Finding the Beat
Children's Heart Surgery program hits its stride, providing pediatric clinical expertise and technological innovation that is unparalleled in the Pacific Northwest.
Though Children's Hospital has been a leader in pediatric heart surgery for decades, the program took a quantum leap forward two years ago when heart surgeon Dr. Gordon Cohen agreed to lead the team. Before scheduling any surgeries, Dr. Cohen led the heart surgery team in a review, looking at every step of the process from the moment a heart patient's family entered Children's through the child's release.
"His goal was to get a small group of people doing the same thing day in and day out so there would be less chance of making mistakes," says cardiac surgery nurse Aaron Grassley, RN.
The revamped program is able to treat all patients - from the less critical to the most technically difficult cases - and has the staff, expertise and equipment to make it all work.
"Often, an outcome is impacted more by the little decisions that are made along the way," says heart surgeon Dr. Lester Permut. "We think that standardization adds another layer of protection to patients undergoing pediatric surgery."