Podcast Hosts
September 17, 2017
Parenting is both a science and an art – and at times an eye-crossing challenge that is complicated by the latest parenting trend.
To help moms and dads ride out the current tide of concerns, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has launched a new parenting podcast called Healthy Parenting.
The biweekly, nationwide show was designed to expand the hospital’s healthy community of parents as part of its patient- and family-centered care philosophy.
Each episode features cohosts Latanya Benjamin, MD, Medical Director for the Division of Pediatric Dermatology at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, and Jason Grant-Henriques, Patient Financial Representative with South Broward Community Health Services.
“I think it’s very important to keep the mission of family-centered care in mind,” says Latanya, who has a two-year-old daughter.
In an often jovial and conversational interview format, Latanya and Jason discuss the latest issues in parenting today, from vaccinations to home safety to entertainment references to mommy shaming to social media safety.
Most recently, they talked about the effect that the Netflix series “Thirteen Reasons Why” had on kids. They also host guests, such as specialist physicians from Joe DiMaggio and a fire captain who Skyped with them about fire safety.
“It’s a broad parenting podcast that tackles any and all topics that we think are important for parents,” says Jason, a single father of two teenage boys.
Being parents and Memorial professionals, Latanya and Jason bring a lot of insight to the podcast table.
Three years ago, Latanya came to Memorial from Stanford University in Palo Alto, where she taught pediatric dermatology as a professor and ran a thriving clinical and surgical practice. She regularly hosts free skin cancer checks and is actively involved in various support groups, where she serves as an accessible medical reference point for families.
“Support groups for families are an important piece in dermatology. Often people are not aware of the psychosocial burden that skin diseases can have.
Many of these conditions are extremely rare and families can feel isolated, as though their child is the only one with their skin condition,” Latanya says.
Jason interacts with patients at every level in his position at Memorial. He’s also an aspiring cinematographer and videographer. From his home office, he creates digital media content for nonprofit and corporate clients using the latest industry production standards, software and techniques.
Becoming a father at the age of 19 propelled him into the world of healthcare, where for the past 11 years he’s found stability and opportunities to use his media skills. He often volunteers to record Memorial events, and now the podcast gives him a chance to do his video magic while contributing to the conversation.
“Exciting opportunities like this podcast are a way to reach more parents and families on a larger scale,” Latanya says. “That’s one of the many aspects that drew me to the project. This is another means for outreach and support to our families, our communities and parents across the country.”
To subscribe to the Healthy Parenting podcast, go to JDCH.com/Podcast.