Division of Pediatric Cardiology | University of Maryland …

The Childrens Heart Program is committed to providing comprehensive cardiac care for children, from fetal life into adulthood, with congenital heart disease, and for children with acquired heart disease.

Our mission is to expand our services to meet the diverse needs of those in the state of Maryland, so that no one needs to leave the state to seek heart care.

A wide spectrum of cardiology subspecialties and services are offered here at the University of Maryland Childrens Hospital including:

The program offers cardiac evaluations using the most advanced technology to diagnose and treat structural and functional cardiac abnormalities.

In October 2010, the Childrens Heart Program opened the Pediatric Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization Suite. This state-of-the-art suite is the first of its kind in the mid-Atlantic region. The hybrid suite serves as both a fully dedicated pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory and surgical suite.

Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic test that seeks to acquire additional information about the structure and function of a persons heart.

Some cardiac catheterization procedures also allow the interventional cardiologist to improve or even fix an underlying heart defect. Procedures include:

State-of-the-art cardiac MRI technology is available to non-invasively diagnose even the most complex forms of congenital heart disease.

The Childrens Heart Program has expertise in the management and treatment of heart rhythm abnormalities, including placement and programming of pacemakers in children.

The Childrens Heart Program offers several comprehensive sub-specialty clinics with the goal of providing individualized treatment and education for specific patient populations.

The Childrens Heart Program Lipid Clinic offers evaluation and treatment of lipid disorders in children and adolescents. This program is designed to help children and adolescents prevent the development of heart disease through diet, exercise, and weight management techniques.

Cardiologists assess risk factors for atherosclerosis including, cholesterol, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes and then partner with families to create an individualized plan to encourage a healthy lifestyle and to manage risk factors. Services offered include:

This specialized clinic is a collaborative effort between the Childrens Heart Program and the Division of Pediatric Genetics. This program is dedicated to children who may have a family history of heart disease or a genetic abnormality known to influence cardiovascular health.

A team composed of a cardiologist, geneticist, and genetic counselor work together to diagnose and manage heritable cardiovascular disease and genetic conditions. The team provides clinical care, information, anticipatory guidance, and resources for children and their family members who may also be at risk for cardiovascular-genetic disorders.

The Childrens Heart Program has outreach clinics located in outlying areas to better meet the needs of all children who need cardiac care in the state and to bring needed clinical services closer to home.

The Childrens Heart Program organizes a Charity Running Team to participate in the Baltimore Running Festival, which takes place each year in October. The team is led by avid runner and Program Director, Geoffrey Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D., and works to raise awareness and funds for the Childrens Heart Program.

Geoffrey Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D. is a founding member and current task force member of this national collaborative dedicated to quality improvement among medical institutions. The NPC-QIC developed a national database, which monitors the quality of care and provides best practice guidelines for the care of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. In 2010, the University of Maryland Childrens Hospital became a member of the collaborative, joining close to 50 hospitals.

The American College of Cardiology Foundation's IMPACT Registry (Improving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatment) is a national clinical data registry that assesses the prevalence, demographics, management, and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease who are undergoing diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations. The University of Maryland Childrens Hospital is a member of the IMPACT Registry, which will provide significant contributions toward tracking outcomes and improving care for children and adults with congenital heart disease who are undergoing catheterization based treatments.

Geoffrey Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D is the Co-Chair of the Quality Metrics Working Group (QMWG). The group, made up of more than 80 members is focused on defining and developing quality measures in eight areas: heart failure/transplantation, imaging, adult Congenital Heart Disease, general pediatric cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac intervention, critical care and nursing. The QMWG is dedicated to the continual monitoring and improvement of clinical care and patient outcomes.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Childrens Hospital are dedicated to medication safety for children. Dr. Geoffrey Rosenthal is the Chair of the PAC and has been a member since 2007.

Tragically, Paul and Vivian Schafers son, PJ, succumbed to sudden cardiac death while playing college lacrosse in 2003. To help cope with their grief, they wanted to educate others about the disease. So they organized an annual golf tournament to raise awareness and money for research to prevent it from affecting other young athletes and their families.

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