Heart Program News

Cardiac surgery patients reunite for celebration

The annual Heart Program Patient and Family Reunion gives patients and caregivers the chance to reunite outside the clinical setting. A big thank you to all of our heart warriors for attending each year!

Does Your Baby Have an Undetected Heart Disorder?

Eight of every 1,000 babies will be born with a heart disorder or defect. These conditions cannot be identified during a typical newborn screening. Parents need to be aware about the early signs, screenings and treatment options for babies born with congenital heart conditions.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Selects Dicom Systems, WinguMD for Enterprise Mobile Clinical Collaboration Platform

In order to better integrate clinical communications over mobile, Nicklaus Children's sought to implement a secure, centralized platform to capture and share clinical photos inside their EHR. WinguMD provided sharing and indexing of serial clinical photos across care teams as well as comparison with pathology, wound care and other imaging. Unifier by Dicom Systems served as the integration engine for workflow and interoperability.

New anesthesia offering helps cardiac patients recover faster and with less pain

In this news story Dr. Kristine Guleserian, renowned heart surgeon, talk about Exparel. Exparel is a new anesthesia offering that helps cardiac patients recover faster and with less pain after heart surgery. 13 year-old Jessica Garcia, born with a congenital heart defect (VSD) was the first pediatric patient to use this treatment.

Nicklaus Children's Heart Program Joins CNOC

The Nicklaus Children’s Heart Program is now a member of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative (CNOC).

Duchenne Regional Family Summit

CureDuchenne Cares and The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Brain Institute hosted a free educational and social event for Duchenne family and caregivers. Attendees were able to learn about important DMD care topics, share their practical advice and connect with other families.

Nicklaus Children’s Opens Subspecialty Care Center in Boynton Beach

The Boynton Beach Care Center is the newest Nicklaus Children’s care location and offers a range of services for children from birth through 21 years of age.

Infants airlifted to Nicklaus Children's Hospital from Puerto Rico after hurricane

It was a race against time to save three critical babies, all of whom would have died in Puerto Rico if they didn't get the surgeries that they needed at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.

Teenager urges parents to get EKG testing for children who play sports

A South Florida teenager went for a simple EKG test at Nicklaus Children's Hospital when he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, also known as WPW.

EKG Screening Event at Mary Collins Community Center

Congratulations to the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Cardiac Team for providing free EKG screenings.

The International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease's Annual Meeting

Congratulations to Heart Program physicians, Leo Lopez & Kristine Guleserian, on hosting the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease's Annual Meeting.

Free Heart Screening Event

The Jessica Clinton MVP Foundation hosted a free heart screening event on Saturday at the Florida Department of Health in Port St. Lucie. The Heart Program's own Dr. David Drossner supported this event as a pediatric heart expert.

EKG Screening at St. Brendan Elementary School

This week the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Cardiac Team in conjunction with The Breanna Vergara Foundation held a free EKG screening event at St Brendan Elementary School. Over 200 students from grades 4-8 were screened.

Dr. Marisa Azaret Nominated for Sentinel Award

Dr. Marisa Azaret has been nominated, along with her production team for a 2016 Sentinel Award. She is among fourteen finalists from across the U.S. nominated for a 2016 Sentinel Award.

EKG Screening Event at Miami Dancity School

Nicklaus Children’s Heart Program, in conjunction with @theBreannaVergaraFoundation, recently hosted an EKG4Bre free screening event at Miami Dancity School to help identify dancers at risk for heart anomalies that can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD).

The Legacy of Dr. Richard Zakheim Honored at Street Dedication Ceremony

Southwest 60th Court between southwest 30th street to southwest 33rd street has been designated "Dr. Richard Zakheim Way"

Heart Program Patient Reunion 2016

It was a "heartfelt" reunion for dozens of pediatric cardiac patients and their families who celebrated with the doctors, nurses and care teams that treated them. 

The Heart Program's hosts Pediatric Echocardiography Symposium

On Saturday, November 14th, The Heart Program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, hosted the "All Florida Pediatric Echo Symposium". 

The Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Program Hosts First 'Patient and Family Education Day'

NCH holds its first Patient and Family Education Day for families of children with congenital heart defects (CHD).

Athletes from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School Receive Free EKG Screenings at Miami Children's Hospital

Athletes from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School Receive Free EKG Screenings at Miami Children's Hospital.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Recognized for Excellence in Patient Care

December 28, 2017 – Nicklaus Children’s has more inpatient units recognized with Beacon Awards than any other children’s hospital in the nation.

Patients Medically Evacuated from Puerto Rico to Nicklaus Children's Hospital After Hurricane Maria

October 02, 2017 – A week after Hurricane Maria devastated the Island of Puerto Rico as a category five storm, three patients awaiting complex heart surgeries were evacuated for medical reasons from University Children's Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Nicklaus Children’s for critical care.

Nicklaus Children's Becomes First Pediatric Facility in Southeast- and Second in the World- To Use GPS-Like Technology During Cardiac Procedures

January 16, 2017 – The MediGuide technology may be used to aid a physician in navigating delivery tools and catheters in the cardiac anatomy during implantable device procedures, such as cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) cases, which helps restore a patient’s heart rhythm back to normal and protects against sudden cardiac death for CRT device patients

Nicklaus Children's Moves Patients into its New Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion

October 26, 2016 – The Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion, a six-story, state-of-the-art bed tower now houses the hospital's three intensive care units, the neurology-neurosurgery unit and a cardiac intensive care unit, among other enhancements.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Pediatric Specialty Services Again Ranked Among the Best in the Nation

June 21, 2016 – Eight subspecialty programs of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, part of Miami Children’s Health System, are again ranked among the best in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2016-17 “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings, posted online today. 

All Three Nicklaus Children's Intensive Care Units Recognized with Gold Beacon Awards

May 10, 2016 – National three-year awards recognize exceptional patient care and a healthy work environment.

Nicklaus Children's Opens Subspecialty Clinic in Aventura

March 16, 2016 – The Nicklaus Children's Aventura Care Center is the newest ambulatory location, offering consultations with pediatric subspecialists and diagnostic services.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Program Hosts National Conference on 'Sudden Death in the Young'

February 22, 2016 – Pediatric cardiologists from throughout North America will focus on identification and treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and medical conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac death in children and teens.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital hosts "Evolution or Revolution? Disruptive Thinking and Innovation in Pediatric Heart Disease" Medical Conference

November 16, 2015 –

The Heart Program at Nicklaus Children's will host a Medical Conference on technology and innovation in the treatment of pediatric heart disease.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Acquires 3D Printer to Support Pediatric Surgical Planning and Research

May 27, 2015 – The hospital’s use of 3D printing technology has proven to be instrumental in creating surgical solutions for children with complex congenital heart defects, who had been considered to be inoperable using conventional imaging techniques.

The Heart Program Welcomes Gil Wernovsky, MD, FAAP, FACC to the Medical Staff at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

December 03, 2013 – The Heart Program Welcomes Gil Wernovsky, MD, FAAP, FACC to the Medical Staff at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Miami Children's Hospital Recognized as Optum Center of Excellence for 2013

November 08, 2013 – As a member of the Centers of Excellence network, Miami Children's Hospital is recognized for having met or exceeded rigorous performance standards and quality guidelines.

The Heart Program Posts Real-Time Congenital Heart Surgical Results Online

October 07, 2013 – The Heart Program at MCH has linked its cardiac surgical outcomes data with the hospital’s new electronic medical record and the CardioAccess Centripitus database and dynamically linked these results to the hospital’s website in real-time.

Miami Children's Heart Program Designated an Aetna Institute of Quality®

June 07, 2013 – Miami Children’s Hospital has been designated an Aetna Institute of Quality® Cardiac Care Facility for comprehensive heart and vascular treatment.

New Technology offers Hope for Children Born with Heart Defects

February 24, 2013 – Use of CorMatrix extracellular matrix material provides new options for cardiac care.

Telemedicine Brings Congenital Heart Institute’s Unique Cardiac MRI Expertise Daily to Patients in Orlando

June 02, 2010 – Pediatric and adult congenital heart patients in Orlando are benefiting from a new telemedicine connection that is making cardiac MRI services more accessible to patients.

Medtronic Announces First U.S. Implant of Its Melody Transcatheter Valve for Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

February 19, 2007 – Medtronic, Inc. announced today the first U.S. patient implant in a feasibility study to evaluate the use of the Medtronic Melody™ Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve and Ensemble™ Transcatheter Delivery System to treat patients requiring congenital pulmonary heart valve replacement.

Congenital Heart Institute at Miami Children's Hospital Offers First Patient-Accessible Electronic Medical Record

August 31, 2006 – Miami Children’s Hospital has become one of the first healthcare programs in the nation to offer patient families access to an electronic medical record, providing a secure source of detailed information that families can refer to and make available in the future to physicians who become involved in their child’s care. 

Research Study Begins on Promising ON-Q Post-Surgical Pain Relief Device, New for Pediatric Patients

February 17, 2004 – ​Research to test the efficacy of ON-Q's continuous surgical-cite pain relief for pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the goal is to help patients get out of the hospital and return to their normal lives faster.