Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital’s New Pediatric Heart Transplant Program Gives Patients a Second Chance at Life

The patient, a teenage girl, is doing remarkably well, and went home just 12 days after the surgery, according to Dr. Frank Scholl, chief of pediatric cardiac surgery and surgical director of the Heart Transplant Program, at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

 

“She has already resumed a number of activities, including home schooling, and will probably go back to regular classes at the beginning of the next school term,” he said.

 

The successful transplant is a testament to the top-notch clinical skills of the hospital’s cardiac transplant team, and to its philosophy of patient and family-centered care. Core team members include Dr. Scholl, who was recruited in 2007 from Vanderbilt University, where he served as the Director of Heart/Lung Transplant Program and Director of the Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program; Maryanne Chrisant, M.D., who was previously medical director for the Pediatric Heart Transplant and Heart Failure Services at the Cleveland Heart Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, and held the same title at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and Chris Mashburn, RN, director of clinical programs and lead transplant coordinator for Joe DiMaggio, and former lead coordinator for Denver Children’s Hospital heart transplant program.

 

The pediatric heart transplant program, one of four in Florida, has raised the bar of excellence for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “The fact that we can provide a high level of care for children with heart failure and cardiomyopathies really sets the stage for the growth of the program,” said Dr. Scholl. “We can provide highly specialized care that’s equivalent or better than any cardiac center in the country.”

 

Recognizing the important role that families play in a child’s recovery, the hospital provides a home away from home called The Conine Clubhouse, where families of hospitalized children can stay free of charge.

Pediatric transplant patients and their families benefit from continuing follow-up and resources made available at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

 

“While the actual surgery lasts about five or six hours, the follow-up lasts a lifetime,” said Dr. Chrisant, the hospital’s medical director, pediatric cardiac transplant, heart failure and cardiomyopathy programs.

 

“Transplant recipients must be cared for by physicians and nurses who have experience in their care,” she said. “All subspecialists involved with these complex patients are important, and we act as a team to deliver excellent care.”

 

The team devotes a great deal of time to educating families about heart transplantation so they can continue to be their child’s best advocates. Psychosocial support is also provided by the dedicated mental health team, which includes a pediatric psychiatrist, psychologist, child life specialist and social worker. Referrals are also made as needed to community resources that help transplant recipients.

 

As part of UNOS, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is in Region 3, which includes the southeastern United States. Although the program was chartered to provide care for patients in Broward County, the team can provide care to any patient – even outside the region.

 

Patients are currently being evaluated for transplant or considered for evaluation. They may be referred by a physician – usually a cardiologist – or self-referred. The patient and family participate in a comprehensive evaluation process which allows the medical team to learn about the patient’s anatomy, physiology, psychosocial condition and overall readinerss.

 

Patients accepted by the program are registered with UNOS as part of the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network in a data base broken down by patient age, size of the heart, blood type and distance.

“In the case of our first transplant, we were able to get a match with a donor that wasn’t too far away,” said Dr. Scholl, who led the team to procure the donor heart while other team members at the hospital started the surgery.

 

The hospital is working to create awareness among healthcare providers and patients in the community about the program’s availability, as well as the excellence of the transplant team. “Children can receive outstanding care right here in Hollywood,” said Dr. Scholl. “The fact that our first patient went home 12 days after a heart transplant is a major achievement for this patient and her family.”