to seek care is provided throughout.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Deena Sutter, MD has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.     

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
8/14/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2028

My Kids Just Started Eating Lettuce—Now What? A Pediatric Infectious Disease Expert on Foodborne Outbreaks

Dr. Deena Sutter joins Pediatrics Now to explain the recent foodborne illness outbreaks.

The episode offers practical guidance for families: how to rinse and handle produce, why pre-packaged salads and herbs can be riskier, precautions for immunocompromised children, and when to watch for recalls or seek care. Plus: what really worries her that some people ingest.

Treating Teen Obesity: A National Leader in Bariatric Surgery on GLP-1 vs. Surgery

FACULTY:
Richard Peterson, MD is a Professor and serves as the Chief of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery for UT Health San Antonio and is the medical director of the Christus Weight Loss Institute at Westover Hills.

OVERVIEW:
Host Holly Wayment sits down with Dr. Richard Peterson to unpack the shifting landscape of pediatric obesity care. Dr. Peterson explains why GLP-1 medications have driven down bariatric surgery volumes — and why surgery still offers the most durable outcomes for obesity and its complications. He walks through updated pediatric referral criteria, compares results across medication and surgical pathways, and outlines when a combined or individualized approach makes the most sense.

For pediatricians, the takeaways are practical: recognize obesity as a disease, partner with obesity specialists, navigate insurance and access barriers, and intervene early to improve long-term outcomes for adolescents and their families.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated obesity guidelines in 2023 that moved away from the old “watchful waiting” approach. Under the new guidance, providers should offer weight-loss medications to patients age 12 and older with obesity, alongside lifestyle treatment, and patients 13 and older with severe obesity should be evaluated for bariatric surgery. Severe obesity is defined as a BMI at or above 120% of the 95th percentile for age and sex. Medication isn’t meant to be a first-line or standalone treatment — the AAP still supports intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment as the initial step in pediatric weight management. In a follow-up policy statement, the AAP called severe pediatric obesity an “epidemic within an epidemic” and urged that insurance cover surgery and follow-up care at high-quality multidisciplinary centers.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Richard Peterson, MD has disclosed he is a consultant for Teleflex/Standard Bariatrics, Medtronic, and Intuitive. The relevant financial relationships noted for Dr. Peterson have been mitigated.     

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
8/12/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2028

When to Quarantine: Criteria, Cases & Containment Strategies

FACULTY:
Ted Cieslak, COL(Ret), United States Army is a pediatric infectious disease physician with over thirty years of experience in the field of Biosecurity.

OVERVIEW:
Host Holly Wayment brings you Grand Rounds. Dr. Ted Cieslak, a retired U.S. Army pediatric infectious disease physician and biosecurity expert, reviews the history and practice of quarantine, isolation, and biocontainment — covering BSL laboratory levels, the evolution from military to civilian containment units, transport isolation, criteria for admission, real activations (Ebola, early COVID-19 repatriations, Andes virus), and key legal, ethical, and pediatric considerations for managing highly hazardous communicable diseases.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Ted Cieslak, MD has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn 1.00 MOC point in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purposes of granting ABP MOC credit.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
8/7/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2028

Energy Drinks Can Damage a Healthy Heart; Plus, When Anxiety Symptoms Are Really Cardiac

FACULTY:
Elaine Maldonado, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist at University Health and an associate professor of pediatrics and director of Pediatric and Fetal Echocardiography Services at UT Health San Antonio. She is also the director of student and resident education for the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and co-director of medical student education in Cardiology for the Long School of Medicine.

OVERVIEW:

A recent case involving a teenage cheerleader’s death has prompted a closer look at energy drinks and cardiovascular risks in young people. Host Holly Wayment and pediatric cardiologist Dr. Elaine Maldonado discuss how high-caffeine and stimulant drinks—often marketed to teens and available in school vending machines or coffee bars—can trigger palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure, and dangerous heart rhythms.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no role for caffeine in children. Parents and pediatricians should watch for red flags (persistent rapid heartbeat, unexplained chest pain, fainting during exertion), counsel on sleep, hydration, and exercise, and offer safer alternatives to energy drinks.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Elaine Maldonado, MD has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
7/30/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2028

Energy Drinks and Heart Risk: What Parents Need to Know

A recent case involving the death of a teenage cheerleader has prompted a review of energy drinks and cardiovascular risks for children and adolescents. These drinks are increasingly popular, sold in school vending machines, and many high schools now offer coffee bars, giving teens easy access to high-caffeine beverages.

Host Holly Wayment talks to pediatric cardiologist Elaine Maldonado, who warns that high caffeine and stimulant intake can cause palpitations, fast heart rates, chest pain, and may worsen undiagnosed heart conditions. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children should not consume energy drinks, and parents are encouraged to promote sleep, hydration, regular meals, exercise, and to seek urgent care for persistent rapid heart rate or chest pain.

Season 5 Episode 5

Self Determination Theory and GME Wellness

Greg Guldner, MD

 

EPISODE OVERVIEW:
Greg Guldner, MD joins Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast to discuss how health care organizations can create work environments that actively support physician and trainee well-being. Drawing on self-determination theory and his experience leading wellness initiatives across a large health care system, Dr. Guldner explores the importance of autonomy, belonging and competence in creating supportive cultures. He also discusses the stigma surrounding mental health care among residents, why traditional wellness messaging can sometimes backfire, and how evidence-based communication can make it easier for those experiencing depression to seek help.

Season 5 of "Ripples" focuses on bringing your best self to residency training while avoiding common pitfalls.

ABOUT GUEST SPEAKER: 
Dr. Guldner serves as the Chief Wellness and Retention Officer for HCA Healthcare Clinical Services Group (CSG) which includes 5800 residents and fellows, over 40,000 affiliated physicians and APPs, and over 100,000 nurses. He previously served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for Graduate Medical Education, as a Designated Institutional Official for HCA Healthcare Riverside in Southern California and as the program director for the HCA Healthcare Riverside Emergency Medicine Residency Program, which received the 2022 ACEP EM Wellness Center of Excellence Award. He holds the title of Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine. Prior to earning his medical degree at Stanford University, Dr. Guldner completed a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Purdue University and undergraduate degrees in philosophy and psychology from Colorado State University. He practiced emergency medicine for 25 years in both academic and community settings and has 28 years in the Army Medical Corps (reserve) including combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

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