Choosing the Best Children's Hospital: Why Rankings Matter (with Ben Harder)
Inside the Children's Hospital
Release Date: 10/07/2025
Meningitis in Children: When a Mother's Instinct Led to Life-Saving Answers
Inside the Children's Hospital
What happens when your child seems sick, but everything keeps coming back normal? For a lot of parents, the scariest part isn’t the diagnosis. It’s the not knowing. It’s being told everything looks fine when your gut is telling you something is off. This week, Katie sits down with Kayleigh, a medical assistant and mom of three, to share the story of her daughter Kanessa. Almost a year after a freak eye injury that seemed to heal, Kanessa suddenly got sick. At first, it looked like a simple virus. But within days, things escalated fast. Kaylee shares what it was like trying to make sense...
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When a Parent Has Cancer: What Kids Understand Before We Say It
Inside the Children's Hospital
What happens when your child already senses something life-changing—before anyone has found the words to say it out loud? When serious illness enters a family, children often understand more than we realize. And for caregivers, the challenge becomes not only navigating medical decisions, but also finding the right way to support their children through it all. This week, Katie sits down with Anna Lonon, founder of to share her family’s story of navigating cancer when her husband Michael was diagnosed with stage three head and neck cancer at just 29 years old. While raising a young son and...
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Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): A Parent’s Journey from First Signs to Diagnosis
Inside the Children's Hospital
What happens when your instincts tell you something is wrong—but you’re dismissed again and again? For many parents, the journey to a diagnosis begins with a gut feeling—and the courage to persist in seeking answers. This week, Katie sits down with Nikki McIntosh, author and advocate, to share the story of her son Miles, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at just 18 months old. After noticing delays in his ability to stand and bear weight, Nikki followed her instincts despite initial dismissal—ultimately leading to a life-changing diagnosis. Nikki shares what those...
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HIE at Birth: A Dad’s Story of Brain Injury, NICU Trauma, and Finding Purpose
Inside the Children's Hospital
Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, Brady and his wife were told their newborn daughter had suffered a severe brain injury. In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital, Katie sits down with Brady Crandall, founder of Youth Crews, to share his family’s journey following a diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). What began as a routine pregnancy quickly turned into an emergency delivery, NICU stay, and a new reality as parents of a medically complex child. Brady opens up about: The shock and uncertainty of those early days Navigating life as a “medical dad.” The...
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Preparing Your Child for Surgery: A Pediatric ENT Surgeon’s Honest Advice
Inside the Children's Hospital
How do you prepare a child for surgery and build trust with their medical team? This episode explores how families and healthcare providers can work together to support children through procedures like tonsillectomy and other medical challenges. This week’s guest, Dr. Tali Lando, shares her perspective as a pediatric ENT surgeon, author, and mom of three teenage daughters. She and Katie discuss what it’s really like for families navigating medical care with complex kids and how parents can advocate effectively while still building strong partnerships with their child’s care team. If...
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Life After Pediatric Kidney Transplant: A Mom’s Journey Through Dialysis, Surgery, and Recovery
Inside the Children's Hospital
What does life really look like after a child receives a kidney transplant? Many people think transplant is the end of the journey—but for families, it’s often just the beginning. This week’s guest, Lyndsey Fedorko, returns to the podcast to share the next chapter of her son James’s medical journey—life after a kidney transplant. After years of dialysis, hospitalizations, and uncertainty, James received a life-saving kidney transplant from his aunt, marking the beginning of a new season for their family. Lyndsey and Katie reflect on the intense months surrounding transplant surgery,...
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Healing After the NICU: Processing Trauma, Loss, and Your Family's Story
Inside the Children's Hospital
This week’s guests, perinatal mental health therapists Emily Souder and Mahaley Patel, share the story behind their book Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family’s Experience—a guided journal created to help families process the emotional impact of a NICU stay. Mahaley also opens up about her daughter, Sachi, who died after a NICU stay, and how storytelling and narrative healing became a lifeline in her grief. She and Emily talk with Katie about why so many NICU parents carry trauma long after discharge and how writing your story can help families reconnect with what they experienced....
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Trust, Grief, and Loving Your Child Through Big Identity Changes
Inside the Children's Hospital
What happens when your child shares something that shifts the future you thought you understood? In this episode of Inside the Children’s Hospital, Katie sits down with Kelly Kemp — certified child life specialist of more than 30 years and mom of three — to talk about navigating trust, grief, advocacy, and love after her child was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and came out as transgender. Kelly shares: The phone call that changed everything Navigating substance use and mental health concerns Grieving privately while choosing love publicly Rebuilding trust with her...
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Helping Kids Navigate Physical Differences: Child Life Strategies for Confidence, Curiosity & Resilience
Inside the Children's Hospital
How do you help a child respond when someone asks about a scar, burn, or limb difference? This week’s guest, Abby Horton, opens up about her journey as a Child Life Specialist working across ICU, burn, surgical, rehab, and inpatient settings—and how those experiences shaped the way she supports families navigating physical differences. From sudden trauma and accidents to limb differences, burn injuries, surgical scars, and hair loss from chemotherapy, Abby shares how parents can gently empower their children to own their story with confidence. She and Katie discuss simple, age-appropriate...
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Micro Preemie at 25 Weeks: A NICU Mom’s Journey
Inside the Children's Hospital
This week's guest opens up about the shock of an emergency C-section at 25 weeks and 3 days, the fear of entering the NICU for the first time, and the powerful role Child Life Specialists played in supporting not only Vincent, but their entire family, including his older brother. She reflects on what helped her cope during long NICU days, how she advocated for herself using her healthcare background, and what she wishes she had known about the “medically complex” label sooner. This episode explores sibling bonding in the NICU, the impact of a truly integrated care team, the importance of...
info_outlineIs the "best" hospital just about technology and surgical success? Ben Harder, the journalist who oversees the methodology and data for the U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals Rankings (2025), joins Katie to break down what truly defines quality in pediatric care.
Ben shares his deeply personal family story—a tragedy 50 years in the past that drives his commitment to making data-driven information accessible today. This episode is a crucial guide for parents, explaining the three core pillars of the rankings: structure/resources, processes of care, and patient outcomes.
We dive into why essential human-focused services like Child Life Specialists, chaplains, and family advisory boards are included in the scorecard and how they influence the rankings. Ben illuminates the challenge faced by these vital "cost centers" in a revenue-driven healthcare system, and offers a powerful message: parents are the strongest possible advocates for their children, and they should use every resource available—including the U.S. News data—to make informed, collaborative choices for their child’s care team.
Guest Links
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U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals Rankings: All data is freely available for families to research hospitals by region and specialty.
Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways
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The Personal Motivation: Ben shares the heartbreaking story of his cousin, whose permanent brain injury after a heart surgery complication 50 years ago lacked the complete care team needed to ensure a good outcome—a void the U.S. News data is designed to fill today.
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The Three Pillars of Ranking: US News analyzes over 1,000 data points grouped into: 1) Resources/Structure (nurses, expertise, technology, child life services), 2) Processes of Care (following best practices, infection control), and 3) Outcomes (survival, length of stay, quality of life).
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The Honor Roll: The 2025 Honor Roll features the top 10 hospitals recognized for high performance across multiple specialties, including: Boston Children's Hospital, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Cincinnati Children's, Texas Children's Hospital, and others.
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A Piece of the Puzzle: The rankings are one resource to use alongside insurance coverage, geographic location, and most importantly, consulting your child's doctors and trusting your parental intuition.
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The Value of Human Support: Services like Child Life Specialists, support groups, and family advisory boards are included in the structural data points, serving as a motivator for hospitals to invest in comprehensive, family-centered care.
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Advocacy is Essential: Ben gives parents permission to advocate relentlessly, reminding them they know their child best. Collaborating with—not simply questioning—the care team can be life-saving.
Chapters:
| Timestamp | Topic |
| 0:00 | Ben Harder’s Personal Connection to Hospital Rankings |
| 1:03 | The Official Launch of the U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals 2025 |
| 3:20 | US News Honor Roll: The Top 10 Children's Hospitals |
| 4:26 | FREE COURSE Ad: Shots, Blood Draws & Comfort Positioning |
| 5:35 | Meet Ben Harder: Journalist, Father, and Best Hospitals Lead |
| 7:59 | The 3 Pillars of US News Ranking Methodology (1000+ Data Points) |
| 11:37 | The Role of Expert Work Groups in Defining Data |
| 13:58 | The Future of Family Expertise in Shaping Rankings |
| 16:59 | How Families Should Use the U.S. News Rankings |
| 21:09 | Why Child Life Services and Support Resources Matter in Rankings |
| 25:12 | Why Support Services are Overlooked: Revenue vs. Cost Centers |
| 27:54 | Ben Harder's Personal Story: The Tragic Need for Comprehensive Care |
| 31:00 | The Efficacy and Impact of Child Life Specialists |
| 34:36 | What Families Should Expect and Ask For: Advocacy Permission |
| 38:23 | Where to Find the U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals Rankings |
| 38:58 | Disclaimer |
Resources for You
1. Unlock Two FREE Courses (Value $250+)
We want to equip you to better support your child during medical experiences! Get our popular courses "How to Prepare, Support, and Respond to Your Child During Shots, Blood Draws, and Vaccines" AND "How to Use Comfort Positioning in Pediatrics" completely free.
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Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. The host and guests are not licensed therapists or medical doctors. Always consult with your child’s qualified medical professional for advice specific to your family’s situation.