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Treating Pediatric Heart Disease

When your child is a heart patient at Providence, we take care of them like they are our own. Your heart care team will be at your family’s side for every step of your child’s treatment and recovery, whether it involves monitoring, medication, a procedure or surgery. We work with you to create a personalized care plan that includes emotional support and resources to help your whole family. You can be confident knowing that at Providence, your child is receiving expert care while feeling safe, listened to and loved.

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Why Choose Us for Pediatric Heart Disease Care?

At Providence, we show up for the littlest hearts in a big way. We are committed to making a positive difference in every life we touch.

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Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, which is why we’re always looking for ways to make your family’s experience better. If your family needs extra support, we’re here to help. The parents of five-year-old Elliot Naftzger had to drive three hours for their child’s routine heart monitoring. Her Providence care team stepped in and helped bring a portable echo machine closer to her home.

Our improved referral process makes it easier for patients to stay with Providence, the network they trust. We’ve also introduced a program to help patients get faster care through virtual visits with a nurse practitioner. This patient-centered approach is why families have trusted Providence with their children’s heart care for more than 50 years.

We take a team-based approach to treating your child’s heart disease. Why? Because we know this leads to the best results. Every Providence patient has access to world-class care from leaders in the field. Your child’s multidisciplinary care team includes board-certified heart care specialists who have superior outcomes treating the most complex conditions. You’ll have a nurse navigator and other coordinators to help you through your child’s treatment – from scheduling and financial support to coordinating your child’s care with their pediatrician. Your child’s heart care team also works closely with dietitians to help your child make heart-healthy food choices, along with physical, occupational and speech therapists to help them keep living life to its fullest.

We understand that the impact of heart disease is greater in marginalized communities. Genetics plays a part, but unequal access to great health care is also a factor. At Providence, we value, respect and support the racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual and spiritual identities of all our patients. We are deeply committed to making sure everyone in our diverse communities has equal access to the best heart care. To do this, we offer location-specific services that help meet our patients’ needs. This includes translation for non-English-speaking patients and their families, telehealth and transportation assistance. In keeping with our Mission, Providence offers financial assistance programs that provide free and low-cost care to those who are eligible. We work to make sure every patient and their loved ones are treated equally and with dignity.

When your child is a patient at Providence, your family belongs to one of the largest community-based networks for heart care in the United States. This means your child’s local heart care team shares knowledge and experience with other cardiac specialists across 51 hospitals in seven states. If your child needs specialty care, their heart care team can easily reach the physicians with the most expertise. And when the time comes to transition that care to a cardiologist with expertise in adult congenital heart disease, we’re there for you, too. Take the story of our congenital heart disease patient Brian Forth. He had his first heart surgery as a baby at 18 months old. Now as an adult, he continues to trust Providence for his heart care, including his second heart surgery at age 50.

We created the Providence Adult and Teen Congenital Heart (PATCH) Program to help patients like Brian move more easily from pediatric to adult care. PATCH is nationally recognized for its comprehensive, team-based care. The power of our network is one of the reasons more than 400,000 heart patients choose Providence each year.

Providence is well known for offering options – and hope – to patients seeking the most advanced therapies to treat pediatric heart disease. We participate in national and international data registries that track cardiovascular outcomes. This helps us learn more to continually improve our care. Our doctors and scientists also support groundbreaking research projects. Our leadership helps us provide better heart care – and a better life – for your entire family.

More About Pediatric Heart Disease

Pediatric heart disease is a heart condition in children. It may be congenital (present at birth) or develop after an illness or infection.

Testing and Diagnostics

Doctor pointing to chest x-ray

Your child’s heart care team uses many different methods to find out which therapies work best. They look at their symptoms, other medical conditions and overall health, and they use the most advanced diagnostics to evaluate their condition. Depending on your child’s case, this may include one or more of the following:

Personalized Treatment for Pediatric Heart Disease

We know that no two patients are the same. This is why your child’s care team works with your family to design an individualized treatment plan for your child based on both their heart condition and their personal needs. Every treatment plan includes lifestyle changes to support your child’s recovery and long-term heart health.

Their care plan may include one or more of the following therapies:

  • Aortic root surgery
  • Aortic valve repair or replacement
  • Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure
  • Ablation
  • Radiofrequency catheter ablation
  • Cryoablation
  • Heart valve repair, replacement or valvuloplasty
  • Implantable cardio defibrillator (ICD)
  • Mitral valve repair or replacement
  • Pacemakers
  • Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure
  • Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
  • Peripheral angioplasty or stent
  • Prescription medications
  • Septal myectomy
  • Tricuspid valve repair or replacement
  • Ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure

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Learn How Our Doctors Are Impacting Patients

Patient Stories

The parents of five-year-old Elliot Naftzger were forced to drive three hours for their child’s routine heart monitoring. Her care team eased the family’s burden by helping place a portable echo machine in a clinic closer to home.

Read Elliot's Story

Our congenital heart disease patient Brian Forth had his first heart surgery as a baby at 18 months old. Nearly five decades later, he continues to trust Providence for his heart care. He had a second surgery at age 50, allowing him to get back to fishing and enjoying the great outdoors.

Read Brian's Story

Meet the Team

At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.

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Patient Stories and Expert Tips for a Healthy Heart

Good sleep can improve men’s mental and overall health
6/17/2024
Providence Chief Medical Officer Dan Getz, D.O., explains how getting a good night’s sleep can improve men’s mental health and overall wellness.
Exercise and nutrition lead to optimal men’s health
9/26/2024
Providence Chief Medical Officer Dan Getz, D.O., says exercise and nutrition is key to men’s health and wellness, including strong heart and brain health.
Synergy at the Advanced Care Center
4/8/2024
With five specialty practices under one roof, patients experience optimal care with maximum convenience at the Providence Advanced Care Center.
Talking to an expert: The crucial role of nutrition in cancer care
3/19/2024
In honor of National Nutrition Month® Alyssa George, MA, RDN, program manager at Oncology Nutrition, Providence Cancer Institute, talks about the important connection between cancer and nutrition.