CARDIOLOGY The mission of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology is to care for and improve the cardiovascular health of newborns, children and adolescents, and to transition them into healthy adulthoods. We strive to embrace discovery, teamwork, integrity and excellence in all that we do. Despite the Covid-19 outbreak, our division was able to provide excellent cardiology care within the region. EXPANSION The fetal cardiology program continues to expand, and we now provide fetal cardiology services in Danbury. We are training one additional cardiac sonographer, Melanie Bova, for our team to accommodate increasing cardiology patient volumes. Our interventional cardiology program recruited Caitlin Heyden, DO, who possesses advanced training in pediatric interventional cardiology. Her arrival helps ensure we can provide 24/7 interventional cardiology services to meet growing volumes. We now have a formal multidisciplinary pulmonary hypertension program led by Joseph Kuruvilla, DO, and inclusive of a dedicated nurse, Megan Clark, RN, NICU and inpatient cardiology. We developed and expanded our telemedicine video visit services to accommodate and see patients remotely in accordance with Covid-19-related social distancing. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY: PROCEDURAL INNOVATIONS Frederic Bernstein, DO, was joined by Dr. Heyden as the additional interventional cardiologist. Our catheterization laboratory performs pediatric and adult congenital interventions. The program has expanded the institution’s interventional capabilities, which include catheter-based closure of patent ductus arteriosus in premature newborns and trans-catheter pulmonary
valve (TPV) replacement (Melody™ valve). Our electrophysiology laboratory performs stateof-the-art, non-fluoroscopic catheter ablation for supraventricular tachycardia in children. Connecticut Children’s is the only medical facility in the state to routinely perform this procedure without X-ray use. Fluoroscopy time for catheter ablation of arrhythmias at Connecticut Children’s is significantly lower than the national average. Connecticut Children’s provides a dedicated pediatric pacemaker clinic run by a certified pediatric electrophysiologist and a pacemaker nurse. The catheterization and electrophysiology laboratory continues to be an active member of the American College of Cardiology’s IMPACT Registry™, a national, multi-institutional cardiovascular data registry designed to support evidence-based guidelines and review of performance benchmarks. The lab also participated in the Reducing Radiation Quality Care Initiative™, leading to drastic reductions in radiation exposure for Connecticut Children’s patients. ADULT CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE PROGRAM Connecticut Children’s provides the most comprehensive care of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) in the state of Connecticut. Our Connecticut Adult Congenital Heart Service (CTACH) received accreditation as a comprehensive adult congenital heart disease center by the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) in 2018. Our program is the first and only accredited ACHD program in the state of Connecticut and one of only 40 in the nation. The program is overseen by three providers, Felice Heller, MD; division chief of Cardiology Shailendra Upadhyay, MD; and Whitney Fairchild, APRN. Drs. Heller and Upadhyay are both board-certified adult congenital cardiologists. The outpatient clinic follows over 1,200 adults with congenital heart disease on an annual basis. It offers comprehensive pregnancy management for patients with congenital heart disease. We also offer inpatient consultations at Hartford Hospital to ensure optimal collaboration in the care of ACHD patients.
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