Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Dr. Miriam Parsa, Chief Pediatric Medical Officer at Cottage Children’s Medical Center
Host: Chris Sosa
Date: September 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Sosa sits down with Dr. Miriam Parsa, Chief Pediatric Medical Officer and pediatric rheumatologist at Cottage Children’s Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California. The conversation centers on Cottage’s burgeoning partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), aimed at enhancing pediatric specialty care across California’s Central Coast. Dr. Parsa discusses the motivations behind the collaboration, its anticipated impact, challenges like workforce shortages, and the lessons she’s learned in leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Parsa’s Background and Role Evolution

• Dual Roles: Dr. Parsa emphasizes her identity as a pediatric rheumatologist and details her progression into the administrative leadership as Chief Pediatric Medical Officer.
• Unexpected Opportunity: She describes how, although not seeking a leadership position, the retirement of her predecessor and encouragement from her colleagues led her to step into an administrative role.
  • Quote: “I always introduce myself first as a pediatric rheumatologist, even though I have two jobs at the moment.” (01:16)
  • Quote: “I really wasn't looking into a leadership position… it just happened to be that my predecessor... retired... and really encouraged me to consider this administrative opportunity because I love the work that we're doing here. It's quite inspirational.” (01:32)

Lessons Learned in Administration

• Complexity Beyond Patient Care: Dr. Parsa shares how transitioning to administration revealed the intricacies behind healthcare delivery, organizational mission, and financial challenges in the industry.
  • Quote: “I've learned so much about the process, about what goes on beyond patient care, the complexity behind it.” (02:32)
  • Quote: “I don't take for granted that I work in an institution that is mission driven and that is a rare commodity these days, considering the pressures that we face in health care, financial pressures. I've learned that this isn't easy.” (02:46)

Partnership Genesis and Goals with CHLA

• Historical Context: The groundwork for collaboration with CHLA began before Dr. Parsa’s tenure, motivated by the challenges faced by sole providers on the Central Coast.
• Objectives:
  • Strengthen "depth" of local specialty care through coordinated support and possibly joint hires.
  • Ensure families have access to robust local care, but also a dependable pathway to more advanced specialty services when needed.
  • Create a consistent feedback loop so that patients can return to local providers seamlessly after subspecialty treatment at CHLA.
  • Quote: “What’s best for the families is to provide local care the best we can, and when we can't provide that local care, to have a consistent partner.” (03:58)

Exciting Aspects of the Collaboration

• Educational Opportunities: Leveraging CHLA’s extensive specialty resources for joint training of nurses and physicians, as well as potential expansions in residency education.
• Streamlined, Family-Centric Care: Enhanced care coordination and opportunities for bringing patients “back home” to local care.
  • Quote: “CHLA is a tremendous organization with hundreds of specialty specialists... So we'd like to take advantage of that educational opportunity for nurses, for physicians.” (04:49)
  • Quote: “We are just very family centric here. So... having a reliable partner will allow us to bring them back when it's time for them to come back.” (05:09)

Advice for Other Systems Pursuing Partnerships

• Mission Alignment: Ensure both organizations share a clear, patient-focused mission from the start.
  • Quote: “Making sure both organizations’ missions align. And on day one, that was very clear with CHLA and Cottage.” (05:52)
• Administration-Clinician Unity: Prioritize strong relationships and open communication between administrators and clinical leaders.
• Relationship Building: Facilitate regular meetings and encourage units to know their counterparts in the partner organization for seamless care hand-offs.
  • Quote: “Relationship building comes up frequently when we are having these joint calls… really that relationship building, I think is really going to be paramount and foundational to the success of this relationship.” (06:38)

Collaboration Logistics

• Site Visits & Digital Meetings: Initial collaboration predominantly via Zoom, emphasizing the importance of forming relationships at every unit level. In-person visits are limited due to geography and logistics.
  • Quote: “So far it’s just been through the site interviews, but we have a lot of work to do... Zoom, that is so much easier to start with.” (07:16)

State of Pediatric Care and Workforce Shortages

• Workforce Challenges: Dr. Parsa highlights concerning trends in pediatric specialty training—specifically, fellowship shortages—and the imperative to maximize limited human resources.
  • Quote: “The state of pediatric care is a bit tenuous when we're talking about workforce shortages… as a pediatric rheumatologist, we had about half of fellowship programs filled.” (08:20)
• Strategic Partnerships as a Solution: Stresses that such collaborations are efficient and pragmatic responses to limited resources.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don't take for granted that I work in an institution that is mission driven and that is a rare commodity these days...” — Dr. Miriam Parsa (02:46)
• “What’s best for the families is to provide local care the best we can, and when we can't provide that local care, to have a consistent partner.” — Dr. Miriam Parsa (03:58)
• “Making sure your administration is aligned with the clinicians... The clinical leaders as well as the administrative leaders... were open and listened to us.” — Dr. Miriam Parsa (06:11)
• “Relationship building... is really going to be paramount and foundational to the success of this relationship.” — Dr. Miriam Parsa (06:38)
• “We have to be efficient with limited resources and this program development... strategic partnerships are an efficient way to work with the resources we do have.” — Dr. Miriam Parsa (08:35)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Dr. Parsa’s Background & Stepping Into Leadership: 01:08–02:25
• Lessons Learned in Administration: 02:25–03:03
• Origins of CHLA Partnership: 03:03–04:22
• Excitement About Collaboration & Future Opportunities: 04:22–05:32
• Advice for Systems & Partnership Ingredients: 05:32–07:06
• How the Partnership Functions Logistically: 07:06–08:13
• Challenges in Pediatric Workforce & Role of Partnerships: 08:13–08:53

Tone & Closing Notes

Dr. Parsa speaks with humility, gratitude, and enthusiasm, emphasizing mission alignment, relationship-building, and patient-centered care. She is candid about the challenges facing pediatric medicine but optimistic about the role of strategic partnerships in overcoming them.

Useful for anyone considering pediatric healthcare leadership, systems collaboration, or seeking insight into the future of regional pediatric care delivery.