Heart Center

Your child's heart is precious and requires specialized pediatric care. That's why where you take them matters. As the largest cardiac program in the Southeast and one of the top five largest pediatric heart centers in the nation, the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Heart Center provides exceptional treatment to infants, children and teenagers who have complex heart defects.

We are among the top five pediatric cardiac programs performing the most heart transplants in the country, with higher one-year and three-year survival rates than the national average. The number of patients we see and the excellent outcomes we have means that our doctors have experience treating many different heart problems within a wide range of patient ages. So, whether you're looking for care for your newborn or your high school senior, our committed team of specialists, advanced technology and compassionate family support services makes our Heart Center the right place to take your child's heart.

Our team includes:

• Pediatric cardiologists
• Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons
• Pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists
• Cardiac researchers
• Advanced practice providers
• Cardiac nurses
• Family support professionals

Our facilities include:

• 27 beds in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), one of the largest dedicated CICUs in the U.S.
• 31-bed, fully equipped Cardiac Step Down Unit
• Three dedicated cardiac bi-plane catheterization laboratories
• 10-bed catheterization laboratory recovery area
• Cardiac operating room suites near the CICU

We treat more infants, children and teenagers with heart conditions than any other provider in the state of Georgia. Many of the heart conditions we treat are congenital, or present at birth. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects and most have no known cause.

Heart conditions we treat include:

• Arrhythmia
• Atrial septal defect (ASD)
• Cardiomyopathy
• Chest pain
• Congestive heart failure
• Heart murmur
• Hyperlipidemia (elevated cholesterol)
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)

• Long QT syndrome
• Myocarditis
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Syncope
• Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
• Transposition of the great arteries (TGA)
• Ventricular septal defect (VSD)

At the Children's Heart Center, the quality of our care is our highest priority. We monitor our overall cardiac surgical outcomes and volumes to provide the most accurate information to patient families. Our mission is to continually improve and help our heart patients live their best lives.

We report our outcomes to several databases, including the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4), C3PO/Impact, the National Pediatric Care Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The STS has the largest congenital heart surgery database in the nation, comparing data from 100 hospitals.

View our 2018 volumes and outcomes

When it comes to your child's heart, you'll go to any length to receive specialized, high-quality care, and in the Atlanta area, you don't have to go far to find it. We're ranked as one of the top pediatric cardiac and cardiology programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Our team of pediatric heart experts collaborates with other specialists to ensure that your child is receiving the best possible care. We work with you through each step of treatment, often from before your child is born, through adolescence and into young adulthood. You'll always know what to expect and how to take the best care of your child.

Our specialty heart programs include:

• Aorta and Vascular Program
• Arrhythmia Program
• Cardiac Genetics Program
• Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery Program
• Congenital Heart Center of Georgia
• Fetal Cardiology Program
• Heart Transplant Program

• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program
• Muscular Dystrophy Clinic
• Preventive Cardiology Program
• Project S.A.V.E.
• Pulmonary Hypertension Program
• Single Ventricle Program
• Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program

Learn about our cardiology fellowship program

We also offer many unique heart programs and services to our patients and their families, including:

• Kids at Heart: Our Kids at Heart community provides support and resources to families, parents and caregivers of children with congenital heart defects. With more than 900 member families, Kids at Heart offers opportunities to learn from one another about the challenges that come with having a child with heart defects.
• Neurodevelopmental Program: Our Cardiac Neuropsychology Program provides critical mental health support to cardiac patients and families, as these patients are typically hospitalized for long periods of time. Nneka Alexander, PhD, is our Lead Cardiac Psychologist and oversees inpatient screening and treatment of medically related trauma and stress in patients and families. She also conducts outpatient screenings of developmental skills for infants and toddlers with congenital heart defects.
  
  

Led by Paul Chai, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Chief of the Children's Heart Center, and William Mahle, MD, Co-Chief of the Children's Heart Center, our multidisciplinary team includes pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists, advance practice providers and pediatric cardiac nurses.

Leadership

• Paul Chai, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Chief of the Children's Heart Center
• William Mahle, MD, Co-Chief of the Children's Heart Center

Cardiothoracic Surgery

• Paul Chai, MD
• Kirk Kanter, MD
• Subhadra Shashidharan, MD
• Fawwaz Shaw, MD
• Kimberly Woodall, CPNP
• Melanie McBrayer, CPNP

Cardiology

• William Mahle, MD
• Alaa Aljiffry, MD
• Ian Balfour, MD
• Asaad Beshish, MD
• Holly Bauser-Heaton, MD, PhD
• Wesley Blackwood, MD
• William Border, MD
• Arene Butto, MD
• Robert Campbell, MD
• Brian Cardis, MD
• Nikhil Chanani, MD
• Martha Clabby, MD
• Shanelle Clarke, MD
• Angel Cuadrado, MD
• Andrew Dodgen, MD
• Matthew Ferguson, MD
• Peter Fischbach, MD
• Michael Fundora, MD
• Alice Hales-Kharazmi, MD
• William Ham, MD
• Brandon Harden, MD
• Susan Hupp, MD
• Glen Iannucci, MD
• Shannon Jones, MD
• Usama Kanaan, MD
• Dennis Kim, MD, PhD
• Lazaros Kochilas, MD
• Brooke Lewis, MD
• Clifford Wesley Lindsey, MD

• Kevin Maher, MD
• Chad Mao, MD
• Meghann McKane, MD
• Erik Michelfelder, MD
• James Nelson, MD
• Matthew Oster, MD
• Christopher Petit, MD
• Heather Phelps, DO
• Fred Rodriguez, MD
• Saidie Rodriguez, MD
• Ritu Sachdeva, MD
• Denver Sallee, MD
• Cyrus Samai, MD
• Timothy Slesnick, MD
• Nanci Stauffer, MD
• John Stevens Jr, MD
• Divya Suthar, MD
• Benjamin Toole, MD
• Heather Viamonte, MD
• Neill Videlefsky, MD
• Robert Vincent, MD
• Michelle Wallace, MD
• Timotheus Watson, MD
• Stephanie Wechsler, MD
• Robert Whitehill, MD
• Emily Williams, MD
• Michael Wolf, MD

• Cardiac call center: Available 24/7, the Cardiac Call Center provides one phone number parents, families, doctors, case managers and caregivers to call for all their needs. Call 404-256-2593 or 800-542-2233 outside Georgia.
• Training for teens: This interactive computer-based training teaches teens how to care for their heart as they move to adulthood.
• Information for families and visitors: Our goal is for kids and families to always feel comfortable at Children’s and to be informed and involved in care decisions. In addition to our specialized cardiac care, we also offer family-centered support for families while they are in our care and in the community.
• Ronald McDonald House: Many families travel great distances for care at the Sibley Heart Center. To meet their needs, the Ronald McDonald House is conveniently located near Egleston to provide temporary housing during their time at Children's.

Family support services

We understand that having a child with a heart condition can be overwhelming and life-changing for the whole family. In addition to our specialized cardiac care, we also offer family-centered support for families while they are in our care and in the community.

• Camp Braveheart: Each summer, children and teens with a heart condition or who have undergone a heart transplant have the opportunity to attend a camp tailored to their specific needs.
• Feed the Heart: For some patients at the Cardiac Step-Down Unit, the length of time they are hospitalized can range from days to weeks or even months. This volunteer-based initiative provides meals for cardiac patients and their families during their hospital stay.
• Heartstrong: Anyone can be a part of our Heartstrong community—to be Heartstrong means you are passionate about the care and treatment of people with congenital heart defects.