Rockstars
Let’s face it, some doctors, nurses and medical staff are just…well, special. These are the medical professionals who have achieved Rockstar status from heart families around the world. If you are looking for the “been there, done that” referral of who to call on, you might want to check out this roster of Rockstars. And add to the lineup.
Ronald K. Woods, MD, PhD, Chief, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center, Tacoma, WA http://www.multicare.org/home/provider/ronald-k-woods
Matthew V. Park, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist, NorthWest Children’s Heart Care/Pediatrix, Tacoma, WA http://www.nwchc.com/body_mod.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=7&action=detail&ref=10
Robert Koppel, MD, medical director, regional perinatal center, Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York
Lorraine Freed Garg, MD, MPH, Special Child Health and Early Intervention Services, Division of Family Health Services
Public Health Services Branch, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Michael Mitchell, MD, Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee
Larry Weinhaus, MD, Dean Medical Center, Madison, Wisconsin
Dharam Goel, MD, Children’s Heart Center, St. Johns Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis
Charles Huddleston, MD, St. Louis Children’s Hospital/Washington University Physicians
The Nurses and staff on 7West and CICU at St. Louis Children’s
Paul Kirshbaum, MD, Atlanta Children’s Hospital
Peter Wearden, MD, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC
Vincent Morell, MD, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC
Vaughn Starnes, MD, University of Southern California · Cardiothoracic Surgery
Gerard Martin, MD, Children’s National Heart Institute & Medical Center, Washington, DC
Elizabeth A. Bradshaw, MSN, RN, CPN, coordinator for the Congenital Heart Disease (pulse ox) Screening Program, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Brett H. Duncan, MD, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
James St. Louis, M.D. (and the staff at the PICU at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital)
R. Rodney Howell, M.D.. Professor of Pediatrics; Chair Emeritus, Pediatrics; University of Miami Health System University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Diane Zook, Tacoma General Hospital, Mary Bridge Pediatric Heart Program, Pulse Oximetry Screening Program
William Novick, MD, University of Tennessee and Peds Cardiothoracic surgeon for the developing world’s children (International Children’s Heart Foundation).
Arthur Lavin, MD FAAP, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Beechwood, OH
All of the volunteers; cardiologists, intensivists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, RTs, PICU nurses for the International Children’s Heart Foundation
Frank Hanley, MD, Chief, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery. Co-Director, Children’s Heart Center; Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford, CA**
Michael de Moor, MD, Chief, Pediatric Cardiology, Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Kenneth Bloom, MD, and all the staff of Pediatric Cardiology Associates of San Antonio affiliated with Congenital Heart Institute of Texas and Methodist Childrens Heart Institute
David B. Gremmels, MD, Director of echocardiography at Children’s of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul/ Pediatric cardiologist, Children’s Heart Clinic, Minneapolis
Sue Berry, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
Michel Ilbawi, MD, Chief of Surgery, Hope Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Andrew VanBergen, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist, the Heart Institute for Children, Hope Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Dr. Tarek Husayni, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist, the Heart Institute for Children – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Gia Spiotto, Nurse Practitioner to Dr. Husayni, the Heart Institute for Children – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Dr. Thomas George, MD, University of Minnesota, Neonatal Clinical Service
Mark McCann, Newborn Screening Program, MN Department of Health
Amy Gaviglio, Newborn Screening Program, MN Department of Health
Piero Rinaldo, MD, Director, biochemical genetics lab, Mayo Clinic (MN Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and national ACHDNC Committee)
Darshak Sanghavi, MD chief of pediatric cardiology, UMass Medical School
Dennis Crowley, MD, University of Michigan, Mott Children’s Hospital
John Child, MD, UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, Los Angeles
Mark Plunkett, MD, pediatric surgery chief, Kentucky Children’s Hospital, co-director, Kentucky Children’s Heart Center
The entire UCLA ACHD clinic, University of California, Los Angeles
William Walsh, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of Nurseries, Children’s Hospital Vanderbilt
Lazaros Kochilas, MD, University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital (Pediatric Cardiology)
Dr. Pedro del Nido, MD, Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Children’s Hospital Boston/ Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Gil Wernovsky, MD, FACC, FAAP. Associate Chief, Division of Pediatric Cardiology. Director, Program Development, The Cardiac Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Pediatric Cardiology team, University of Virginia
Burt Bromberg, MD, Children’s Heart Center, St. Louis, MO (Ped. Cardiology and Electrophysiology)
Edward Bove, MD, Univ. of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI (Ped. CT Surgery)
David Bradley, MD, Univ. of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI (Ped. Cardiology and Electrophysiology)
Francois Lacour-Gayet, MD, Formerly – Children’s Hospital in Aurora, CO
Richard Ohye, MD at CS Mott Children’s Hospital (UofM)
Ralph Delius, MD, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Henry Walters, MD, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Nancy Cutler, MD, Elliott Weinhouse and Thomas Riggs, Beaumont Children’s Hospital (Royal Oak, MI)
Janet McGivern and Leslie Davis – Nurse Clinicians at Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Emile Bacha, MD, pediatric heart surgery – NY Presbyterian, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
Roger Brietbart, MD, pediatriac cardiologist – Children’s Hospital Boston
ALL the doctors, nurses, and staff in the 8 South CICU and 8 East of Children’s Hospital Boston
Jamie Lohr, MD, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, Pediatric Cardiology
Ted Thompson, MD, University of Minnesota, Neonatology (NICU)
**multiple comments for Dr. Hanley include:
1) Not only is he one of a handful of surgeons who does a sizable number of double switch operation for L-TGA, but he is the world’s foremost expert surgeon for children with multiple aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs). He performs incredibly detailed, tedious unifocalization procedures in which he creates entire pulmonary artery trees for children with little or no pulmonary arteries. These children have little chance at a normal life without these operations or a heart-lung transplant, and no one does them better or does more of them. He is directly responsible for saving the life of our 4 year old daugther after we had been told there was nothing more than could be done for her at our local hospital.
2) Would so love to see Dr. Frank Hanley at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital added to this list. He is beyond question one of the most gifted pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons on the planet. I give great kudos to these guys who are able to do the Rastelli-Senning and Rastelli-Mustard surgery and do it WELL (Dr. del Nido and Dr. Ilbawi – on this list, included!)- there aren’t many, and because of him and his gift, my son is here and thriving today!
3) Saint Patrick’s Day, 1994, because of Dr. Frank Hanley doing a double switch procedure in 1995, my baby Santana grew up to be a healthy, happy God fearing Christian boy who is a grateful, appreciative son, skate-board riding fool, a very nice person who is loved immensely by myself and his 4 sisters. Thank You, Lord for creating Dr. Hanley. I love and appreciate you Dr. for doing the Double Switch.
I wonder if Anna Grace’s Dr. Bradley is the same one? http://baasheepbaa.blogspot.com/2010/01/anna-grace-january-12-update-2.html
Dr. Michele Ilbawi, Dr. Andrew Vanbergen, Dr. Sajan, and the entire PSHU staff at Hope Children’s Hospital belong on this list. They are wonderful!
De de Moor is my first rock stat because without him, Andre would not be alive for his surgery with our second rock star – Dr Del Nido @ BCH….
Michael de Moor, MD
Department(s)
Pediatrics
Division(s)
Cardiology
Clinical Specialties
Pediatric cardiology, interventional cardiology
Research Interests
Development of intracardiac devices
Clinical Title(s)
Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
Academic Appointment(s)
Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Dr. Michel Ilbawi – Chief of Surgery Hope Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Dr. Andrew VanBergen – Pediatric Cardiologist the Heart Institute for Children Hope Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Dr. Tarek Husayni – Pediatric Cardiologist the Heart Institute for Children – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Gia Spiotto – Nurse Practitioner to Dr. Husayni the Heart Institute for Children – Oak Lawn, Illinois
Dr. Crowley at U of M Mott Children’s Hospital is my first Rockstar. I kept him as my pediatric cardiologist through college. My second would be Dr. Child at UCLA. It’s hard finding an Adult Congenital Heart specialist and not just a cardiologist. He took one look at my echo, listened to me and knew I needed surgery. Third would be Dr. Plunkett who is now in Kentucky. He was my surgeon and did an amazing job. Yea!!!! The whole staff at UCLA ACHD clinic is amazing and when I was there, the docs at U of M were all amazing too. Can you believe Dr. Crowley was a fellow when I had my first surgery in ’81?
Dr. Emile Bacha – surgeon – Childrens Hospital Boston
Dr. Roger Brietbart – pediatriac cardiologist – Childrens Hospital Boston
And to ALL the doctors, nurses, and staff in the 8 South CICU and 8 East of Childrens Hospital Boston
Thanks Laurie – I hear you. Kelli, who posted on the 7th too lives in Rhode Island. I think they know Dr. Bacha quite well as does Isabelle Oiumette’s family in Boston. Our surgeon there was Dr. del Nido and we would fly across the country for him again. What a great team on the 8th floor there!! I’ll be updating the Rockstars page as soon as we get through the big 100 events on Feb 13. Cheers, A
Dr. Kenneth Bloom and all the staff of Pediatric Cardiology Associates of San Antonio affiliated with Congenital Heart Institute of Texas and Methodist Childrens Heart Institute.
Would so love to see Dr. Frank Hanley at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital added to this list. He is beyond question one of the most gifted pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons on the planet. I give great kudos to these guys who are able to do the Rastelli-Senning and Rastelli-Mustard surgery and do it WELL (Dr. del Nido and Dr. Ilbawi – on this list, included!)- there aren’t many, and because of him and his gift, my son is here and thriving today!
I second Dr. Frank Hanley.
Not only is he one of a handful of surgeons who does a sizable number of double switch operation for L-TGA, but he is the world’s foremost expert surgeon for children with multiple aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs). He performs incredibly detailed, tedious unifocalization procedures in which he creates entire pulmonary artery trees for children with little or no pulmonary arteries. These children have little chance at a normal life without these operations or a heart-lung transplant, and no one does them better or does more of them. He is directly responsible for saving the life of our 4 year old daugther after we had been told there was nothing more than could be done for her at our local hospital.
Dr. William Novick – University of TN
Peds Cardiothoracic surgeon for the developing world’s children.
All of the volunteers; cardiologists, intensivists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, RTs, PICU nurses for the International Children’s Heart Foundation!!
They represent the best of the best in pediatric heart care.
Dr.Starnes from USC, Southern California!!!
dr duncan at hartford hospital is a rockstar to me
Dr Peter Wearden and Dr Vincent Morell of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC! They are an outstanding team and our our heros!
yay!!! Dr. Lazaros Kochilas!!!! i couldn’t agree more!
dr. paul kirshbaum atlanta childrens hospital. very awesome and caring man.
Dr. Dharam Goel, Children’s Heart Center, St. Johns Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis
Dr. Charles Huddleston, St. Louis Children’s Hospital/Washington University Physicians
The Nurses and staff on 7West and CICU at St. Louis Childrens.
Dr. Michael Mitchell, Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee
Dr. Larry Weinhaus, Dean Medical Center, Madison Wisconsin
I wanted to say I had a son born on Saint Patrick’s Day, 1994, because of Dr. Frank Hanley doing a double switch procedure in 1995, my baby Santana grew up to be a healthy, happy God fearing Christian boy who is a grateful, appreciative son, skate-board riding fool, a very nice person who is loved immensely by myself and his 4 sisters. Thank You, Lord for creating Dr. Hanley. I love and appreciate you Dr. for doing the Double Switch.
I would like to add Dr. James St. Louis and the staff at the PICU at Amplatz Children’s Hospital at the University of Minnesota. Without their skilled hands we probably wouldn’t have had our son Riley for nearly a year. Riley had the Berlin Heart implanted after his heart was attacked by a virus. The device is not without flaws though. Riley passed away on March 1st when he knelt down to play with his trains and one of the tubes from the Berlin ruptured.
Jamie Lohr, Cardiologist at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. Amazing care, taking into account the needs of your family, not just in caring for the defect. Her respect for you as a parent is amazing…she will never dismiss a concern you have. She spends time in the lab and is always current on the latest research. If you ask her a question, you know you get a thorough accurate answer. She was recommended to us by a PICU nurse who we are forever indebted to.
Dr. Redmond Burke at Miami Children’s! A rockstar with an amazing back-up band in the CICU.
Dr. Robert Ross (pediatric cardiologist) at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. I cannot describe how amazing his is with my 14 month old son. http://www.childrensdmc.org/?id=242&sid=1
Dr. Hal Walters (Pediatric Heart surgeon) at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Dr. Vincent Parnell and Dr. Fredrick Bierman and staff at Schneider Children’s Hospital, NY
I would like to add our favorite primary nurses, Wes Nigon and Clint Williams, Dr. Oliver, Dr. Olsen, and of course our amazing surgeon Dr. Burkhart. All from Mayo Clinic Rochester.
I would love to add Dr. Mark D. Plunkett to this list – again! This man saved my life! When other doctors said nothing more could be done and a transplant wouldn’t come on time Dr. Plunkett defied them and saved my life! He used to be at UCLA Medical Center, which is where I had my surgeries, but he’s at Kentuky University Hospital now. He is an AMAZING surgeon that I would not be living today without. He is incredible.
Dr Lester Permut of Children’s Hospital in Seattle….Also Dr Phat Pham of Swedish Medical Hospital, both of whom saved my baby boy’s life.
Dr. Gary Raff, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics (Our amazing surgeon!)
Dr Jeff Van Gundy, Cardiologist (diagnosed Sophias defect prenatally, now a dear friend!)
Barbara Goebel, cardiac nurse. Has been with us every step of the way. Shes just plain amazing.
All at University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento (UCDMC)
Without Surgeon Frank Hanley and his entire staff my daughter wouldn’t have lived. They saved her life and I am so eternally grateful. What I don’t understand is that Hopkins, Children’s in DC and Chop didn’t send us to Hanley nor tell us about him at all. Even after every failed attempt of them to save Eliana. ( She had 2 near death experiences and we thought we had lost her for ever ) Thank God we found him and she lives , no thrives !
Thank you Dr. Berger at Wee Care Pediatcrics, Dr Arrington (cardiologist) and Dr Birch (cardio Thorasic surgeon) at Primary Children’s Medical Center in SLC, UT. Because of ALL of you, our beautiful Bethany (PAPVC) is with us today. ALL the PICU staff and other “heart moms” were loving and so very helpful. Thank you isnt enough but it is what we have. God Bless all of those who help children no matter the illness!
Thank you Pediatric Cardiologists: Dr. Schaumberger & Dr. Ebenroth, Pediatric Cardiology Fellow: Dr. Michael Johansen, and Cardiothoratic Surgeon Dr. Mark Rodefeld for all your hard work and dedication towards our daughter, Lily and all the other special hearts at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The team at Hope Children’s hospital, Dr. Ilbawi’s team, is incredible. He is a miracle worker given to us by God. I them them all!
NEW YORK: I would like to mention Dr. Samuel Weinstein at the Childrens Hospital at Montefiore, in the Bronx. Not only did he perform my daughters surgery then right after that perform a heart transplant on a little boy names Jeter, he also interrupted surgery once on a boy in San Salvador to donate his own rare-type blood to the patient. To me he is full rockstar status and I think he deserves a mention!
The Cardiovascular floor at Childrens of Minneapolis. Dr. Baker my son and daughter’s cardiologist. He is a wonderful doctor, cath doctor, and cares about my children like they are his own.
To the wonderful Dr. Overman my daughter surgeon for performing all her surgeries including the emergancy 9 hour surgery. They are all deserve rockstar status.
Great list. Dr. Redmond Burke is our rockstar and all his team and CICU doctors and nurses. Thank you God!
Forgot to say he is at Miami Childrens Hospital.
I have had Dr. Duncan as my Cardiologist for the last 13 years. He is awesome. I would also like to nominate Dr. Christopher Clyne my Electro Cardiologist. I met the two of them when I was in dire straights with Congestive Heart Failure. Between them, along with their teams, they managed to patch me up and get me through the last 13 years with the ability to do the things that I love doing.
Without Dr. Backer, Dr. Russell and all the cardiologists and nurses in the CICU at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago my daughter Breanna would not be with us!