Medical Director, Pediatric Cardiac Interventional Services
I am a pediatric interventional cardiologist and medical director of Pediatric Cardiac Interventional Services at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Heart Institute. Our interventional congenital cardiology team treats patients of all ages with congenital heart disease, from premature newborns to older adults.
Our team cares for patients before and after congenital heart surgery and provides primary transcatheter treatment for congenital heart lesions such as atrial septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus or vascular stenosis (e.g., pulmonary arterial stenosis and coarctation of the aorta). We also perform transcatheter pulmonary and tricuspid valve replacements where placement is possible without surgery.
I became interested in medicine as a child. During my first year in medical school, I was introduced to congenital interventional cardiology and was fascinated that many patients could be treated for heart conditions without surgery. Throughout the past few decades, technological and procedural advancements have increased the therapeutic options within the catheterization laboratory.
Congenital heart disease can be very complicated requiring patients and their families to make many important decisions. At Joe DiMaggio, we work closely with each child’s entire cardiac team which includes the primary cardiologist, cardiothoracic surgeon, cardiac imaging specialist as well as the patient and their family. We discuss all medical options as a team and determine the best approach. I frequently use medical imaging to describe heart conditions and treatment to my patients and their families.
I love interacting with patients and families throughout their cardiology care. It’s truly an honor to be a part of a patient’s cardiac journey.
In addition to providing patient care, I am also president of the Pediatric and Congenital Interventional Cardiology Early Career Society (PICES), which supports congenital interventional cardiologists within their first 10 years out of training. In 2021, I was honored to receive the Young Leadership Award at the international PICS meeting.
I also enjoy mentoring and training young physicians and medical students and reviewing articles and abstracts for several publications including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, and Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.
