Advancing Ethical Care for Pediatric Feeding Disorders with William Sharp, PhD

In this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast, host Chris Sosa interviews Dr. William Sharp, director of the Children's Multidisciplinary Feeding Program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, about the newly launched National Center for Feeding Ethics. Dr. Sharp shares his journey as a pediatric psychologist specializing in feeding disorders, particularly Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and describes the intensive, multidisciplinary model of care that supports children from nine months to 21 years old who struggle with feeding due to medical, developmental, or psychological challenges. He highlights the emotional and physical toll of ARFID, where eating becomes a painful or feared experience, often leading to malnutrition and the need for feeding tubes. The National Center for Feeding Ethics—formed in collaboration with Feeding Matters and Emory University’s Center for Ethics—aims to address systemic gaps in care, including inconsistent treatment quality, lack of standardized training, and absence of ethical guidelines. The center’s mission is to elevate patient and family voices, promote trauma-informed, evidence-based care, and develop national ethical standards to transform the healthcare ecosystem for children with feeding disorders. Dr. Sharp emphasizes that success will be measured by a more navigable, compassionate, and effective system where families can access the right care at the right time. He offers leadership advice rooted in building strong teams, embracing bold change, and practicing empathetic, curious leadership. The episode underscores the urgent need for systemic reform in pediatric feeding care, with over a million children in the U.S. estimated to need treatment but fewer than 1,000 receiving evidence-based, intensive multidisciplinary care. The conversation is both deeply human and strategically forward-looking, calling for a paradigm shift in how healthcare systems approach complex pediatric conditions.