Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: The Simply Pediatrics Podcast – “About Me”

Host: Jennifer Zethner, Holistic Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Release Date: May 21, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special “About Me” episode, Jennifer Zethner (aka Jennie) steps away from her usual format of answering pediatric health questions to share her personal journey. After receiving feedback that listeners wanted to know more about her life, Jennie candidly opens up about her professional path, family, passions, and community involvement. The episode offers a rare glimpse into the person behind Simply Pediatrics, highlighting Jennie’s values, the evolution of her holistic practice, and her deep commitment to her patients and community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jennie’s Personality and Motivation for the Episode

Jennie describes herself as reserved and shy, acknowledging that sharing personal details on-air is outside her comfort zone.
- “For the people who do really know me very well, they would tell you that I am quite reserved and quite shy. And the fact that I make these podcasts at all is kind of like a big deal for me.” (01:15)
She explains the motivation to record this episode: Listener curiosity about the woman behind the podcast.

2. Personal and Family Background

Jennie is a lifelong Long Islander and feels deeply connected to her home.
- “I absolutely love Long Island. I graduated from nursing school in 1995, a million trillion years ago...” (02:00)
She is a mother of three, with two grown or nearly-grown children and one at home.
- “People tell you children are never really out of the house completely, especially if you live on Long Island…” (03:15)
Jennie’s youngest is an active ice hockey player, which consumes much of her family’s time.
- “Ice hockey is his life, so therefore it’s ours, and we absolutely love it.” (03:53)

3. Love for the Outdoors

A self-professed outdoors enthusiast, Jennie spends every possible moment outside—regardless of season.
- “I genuinely think I could live out there… The second I leave my office, my hat is on my head…” (04:12)

4. Evolution of Her Practice and Holistic Approach

Jennie started her nursing career in 1995, working in her “dream job” in the NICU, and became a Nurse Practitioner in 2000.
Her journey led her from high school health clinics to establishing her own holistic pediatric practice on Long Island, which she considers her “fourth child.”
- “My own practice…at the North Pole Wellness center has been since 2014… It has grown like a child.” (05:00)
She balances flexible office hours with family needs, striving to be accessible to patients.

5. Challenges and Goals in the Practice

Jennie candidly addresses the difficulty some new patients may have in booking appointments due to high demand.
- “I know this is a complaint amongst the families… it is not that easy to get in to see me… I’m trying real hard to bring in other providers who are like-minded…” (05:40)

6. Global and Local Community Service

She travels to Guatemala twice each year on medical missions, describing the experience as a “breath of fresh air” and a welcome contrast to the American healthcare system.
- “To get out of the mold of American medicine and be in a completely different place where you have to think very much outside of the box.” (06:00)
Locally, Jennie volunteers monthly at a mission serving families in need, providing health talks and support.
- “I become one of the staff… I volunteer my time there, essentially.” (06:35)
Recently, she joined her local fire department as an EMT, inspired by her neighbor’s work.

7. Balancing Work, Family, and Self-Care

Jennie’s schedule sometimes shifts to prioritize her children, especially when traveling to visit them.
- “Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who are understanding when you get that text from me…” (07:00)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On being reserved:
“The fact that I make these podcasts at all is kind of like a big deal for me because I’m pretty reserved, quiet, private…” (01:23)
On family and roots:
“I live, grew up and raised my children on Long Island, where I would never leave, regardless of the political situation in New York. I absolutely love Long Island.” (01:56)
On her practice as a child:
“I absolutely love my practice that I have on Long Island. I consider that my fourth child.” (05:00)
On Guatemala missions:
“That is my breath of fresh air… to be able to travel to Guatemala to get out of the mold of American medicine and be in a completely different place where you have to think very much outside of the box.” (06:00)
On joining the local fire department:
“I just thought, I have to do it, I have to do it. I love the excitement of getting in that ambulance. I obviously thoroughly enjoy taking care of my community…” (07:05)
On gratitude:
“Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who are understanding when you get that text from me where I say, do you mind maybe coming in tomorrow instead of next week...” (07:10)
Parting encouragement:
“Parenting is an amazing journey. You’re doing an amazing job. Stay curious and keep learning and I will see you next time.” (07:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:47 – 01:40: Jennie discusses her reserved personality and motivation for this episode.
01:41 – 04:11: Overview of Jennie’s family, her life on Long Island, and her children.
04:12 – 05:00: Jennie’s love for being outdoors and balancing work-life.
05:01 – 05:40: Practice history and philosophy; challenges in patient access.
05:41 – 06:37: Community service in Guatemala and local volunteering.
06:38 – 07:22: New EMT role and the importance of family; flexibility in her schedule.
07:23 – 07:48: Closing encouragement to parents.

Final Notes

This episode offers a heartfelt, genuine look at Jennie’s motivations, priorities, and the holistic, family-centered values that shape her approach. Listeners are left with a deeper appreciation for her dedication to children’s health—not just professionally, but as a core aspect of her own life.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:02]
A
Welcome to the Simply Pediatrics Podcast simplifying holistic health care for infants and children. We're so glad you're here. Join Jennifer Zeffner, holistic pediatric nurse practitioner and holistic mom of three on a mission. Listen in as she shares the answers to the most asked questions from parents in her practice every day and offers parents practical strategies and actionable steps to support their child's health and well being. Enjoy this insightful, delightful episode of the Simply Pediatrics Podcast and stay tuned for more information at the end of the podcast. Today's Episode About Me
[00:48]
B
hello and welcome. I'm gonna do something a little bit different for today. I was recently told within like a short period of time by two different people that they enjoy my podcast, but I don't seem like I really ever talk about myself. And there's so many people out there with podcasts and they talk about their family and what they've been doing and you know, even down to like what they ate for dinner. And you know, I'm never very personable, so I know many of you do not know me that well, but for the people who do really know me very well, they would tell you that I am quite reserved and quite shy. And the fact that I make these podcasts at all is kind of like a big deal for me because I'm pretty reserved, quiet, private, but I thought today I would share a little bit. So put it all in one podcast. You're not going to see it kind of spill over into others, I don't think so. All in one podcast. I live, grew up and raised my children on Long island, where I would never live, never ever leave, regardless of the political situation in New York. I absolutely love Long Island. I graduated from nursing school in 1995, a million trillion years ago, and worked as my dream job in the nicu. So I was a nurse in the NICU for quite some time and then I became a nurse practitioner in 2000 and I had interesting work when I first graduated in a high school health clinic and dealt with all sorts of interesting teenage issues there. And then I went on to have my children. So I do have three children. You do hear me talk about them on occasion. And families that come into my office know that I have three kids. Two of them are fairly grown. One is pretty much out of the house. Although people tell you children are never really out of the house completely, especially if you live on Long island, there's always a chance that they're coming home. And I have one. My youngest is still living at Home with me. He is my active ice hockey player, which is why I'm in my car most of the time. I drive, drive him here, me and my husband, I should say drive him here, there and everywhere. Ice hockey is his life, so therefore it's ours and we absolutely love it. I spend almost every moment I have outdoors. Whether it's the winter, spring, summer, fall, doesn't matter. I have to be outside. I genuinely think I could live out there. So the second I leave my office, my hat is on my head and I am either with my kids or I am outside walking by the water, quiet, gardening. But I'm outdoors all the time. I absolutely love my practice that I have on Long Island. I consider that my fourth child. I started that in 20, I think it was 14. Now I kind of lose track. I believe 2013, 2014. I've been doing this work since 2010, holistic pediatric care. But my own practice that I opened at the North Pole Wellness center has been since 2014 and it has grown like a child. It was very, very slow at my pace where my children were still little. And it genuinely has just grown like the rest of my kids. It has grown and grown and kind of done amazing things. I keep my hours as I need to. Many of you who are my patients know sometimes I will reschedule you. If something comes up for one of my kids, I will be with them. But for the most part I am in the office about five days a week, not for a full day. But most of the time I try to keep myself very accessible to my families so that I'm there for you. I'm hoping very much to hire more staff to work with me. I know this is a complaint amongst the families that are in my practice is that it is not that easy to get in to see me. And so although I shouldn't say that I think the families that are already in my practice and who need me for a sick visit or, or for newborn, I like to think that they can reach me very quickly since they have my phone number. But if you're a new patient trying to get in, I know that there's quite a wait and I'm trying real hard to bring in other providers who are like minded to provide similar care. Other things about me that you already probably know. I do try my best to travel to Guatemala twice a year. That is my breath of fresh air. I would say twice a year to be able to travel to Guatemala to get out of the mold of American medicine and be in a completely different Place where you have to think very much outside of the box. I travel with a medical mission in the spring and in the fall and absolutely love it. I often ask many of you to donate for us some books and crayons and other things that we've brought along with us. I also volunteer locally at a mission that provides amazing, beautiful care for our community of families who are in need. And for them I provide once a month I go and I speak to the parents and if they have just general questions about their child's health or their development or they just, you know, have mental health needs and I just sort of. I become one of the staff there and work for the day, work for the morning that I'm there to assist families. I volunteer my time there, essentially. I also recently joined my local fire department because I thought I needed a little extra in my life. I was very much inspired by my neighbor who was going out on calls as an emt and I just thought, I have to do it, I have to do it. I love the excitement of getting in that ambulance. I obviously thoroughly enjoy taking care of my community and my neighbors who are having a difficult time in an emergency situation. So to be there as an EMT is my most recent joy that I've added into my life. I also have children who travel a bit and when they do, I like to go to visit them. So I am incredibly grateful to my families when I have to rearrange my schedule around my children. And thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who are understanding when you get that text from you where I say, do you mind maybe coming in tomorrow instead of next week or whatever, it may be alright, that is it about me? For any of you who are interested in the rest of my life and what else it is I do. I know many of my children in the office. They just assume I live there at the office and sometimes it feels like that. All right, for all of you, enjoy your day. Parenting is an amazing journey. You're doing an amazing job. Stay curious and keep learning and I will see you next time.
[07:48]
A
Thank you for joining Jenny on the Simply Pediatrics podcast. We hope that the valuable information she shared in this episode of will inspire and empower you on your holistic parenting journey. If you would like to learn more about Jenny, her Simply Pediatrics practice, or anything that she spoke about today, please check the show notes that accompany this podcast and you'll find all the links and resources you need. You can also sign up for the SimplyPediatrics mailing list so that you receive Jenny's weekly newsletters packed with vital information and holistic parenting journeys. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please give Consider giving this page a like and subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any episodes. And don't forget to connect with us by sharing your thoughts in the comments section below. Follow simply Pediatrics on any and all of the social media platforms. And if you're interested in an in person or a virtual appointment with Jenny, please see the contact details in the show Notes. Stay tuned for more episodes packed with a wealth of powerful information to support you on your holistic parenting path. See you next time.