The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is bringing the medical miracle of pediatric heart transplantation to the Bronx, following the recent approval of its transplant center application by the New York State Department of Health. This important approval clears the way for specialists at CHAM, recently ranked among America’s top children’s hospitals, to treat any congenital or acquired heart abnormality in children and adolescents.
“By adding pediatric heart transplantation to the full range of care we offer our youngest patients, we better meet the significant health needs of our Bronx community,” said Steven M. Safyer, MD, president and CEO, Montefiore Medical Center. “The long-standing impact of social, economic and access-to-healthcare issues means children in the Bronx suffer from a disproportionate number of congenital heart abnormalities and other serious conditions. Now they have access to the high quality care they need right in their own community.”
CHAM’s heart surgery team and heart center program are already established as among the most active in the region treating congenital and acquired heart defects in children. Key to addition of the new pediatric heart transplant capabilities was the recruitment of nationally renowned pediatric cardiologist Daphne Hsu, MD, who joined CHAM as Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiology and Co-Director of the Pediatric Heart Center. She was also appointed Professor of Pediatrics at Montefiore’s affiliated medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein).
In addition to Dr. Hsu, several prominent specialists in pediatric cardiology have recently joined the Pediatric Heart Center team, including Jacqueline M. Lamour, MD, director of Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Therapy; Robert H. Pass, MD, director of Pediatric Electrophysiology and Director of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology; and, Leo Lopez, MD, director of Pediatric Noninvasive Imaging.
