With evaluation and treatment plans that often begin while a baby is still in utero, the Cardiac Center at Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital relies on a total team approach to manage its patients some as young as a few hours old. The Center, established in 2004, is the only program that provides congenital cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology in Broward or Palm Beach counties, according to Dr. Frank Scholl, Director of Cardiac Surgery at the center.
Patients and their families work closely with pediatric cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric intensivists and pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists, as well as variety of specialized nursing support staff to round out the team. But no matter which team member the family is dealing with or what stage the patient is at in his or her care, the Cardiac Center utilizes a family-centered care approach.
“While we offer the highest possible level of skilled clinicians and compassionate care, we still rely on the patient and family to be the focal point of care,” explained Dr. Scholl. “Other than in the operating room and catheterization suite, family members have unlimited access to their loved ones even in the Pediatric Intensive Care unit.”
The physician team includes (l-r): Dr. Lilliam Valdes-Cruz, Dr. Mark Boucek, Dr. Richard Perryman, Dr. Frank Scholl and Dr. Kak-Chen Chan.
In fact, surgeries on newborns are often scheduled for when the child is five to seven days old in order to give babies a chance to bond with their families and become adept at breastfeeding or taking a bottle. Given these opportunities, Dr. Scholl has found that the tiny patients recover faster and with fewer complications.
Just 10 or 15 years ago, many of the babies that the Cardiac Center at Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital treats would never have survived. Innovative methodologies, such as the hybrid approach to congenital heart lesions where surgeons and interventional cardiologists work together to accomplish improved outcomes, as well as the implementation of programs like LifeWings designed to improve patient safety are improving the quality of life of congenital heart patients.
In fact, according to Dr. Scholl, the successful treatment of children with congenital heart disease has created an entirely new patient population of adults living with congenital heart disease. Even though the Cardiac Centers mission is to provide the best pediatric cardiac care to its patients and families, its charter includes offering a continuum of compassionate, congenital cardiac care which is increasingly including patients well over 18 years old.
The Cardiac Center at Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital prides itself on having the complete range of cardiac services under one roof. The Pediatric Heart Station, opened two years ago, is the central focus of the diagnosis and management for both clinical and interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. It offers some of the latest technology in diagnostic cardiac imaging, EKGs, Holter monitoring, stress tests, tilt tests, pre-admission testing and both patient and family education.
While Cardiac Center team members all have unique, highly-specialized cardiac skills, they hold a common bond. Dr. Scholl emphasized, “We share a passion for superior outcomes, the highest levels of safety and utilizing the most innovative techniques to achieve the best quality of life for our patients.”
