Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Gentile.
Karen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Kids First Pediatric Partners for over 6 years and what I love about my job is that I am given the freedom and autonomy to participate in the growth of this practice. This has been my first non-hospital based job in my 16-year history as a healthcare provider and I am always heard as a voice to better our practice which is not something that I had experienced before in hospital based medicine.
Kids First is one of the most technologically savvy private practices in the Chicagoland area, so when I became a podcast junky myself and learned that creating a podcast was a realistic goal for our practice I presented the idea to the managing partners and they were extremely supportive of the idea!
The Kids First Podcast was inspired by my favorite satellite radio show Doctor Radio. I love how the show bridges the gap between the medical provider and the patient in an easy-to-understand format. It wasn’t until my colleague and friend Betsy Hjelmgren, founder of Feed to Succeed, started her own podcast that I realized podcasting was a platform that I could also use to educate my families beyond the 15-minute office visit.
The Kids First Podcast is an evidence-based educational podcast where we discuss pediatric health conditions and parenting concerns. It is designed to help our parents and families navigate their child’s’ health. The Podcast was first released in May of 2018 and is published every 2 weeks. It can be downloaded by any podcast player including iTunes and Spotify.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Creating the podcast required some initial planning and coordinating because we had to consider the legal implications of providing medical advice to a global audience. We did consult our malpractice insurance and received guidance along the way to protect the practice. The first thing you’ll notice in the podcast is the legal disclaimer that was recorded by one of our nurse’s daughters! Overcoming the legal hurdles probably took 2-3 months before we were ready to record and publish.
An additional roadblock that I had to overcome was learning a new technology that was foreign to me. As a healthcare provider, I focus on clinical advances and not technological ones. Learning how to use audio equipment was a steep learning curve for me and I started off recording with basic equipment- just one microphone while using GarageBand on my Mac for editing which was self-taught via trial & error and Google queries. I’ve since learned how to add in a second microphone using an audio interface thanks to a friend in the music industry who helped me troubleshoot my setup. I’ve really enjoyed learning this new skill and I am reading podcasting blogs daily to learn how to improve our sound quality as we progress.
What should we know about Kids First Podcast at Kids First Pediatric Partners? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am extremely proud to work at Kids First Pediatric Partners because we are one of the few practices in Chicago that have specialized clinics within our primary care clinic. Some of our specialty services include our Easy Breathers asthma clinic, our Travel Health Clinic, the Chicago Breastfeeding Center, the Nutrition Program in collaboration with Feed to Succeed, and behavioral services contracted through Primary Care Psychology Associates. The Kids First Podcast is our latest platform that allows us to educate our families outside the boundaries of our office walls. In addition to our clinical excellence, we are also certified as a Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. We are truly at the forefront of pediatric medicine!
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
www.thepodcasthost.com and School of PodCasting podcast are great resources for creating a podcast.
PediaCast CME is a great Pediatric podcast sponsored by Nationwide Children’s that also allows you take post-tests for CME credit.
The Hippo Education Podcast is also a CME credited podcast.
Contact Info:
- Address: Kids First Pediatric Partners
4709 Golf Road
Suite 900
Skokie, IL 60076 - Website: www.kidsfirstpediatricpartners.com
- Phone: 847-676-5394
- Email: info@kidsfirstpediatricpartners.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidsFirstPediatricPartners/
Image Credit:
J Kleeman Photography
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Mayfair Mclane
August 28, 2018 at 5:56 pm
I know Karen Gentile and am blessed that she is a member of my family. She is brilliant, which is clear from the article. She is also lovely, kind, and fun. I’ll be an avid listener of her new Podcast adventure.