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"Our integrated approach enables us to give each child the best hope."
The Children's Heart Center at Strong has earned its reputation as one of the finest programs in the country for pediatric cardiology clinical care and research. Primary care pediatricians and family doctors direct their young patients to the Center for its expert clinical care; the promise offered by its cutting-edge, clinically relevant research; and the services of George Alfieris, M.D., a respected pediatric heart surgeon with a national reputation. In addition, research conducted at the Children's Heart Center has led to new therapies to protect children's hearts from injury, and new therapies to treat unhealthy heart muscle in an effort to improve health.
Says Roger P. Vermilion, M.D., clinical director of the Children's Heart Center: "Our expertise and integrated approach to patient care enables us to give each child the best hope for the highest possible quality of life."
Integrated, Comprehensive Cardiology Program
The Children's Heart Center provides a full range of clinical ambulatory and inpatient services for fetuses, neonates, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults who have congenital and acquired cardiovascular disease. Services provided include: initial diagnostic consultation, transthoracic and transesophageal echo cardiography, exercise testing, electrophysiologic testing, diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization, postoperative consultation, and long-term follow-up care.
Specialized services for the following subgroups of patients exist: cardiomyopathy and heart failure, adults with congenital heart disease, fetal cardiology, cardiovascular genetics, preventive cardiology, dysrhythmias, and syncope.
Subspeciality Expertise and State-Of-The-Art Services and Technology
A strong, integrated program, the Children's Heart Center takes a collaborative team approach to improve quality and outcomes. Eight physicians and four nurse practitioners provide pediatric cardiology specialty care to more than 5,000 infants, children, adolescents, and young adults each year. The program stands at the forefront of providing advanced technology and services, including a pediatric catheterization program that is the only lab in Western New York to offer a full range of interventional procedures for patients with congenital heart disease and a Pediatric Cardiovascular Genetics program that is one of only seven in the world.
Finest Clinical Outcomes
The hospital's data show its pediatric cardiac surgical mortality is among the best when compared with other centers in New York State—equal to the finest programs in the world.
In addition, research conducted at the Children's Heart Center has led to new therapies to protect children's hearts from injury, and new therapies to treat unhealthy heart muscle in an effort to improve health.