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MCEC PodcastAuthor: Military Child Education Coalition
Conversations about the challenges military-connected kids face as they navigate multiple education systems from birth through high school. Language: en Genres: Education, Education for Kids, Kids & Family Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences
Episode 366
Tuesday, 28 October, 2025
Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are foundational to a child’s healthy development and well-being. Listen as Dr. Elizabeth Hisle-Gorman and Dr. Binny Chokshi discuss promoting PCEs and how the Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE) model supports strengthening families. This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Team Seymour Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://www.teamseymourspouses.com/. Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas. Show Notes: Resources: Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE) https://positiveexperience.org/ Hidden Heroes- Elizabeth Dole Foundation https://hiddenheroes.org/ Operation Purple Camp- National Military Family Association https://www.militaryfamily.org/programs/operation-purple/operation-purple-camp/ The Military Child Well-being Toolkit https://www.militarychild.org/resource/wellbeing-toolkit/ Military OneSource https://www.militaryonesource.mil/non-medical-counseling/ Bio: Dr. Hisle-Gorman is Director of the Military Family Research Division and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. She began her career as a social worker working in neighborhood development efforts in Washington, DC to support and strengthen families to prevent family violence and overcome hardship. However, a move to a military town with her active-duty military spouse, re-focused her on work with military families. She served as a Child Protective Services officer in Onslow County, North Carolina and worked extensively with military families. After completing her Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Maryland, Dr. Hisle-Gorman taught and worked in community development and was the senior author on one of the first articles to document the clinical effects of military deployment on children. She subsequently moved to USUHS to expand its research portfolio exploring the effects of military life on children. Her research interests are focused the impact of past military deployment on military children, effects of parental injury and family violence on pediatric health and mental health, and healthcare usage trends in military pediatrics. However, she has also worked on projects examining autism in children, indicators of immunization completion, neonatal health, care for transgender individuals, healthcare disparities, and the effects of medications on children. Dr. Hisle-Gorman has significant experience working with the Military Health System Data Repository and conducting retrospective research studies about military-connected children using the MDR. Dr. Hisle-Gorman most enjoys mentoring medical students, residents, and junior faculty on research projects, and teaching them the research process on an individual basis. Dr. Binny Chokshi is a general pediatrician, with a focus on adolescents and young adults. Dr. Chokshi's research and education interests are focused on understanding the impact of early life stressors on health across the life course. To mitigate the effects of trauma and stress on children, Dr. Chokshi advocates for a trauma-informed approach to healthcare. She has developed web-based e-modules to train outpatient pediatricians in responding to childhood adversity with a trauma-informed care approach and has also trained medical students and residents at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In a prior role at Children's National Hospital, she also worked with hospital leadership to develop hospital wide trauma-informed practices. In her current role at USUHS, Dr. Chokshi examines how military specific factors may impact child and and family health, with a current focus on how social determinants of health such as food security impact military child health. Dr. Chokshi is also passionate on promoting positive childhood experiences, to foster healthy development in children and counter the impacts of stressful experiences. Dr. Chokshi has a vested interest in medical education and completed Masters in Education at the George Washington University School of Education and Human Development. On a national level, Dr. Chokshi serves on the Expert Leadership Team for the American Academy of Pediatrics project “Building Capacity for Trauma-Informed Pediatric Care”.
