Host Holly Wayment brings us Houston spine surgeon Rex Marco who, after a terrible cycling accident , faced life-changing paralysis to recovery through mindfulness, the RAIN method, and radical acceptance. He describes what happened to him and how in one moment everything can change. His work now explores how compassion, mindfulness, and vulnerability can reshape how we live, lead, and heal.

In 2019, Dr. Marco sustained a C3–4 fracture-dislocation in a cycling accident, resulting in C2 quadriplegia. Today, he serves as the Chief Medical Ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, advocating for research, cure, and improved quality of life for individuals living with spinal cord injury. He is also a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and is passionate about integrating resilience, presence, and emotional healing into medicine, leadership, and life. He's known for creative and transformative teaching and shares that his most profound transformation came through recovery, where he confronted longstanding patterns in how he related to himself and others.

This episode explores how he says acceptance, gratitude, and recovery programs transformed his leadership, clinical practice, and family life, offering actionable tools for cultivating presence and emotional safety.

Dr. Rex Marco is an internationally recognized orthopedic spine and musculoskeletal oncology surgeon whose career has centered on caring for patients with complex spinal disorders and tumors. He completed his undergraduate studies at UC Irvine and conducted research at the National Institutes of Health through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute before earning his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine. He went on to complete surgical training at Virginia Mason Medical Center, orthopedic residency at UC Davis, and dual fellowships in musculoskeletal oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and reconstructive spine surgery at Rush University.

Dr. Marco has held leadership roles at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and UTHealth Houston, where he serves as Spine Fellowship Director.

American passengers exposed to the rare Andes strain of hantavirus during a recent cruise are being monitored after one passenger tested positive, prompting renewed discussion about transmission risk, incubation periods, and practical guidance for clinicians. U.S. health officials are currently monitoring more than 40 people after possible exposure, though no confirmed U.S. cases have been reported.

In this episode, pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Deena Sutter discusses what pediatricians should know about the evolving hantavirus story, including the rare potential for person-to-person spread associated with the Andes strain, current public health concerns, and how to counsel families without creating unnecessary alarm.

The conversation also explores infectious disease issues pediatricians are currently seeing in South Texas, including murine typhus, flea-borne illness, and a recent salmonella uptick in San Antonio.

CME credit coming soon.

Recognize, Rule Out, and Return: Concussion Care for Young Athletes

Link for CME Credit Coming Soon!

Host Holly Wayment and Spurs Team orthopedic surgeon Leah Brown discuss how to recognize and assess suspected concussions in youth — the early signs (headache, mental fog, nausea, photophobia), the importance of identifying mechanism, and when to seek advanced care.

It reviews practical tools like the Child SCAT-6/SCAT-6, updated management (avoid prolonged complete rest), stepwise return-to-learning before return-to-play, activity tolerance rules, red flags requiring emergency evaluation, and the need to prevent a dangerous second hit.

Episode 21: When Bruises Don't Add Up: Recognizing Sentinel Injuries in Infants

https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10101808

When Bruises Don’t Add Up: Recognizing Sentinel Injuries in Infants

FACULTY: Daniel E. Reyes-Ruiz, MD, FAAP is a Child Abuse Pediatrics fellow at the Center for Miracles.

OVERVIEW:

Join Host Holly Wayment and Daniel Reyes Ruiz, M.D., in this grand rounds episode of Pediatrics Now on sentinel injuries and infant bruising, emphasizing the importance of early recognition, common clinician biases, and the PEN‑4‑FACES framework for identifying high‑risk bruise locations in non‑mobile infants.

It reviews case examples, common medical mimics (bleeding disorders, birthmarks, dermatologic conditions), recommended evaluation steps (imaging, skeletal survey, hematology workup), and when to consult child protection resources to ensure infant safety.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:

Speaker: Daniel E. Reyes-Ruiz, MD, FAAP has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no 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.

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 0.75 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: 4/28/2026

EXPIRATION DATE: 8/31/2028

Bonus Episode:*Not Accredited for CME Credit*

In this episode Holly Wayment interviews Dr. Lisa Carnell, Director of NASA's Biological and Physical Sciences Division, about the AVATAR bone marrow organ-chip experiment that flew on Artemis II! The team sent personalized microphysiological "organ chips" made from astronaut blood to study deep-space radiation effects and compare results directly to the crew.

They discuss how these small, high‑fidelity models can accelerate translational research for oncology and pediatric diseases, reduce animal testing, enable personalized treatments, and help protect astronaut health on long missions. The chips can model hematopoiesis, test therapies, and provide data on radiation and drug responses.

The amazing conversation also covers broader NASA science: growing plants in space, future lunar and Mars research, and the potential real‑world benefits of space-driven technology for healthcare on Earth. Pediatricians will learn about the incredible search and organ‑chip technology as a tool to personalize care and improve outcomes for children.

Host Holly Wayment and war correspondent Benjamin Hall discuss his New York Times bestselling books, his near-fatal injury while reporting in Ukraine, and the long recovery that followed. He shares how family, community, and inner strength drove his rehabilitation and inspired his children’s book about bravery and standing up for others.

Hall also offers practical advice for clinicians and families on communication, resilience, and supporting loved ones through trauma, and emphasizes the importance of taking action, staying connected, and finding hope.

Episode 22: Grand Rounds: When Kids Hurt: Modern Approaches to Chronic Pediatric Pain

https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10101807

Grand Rounds: When Kids Hurt: Modern Approaches to Chronic Pediatric Pain

FACULTY: Maged Mina, MD is board-certified in both anesthesiology and pain management. Dr. Mina has been practicing in San Antonio for the last 20+ years. In addition to pain management and anesthesiology, he has significant experience in teaching, as he currently serves as clinical Associate professor at UTHSCSA.

OVERVIEW:

Holly Wayment welcomes grand rounds speaker Dr. Maged Mina and his presentation on chronic pediatric pain, presented by University Health’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital and UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Mina reviews his background in anesthesiology and pain management and his long-standing work with children.

The episode covers recognition and diagnosis of chronic pediatric pain (>3 months), common presentations (headaches, recurrent abdominal pain, musculoskeletal pain, CRPS, cancer- and sickle cell–related pain), and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach focused on functional restoration. Physical therapy (including aquatic therapy), behavioral therapies, hypnosis, acupuncture, and virtual reality are emphasized alongside family collaboration and school reintegration.

Pharmacologic and interventional options are presented as adjuncts: basic analgesics, gabapentinoids, tricyclics, melatonin, cautious opioid use when necessary, and procedures such as nerve blocks, epidural catheters, Botox, and emerging neuromodulation (peripheral nerve and dorsal root ganglion stimulation). Barriers such as cost, access, and the need for patience and team-based care are also highlighted.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:

Speaker: Maged Mina, 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 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.

The presentation, Navigating the Path for Chronic Pediatric Pain, has been designated by the University of Texas at San Antonio for 0.75 credit of education in pain management and the prescription of opioids.

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 0.75 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: 5/6/2026

EXPIRATION DATE: 8/31/2028

*Special Bonus Episode for Practitioners: Not accredited for CME Credit*

This episode follows Lisa and Craig Wilkerson as they share their son Ryan’s sudden, severe decline from sudden-onset OCD-like symptoms to full disability caused by PANS/PANDAS, and the family’s multi-year struggle to get proper medical care.

They describe repeated misdiagnoses, traumatic hospital experiences, and even CPS involvement, until Dr. Anthony Infante used specialized testing and prescribed IVIG immunotherapy. The treatment gradually restored Ryan’s sleep, hygiene, social life, and independence.

Listeners and viewers will hear clinical pearls about listening to families, considering autoimmune causes for acute neuropsychiatric changes, and the role of multidisciplinary care and targeted immune testing and treatment.