Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Advancing Population Health at Rady Children's Health with Dr. Michael Weiss
Feb 16, 2026
Dr. Michael Weiss, a general pediatrician and VP of Population Health at Rady Children’s Health, and the system’s first endowed chair for wellness, discusses shifting pediatric care toward prevention. He talks about value-based care, advanced primary care models with embedded mental health and social supports, and plans for long-term pediatric cohort research to track early interventions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
From Country Pediatrician To Population Health
- Michael Weiss practiced 22 years in community pediatrics before moving into population health leadership.
- He joined Children's Hospital of Orange County to start a population health division and later merged into Rady Children's Health.
Personal Loss Shaped His Mission
- He lost a brother and sister in childhood to congenital disease, which motivated his broader interest in health systems.
- That personal history pushed him toward prevention and system-level change beyond individual patient visits.
Health Extends Far Beyond Hospitals
- Only five to seven percent of the population interacts with hospitals, so most health determinants lie outside clinical walls.
- Health systems must engage schools, parks, faith groups and community organizations to affect population health.
