Dr. Lois Lee: Protecting Kids from Gun Violence, and the Fight for Their Health

What if the biggest threats to a child's life are also the most preventable? Dr. Lois Lee — pediatric emergency medicine physician and researcher at Boston Children's Hospital, professor of clinical pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and a candidate for AAP president-elect — joins Dr. David Spiro on HuMed to talk about the work of keeping kids safe: from gun violence and injury prevention to vaccines, Medicaid, and the advocacy that changes policy.Dr. Lee opens with the residency moment that shaped her career — a family forced to choose between buying food and their child's asthma inhaler — and traces how that experience led to decades of research and legislation. She explains why she frames firearm safety the way pediatricians approach drowning prevention, why most firearm deaths are suicides rather than homicides, the "agree to agree" approach to finding common ground, and what worries her most about children's health today. It's a candid, hopeful conversation about how one physician decided to change the system — and how anyone can start.In this episode:– The story that started it all: "food or medicine"– How universal child health insurance changed outcomes– Passing booster-seat and ATV-safety laws– Firearm safety framed as injury and suicide prevention– Why local data changes the conversation on guns– Medicaid, CHIP, and the fallout she fears from HR1– Vaccines and the return of preventable disease– Advice for physicians who want to make changeChapters00:00 "Food or medicine": the moment that shaped a career00:23 Meet Dr. Lois Lee01:44 A family forced to choose between food and medicine03:33 How universal child health insurance changed outcomes06:13 The mentor, airbags, and kids in the front seat07:35 Passing booster-seat and ATV laws in Massachusetts09:35 Did the ATV law actually reduce injuries?10:42 Staying human: balance and boundaries12:07 Music, and returning to the piano at Emory15:15 How music makes a better physician and leader16:27 Firearms: the #1 cause of death for U.S. children17:16 Is it uncomfortable to talk about gun violence?18:41 Firearm safety framed like drowning prevention20:06 "Agree to agree": finding common ground21:14 Secure storage and hunting culture22:56 Advice for doctors who want to change the system25:09 Why most firearm deaths are suicides, not homicides26:33 Mental health in the pediatric ER27:14 What keeps her up at night: Medicaid, CHIP & HR130:04 Vaccines and the return of preventable disease30:49 Telling the truth in an age of misinformation33:56 Should the ER discuss vaccines? Teachable moments36:16 Closing reflections & why she still loves the workHuMed unveils the human side of medicine, hosted by Dr. David Spiro, MD. New episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube — please follow and leave a rating, it helps other listeners find the show.If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.).