Get to Know Me
My interest in medicine began at college with a summer job in a hospital supply room. I changed to pre-med and that was it. Ive been a pediatric cardiac surgeon for more than 15 years, and I appreciate the relationships with my patients and their parents. Every year they send me photos of their growing kids; its exciting to see them doing well going to school, playing sports, living full lives. Its very rewarding.
Why I Treat Children
The ability of kids hearts to recover is truly amazing. I am here to help them along by performing the surgery, getting things how they are supposed to be then their bodies do the rest. Their ability to heal, their resilience, is just fantastic. They are really champions.
What I'm Passionate About
Im always looking for ways to do what we do better, and Im learning all the time I learn from colleagues, from nurses and from parents. The nurses are with patients so much, and of course parents know their children better than anyone else, so when a parent says somethings different, or Ive noticed something, my ears perk up. Nobody knows whats normal for their child better than they do.Thats why its important to look at the care of kids with heart disease as truly a team effort. It has to be integrated from beginning to end. The best outcomes depend on everyone performing at their best, so thats what we do. Most of our patients cant talk yet, but parents, nurses, staff and doctors every bit of input matters and a big part of my job is listening.
How I Try to Make A Difference
Were dedicated to the quality, safety and outcomes of what we do, and that cant be compromised. Were dedicated to caring for parents as well as children. Thats our promise.Many heart defects are discovered during prenatal ultrasounds, so its my goal to talk with parents before their child is born. I cant take away all of their anxiety, but I can let them know that we can fix almost all heart problems, and theres a really good chance their child is going to be okay. Its a huge event in their lives, and it can be beyond heart-wrenching to deal with. The more they understand that this is what we do every day and we do it well it doesnt make it easy, but it can make it better.
