Medical Director, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Ventricular Assist Device ("VAD") Program & Interim Medical Director, Pediatric Cardiology - Heart Failure & Transplant

I am a pediatric cardiologist at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital where I specialize in treating patients with heart failure and cardiomyopathy, those requiring mechanical circulatory support (MCS) or ventricular assist devices (VADs), and those in need of or who have had cardiac transplants. I provide care for patients with neuromuscular disorders who also have cardiac involvement.

I knew I wanted to become a physician since childhood, but it was in medical school that I became fascinated with the physiology of the heart and complexity of congenital heart disease. During my fellowship in pediatric cardiology, I was drawn to patients who developed heart failure, and became interested in the various techniques to improve their heart function and quality of life.

I have the privilege of working with patients of all ages, ranging from newborns to older children and young adults who have cardiomyopathy, develop heart failure, or even require VADs (heart pumps) or cardiac transplantation. Our team also cares for patients with complex congenital heart disease requiring advanced cardiac therapies. Guiding patients and their families through these stressful situations and providing therapies to improve their outcomes and quality of life are very important to me.

The majority of patients I care for require life-long care. The heart failure and transplant team works in partnership with our patients and their families to establish goals and treatment on an individualized basis. As a parent, I can appreciate the worry and anxiety parents may feel when first meeting our team and the trust they place in our hands to care for their child. I'm proud to work with such a talented multidisciplinary team as we help each family care for their loved one and help them achieve the highest level of health possible.

From a research standpoint, my interests include quality improvement, mechanical circulatory support, decreasing the stroke risk of patients on VAD support, anticoagulation management, and improving care for patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We also participate in multicenter studies focusing on the care of patients with cardiomyopathy, VAD support, and transplant.

• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
• Memorial Regional Hospital