Leading the Charge: Youth Mental Health, Medicaid, and the Future of Children’s Hospitals

In this powerful episode, Matthew Cook, President & CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, joins hosts Heidi Baskfield and Jason Hopcus for a candid and urgent conversation about the youth mental health crisis and the critical role Medicaid plays in addressing it.

Together, they unpack how children’s hospitals across the nation are innovating in real time—launching new models of care, embracing community partnerships, and leading bold advocacy to reimagine what mental health care can and should look like for kids.

Cook shares his vision for how the Children’s Hospital Association is aligning its national policy work with real-world hospital innovation—and why EPSDT, Medicaid, and the voices of families must be front and center in building a system that actually works.

If you care about transforming youth mental health, understanding the financial levers that make or break access, and seeing how children’s hospitals are stepping up, this conversation will leave you inspired and activated.