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Get to Know Me

My interest in medicine began at college with a summer job in a hospital supply room. I changed to pre-med and that was it. I’ve been a pediatric cardiac surgeon for more than 15 years, and I appreciate the relationships with my patients and their parents. Every year they send me photos of their growing kids; it’s exciting to see them doing well — going to school, playing sports, living full lives. It’s very rewarding.

Why I Treat Children

The ability of kids’ hearts to recover is truly amazing. I am here to help them along by performing the surgery, getting things how they are supposed to be — then their bodies do the rest. Their ability to heal, their resilience, is just fantastic. They are really champions.

What I'm Passionate About

I’m always looking for ways to do what we do better, and I’m learning all the time — I learn from colleagues, from nurses and from parents. The nurses are with patients so much, and of course parents know their children better than anyone else, so when a parent says “something’s different,” or “I’ve noticed something,” my ears perk up. Nobody knows what’s normal for their child better than they do.That’s why it’s important to look at the care of kids with heart disease as truly a team effort. It has to be integrated from beginning to end. The best outcomes depend on everyone performing at their best, so that’s what we do. Most of our patients can’t talk yet, but parents, nurses, staff and doctors — every bit of input matters — and a big part of my job is listening.

How I Try to Make A Difference

We’re dedicated to the quality, safety and outcomes of what we do, and that can’t be compromised. We’re dedicated to caring for parents as well as children. That’s our promise.Many heart defects are discovered during prenatal ultrasounds, so it’s my goal to talk with parents before their child is born. I can’t take away all of their anxiety, but I can let them know that we can fix almost all heart problems, and there’s a really good chance their child is going to be okay. It’s a huge event in their lives, and it can be beyond heart-wrenching to deal with. The more they understand that this is what we do every day — and we do it well — it doesn’t make it easy, but it can make it better.

Fellowship

• Cardiothoracic Surgery - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2003
• Cardiovascular Surgery - Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 2005

Residency

• General Surgery - West Virginia University Hospital, 2001

Medical/Dental School

• M.D. - West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1993
• PhD - West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1999

Board Certifications

• American Board of Surgery/Congenital Cardiac Surgery
• American Board of Thoracic Surgery/Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery-Gen