Protecting Kids’ Health: What Parents Can Do Right Now
How is public health shifting under this administration, and what does it mean for children and families?
In this episode of Voices for Their Future, Dr. Kavita Patel, a physician, policy expert, and former White House health advisor, breaks down the current threats to public health and the real-world changes parents might see—from funding cuts to misinformation creeping into pediatrician visits.
We discuss:
✅ What’s happening to public health policy right now—and why it matters
✅ How so-called “informed consent” is being weaponized to undermine vaccines
✅ What Dr. Patel is doing personally to keep her family safe
✅ Concrete actions parents and communities can take—from engaging with companies to pushing for stronger protections from elected officials
Public health is under attack, but parents aren’t powerless. This conversation is about more than staying informed—it’s about taking action.
SHOW NOTES: Data Privacy & Your Health Information
During the episode, Dr. Kavita Patel discussed the growing concerns around data privacy in healthcare and how personal health information could be misused. She shared this template letter that you can use to request greater privacy protections for your medical data under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations.
📄 Access the letter here: Privacy Request Template
Looking for reliable, science-backed medical information? Check out OpenEvidence.com, a trusted resource for staying informed with evidence-based healthcare insights. Dr. Kavita Patel mentioned it as a great tool for cutting through misinformation and getting the facts.
About Dr. Kavita Patel
Kavita Patel, MD, MS is a physician based in Washington DC who advises healthcare companies as a Venture Partner at New Enterprise Associates. With extensive experience in public policy, Dr. Patel previously served as Director of Policy for the White House under President Obama and as Deputy Staff Director to the late Senator Edward Kennedy. During her tenure in these roles, she played a pivotal role in pandemic preparedness and healthcare reform efforts. Dr. Patel's research on healthcare quality and community-based interventions for mental illness has received national recognition, and she has authored numerous papers and book chapters on healthcare reform and health policy. She is also an NBC/CNBC contributor. Most recently, she was appointed as a professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.