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Our Impact

Under the direction of Nicolas Madsen, M.D., M.P.H., the Division of Pediatric Cardiology is a national leader in the care of children with acquired and congenital heart disease and serves as a world-class training center for the next generation of pediatric cardiologists. All the while, our commitment to research and discovery helps advance the care and outcomes of children locally and across the globe – including our unique partnership with the University of Zambia and the National Heart Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.

In 2025, the Heart Center recorded more than 40,000 outpatient encounters across 28 locations, more than 1,000 inpatient admissions, and more than 600 cardiothoracic surgical procedures and 850 cardiac catheterizations. These volumes place the program among the largest in the United States.

Outcomes for pediatric cardiac surgery at the Children’s Health Heart Center consistently exceed national benchmarks, with results in the top 10% of all centers, a performance attributable to the Heart Center’s specialized capabilities, comprehensive multidisciplinary expertise, and dedicated approach to personalizing the patient and family experience.

  • By the Numbers

    By the Numbers

    Faculty and Staff icon

    Faculty

    • 50 faculty
    Fellowships icon

    Clinical

    • 25+ clinical sites
    • 42,095 outpatient encounters
    • 38,398 inpatient encounters
    Doctors in Training icon

    Education

    • 17 fellows
    Clinical Studies Icon

    Research

    • 13 active awards
    • 1 State of Texas award
    • 19 active clinical trials
    • 12 lab and data studies
    • 90 publications
    • 3,996 citations
  • Notable Roles

    Notable Roles

    • Sonali Patel, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Director, Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC3)
    • Javier Lasa, M.D., Co-Chair of Young Hearts Committee, American Heart Association (AHA), Epic Pediatric Cardiology Advisory Board Member
    • Nicolas Madsen, M.D., M.P.H., Co-Director, Cardiac Networks United (CNU)
    • Jill Zender, APRN, PNP-AC, President, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (PCICS)
    • Luis Zabala, M.D., President of Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society
    • Ryan Davies, M.D., Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board of Directors
    • Brian Snarr, M.D., American Board of Pediatrics Committee for Billing and Coding
    • Brittany Hills, M.D., Co-Chair of PAC3 Education and Outreach Committee
    • Alex Birely, Co-Chair of PAC3 Education and Outreach Committee
    • Andrea Torzone, Co-Chair of PCICS Program Committee
    • Ryan Butts, M.D., Heart Failure Committee Co-Chair, Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION)
    • Stephen Spurgin, M.D., Co-Chair of Heterotaxy Research & Clinical Care Collaborative
    • Nathanya Baez Hernandez, Co-Chair of Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Conference
    • Tarek Alsaied, M.D., Director of Data Governance and Publications, FORCE
  • Top Conference Presentation Locations

    Top Conference Presentation Locations

    • We were proud to host the 13ᵗʰ International Conference on Functional Imaging and Modeling of the Heart (FIMH) 2025. The three-day event welcomed over 150 leading scientists, researchers, and clinicians from around the world. Attendees gathered to exchange groundbreaking research and advance the future of cardiac imaging and modeling.
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