Our 32-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides critical care to traumatically injured and critically ill patients from birth to 18 years of age. The multidisciplinary team specializes in the unique needs of critically ill children and is one of only three pediatric intensive care units serving the Greater Houston area. As a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and one of the busiest trauma centers in the country, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital is specialized and equipped to care for even the most severe cases.
Our PICU is home to the Children’s Heart Center Intensive Care Unit, a cohorted unit specifically for patients with critical congenital heart defects requiring surgery, cared for by a medical team with special training and expertise. The affiliated team of cardiac intensivists, cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, cardiac anesthesiologists, perfusionists, nurses and respiratory therapists work in unison to deliver specialized care, speed recovery, and relieve pain for all patients.
Our neonatal critical care services at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, located in the Texas Medical Center, include a 118 bed Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest level of care available for premature and critically-ill newborns, as designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Through our affiliation with the physicians at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital provides premature or critically ill patients with a full range of pediatric medical and surgical sub-specialists with 24/7 access to neonatologists. Through Memorial Hermann Life Flight®, our Level IV NICU has the ability to treat critically-ill neonatal patients transferred to our Level IV NICU, one of the biggest in Texas, from community hospitals across Greater Houston. While we use high-tech therapies and advanced equipment, we never lose sight of the value of human touch to the infants in our care.
How many beds does Children’s Memorial Hermann have?
How many admissions/visits does Children’s Memorial Hermann have per year?
The CMHH 32-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides critical care to traumatically injured and critically ill patients from birth to 18 years of age. We work closely with a multidisciplinary team to manage post operative and critically ill cardiac patients. As a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and one of the busiest trauma centers in the country, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital is specialized and equipped to care for even the most severe cases. As such, we have referrals for cardiac evaluation from various parts of the country.
Our neonatal critical care services at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, located in the Texas Medical Center, include a 118 bed Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest level of care available for premature and critically-ill newborns, as designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Delivered into our facility are high volumes of neonates with a wide variety of cardiac lesions and cardiac pathologies. The Pediatric Cardiology department is closely associated with maternal-fetal medicine specialists and fetal Cardiologists at UT Physicians. As senior fellows, we rotate with fetal Cardiologist and therefore are involved in the care of neonates even prior to delivery!
Through the echo rotation, we gain a deeper understanding of the cardiovascular system by preforming echocardiograms both in the hospital, and during the second and third years in the cardiology clinic. During the three years of pediatric cardiology fellowship, fellows will be equipped to preform transthoracic echocardiograms, transesophageal echocardiograms and fetal echocardiograms independently. In addition to honing the skill of preforming echocardiograms, through this rotation, fellows will focus on diagnostic interpretation of echocardiograms for basic and complex congenital cardiac lesions.
Cardiac catheterization is intrinsic to Pediatric Cardiology as transcatheter therapeutic interventions in pediatric patients are increasingly common, and frequently provide an alternative method of non invasive intervention. During this fellowship, we have several cardiac catheterization rotations during which we obtain and learn to interpret pressure wave forms, the cardiac output and physiologic calculations by performing cardiac catheterization along side of Interventional Cardiologist.
Our intermediate unit or step down unit in the Heart Center provides offers specialized cardiac monitoring for post operative patients as they transition to discharge. We work closely with a large multidisciplinary team, including pharmacists, respiratory therapist, dieticians and primary care physicians to manage complex congenital cardiac patients.
We have a number of EP rotations throughout our three years. The Electrophysiology rotation enables fellows to hone their knowledge base and clinical skills in the evaluation and management of cardiac arrhythmias.
These scholarly experiences provide the fellow research training and experience needed to develop a career as a physician scientist; exposes them to concepts of hypothesis driven research, encourages active participation in the profession’s national societies. All fellows are offered components of Clinical Research Education courses provided through the Center for Clinical Research and Evidence Based Medicine.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston PCCM Fellowship provides an average of 12 months of “research” rotations throughout the three year fellowship. The fellow is expected to identify, participate and complete a scholarly activity as described by the American Board of Pediatrics.
The ABP has expanded the options for projects but did not dilute the rigor expected. Scholarly activity can include, but is not limited to, clinical research, basic science research, meta-analysis, Cochrane review, educational curriculum design, and Master’s level program with a thesis.
Rotations are provided in monthly time periods with increasing numbers of months as the fellow advances in training. Oversight of all scholarly activity is provided by Divisional Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC).
The various educational conferences for and provided to the fellows developed by the Pediatric Cardiology fellowship program, Pediatric department, and Institution provide formalized settings in various educational venues (i.e. didactic, self-reflection, tutorial, formal courses, workshops, simulation) are to enrich the clinical experience and further develop the fellows’ skills in the six core competencies and scholarly requirements for fellowship training.
Cardiology Divisional Conference
We hold various didactic sessions every day at noon. This is protected time in fellowship for learning.
Pediatric Department Conferences