All posts by CHOC Childrens

Dr. Pierangelo Renella

Renella, Pierangelo – MD

Cardiology, CHOC at Mission, CHOC Hospital, Physicians, Providence Medical Office Building, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Jude Medical Center, Western Medical Center - Santa Ana

Pierangelo Renella, M.D. received his medical degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. He did his Pediatric Internship and Residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Renella has completed Fellowships in Pediatric Cardiology and Advanced Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging at the University of California Los Angeles and Children’s Hospital Boston.

Dr. Renella is involved in multiple clinical research projects involving cardiac MRI and CT. In addition, he is sub-specialized in fetal cardiology and fetal cardiac imaging. He is currently developing a dedicated congenital cardiac MRI and CT program at CHOC.

Dr. Renella is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology and speaks fluent Spanish and Italian.

Announcements

CHOC Specialists Cardiology practice office moving – Monday, August 1st, 2011

Current Research

1) Investigating the feasibility of 3D echocadiography for right ventricular volumetric and functional assessment in children.

2) Right and left ventricular volumetric and functional assessment by cardiac MRI in severely anemic patients with iron overload.

3) The significance of regional right ventricular function in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot patients as assessed by cardiac MRI.

“The premier pediatric cardiology practice in Orange County, CA.”
The CHOC Specialists Cardiology Physicians are distinguished by their commitment to clinical excellence and research and through their training and faculty appointments at many of the nation’s most prestigious schools and hospitals including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), Boston Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX.
Dr. Linda Muhonen

Muhonen, Linda E. – MD

Cardiology, CHOC at Mission, CHOC Hospital, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Physicians

Pediatric cardiologist Linda Muhonen, M.D. provides care for the full spectrum of related conditions with special emphasis in preventive cardiology. Additionally, she directs the Children’s Cholesterol Clinic located at CHOC and CHOC at Mission in Mission Viejo.

Dr. Muhonen is board certified in pediatric cardiology. She completed her 3rd year of residency and training at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.

Dr. Muhonen completed her 2nd year of residency and training at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Dr. Muhonen received her medical training at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Announcements

CHOC Specialists Cardiology practice office moving – Monday, August 1st, 2011

“The premier pediatric cardiology practice in Orange County, CA.”
The CHOC Specialists Cardiology Physicians are distinguished by their commitment to clinical excellence and research and through their training and faculty appointments at many of the nation’s most prestigious schools and hospitals including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), Boston Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX.

Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics

Uncategorized

Developmental / Behavioral Pediatrics

Members of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics participate in research projects that explore the nature of childhood developmental conditions and their treatments. Some of the studies examine new medications or treatments for ADHD. Many of the ADHD studies offer participants free assessments, diagnosis and/or treatment.
CLINICAL CARE
Members of the Division provide medical services to the CHOC UCI Initiative for the Development of Attention and Readiness (CUIDAR). This project provides parent training and social skills intervention to young children with active or disruptive behaviors. This program for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years of age is available to Orange County children and their parents. Contact (949) 824-2462.
Faculty physicians participate in the evaluation of high risk infants and infants and toddlers with possible developmental delays through their participation in multidisciplinary assessments. Referrals can be made to the Early Developmental Assessment Center (EDAC) at CHOC Children’s at (714) 509-4041.
CHOC Children’s Behavioral and Developmental Clinic
This teaching clinic provides pediatric medical specialty consultation and ongoing care to children with a range of behavioral and developmental problems.
Faculty Practice
Members of the division see patients for clinical assessment and ongoing care at For OC-KIDS Neurodevelopmental Center, a CHOC Children’s & UCI facility in Orange. Call (714) 939-6118 for an appointment in Orange.
For an appointment at the Gottschalk Medical Plaza on the University of California, Irvine campus call (888) 456-7002.

 

Links

 

Orange County American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Critical Care

Specialties

When a life-threatening situation arises, CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians are available 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week and provide comprehensive services for acutely ill or seriously injured children and adolescents. These board certified or board admissible pediatric subspecialists serve as medical directors for the 24-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at CHOC, the eight-bed PICU located within CHOC at Mission, and pediatric units at select Orange County hospitals.

Additionally, CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians are available for immediate consultation and intervention in the event patients admitted into other areas of the hospital experience unforeseen complications. They provide 24-hour coverage for the emergency departments at both CHOC and CHOC at Mission. If a life-threatening situation arises, they are immediately available.

Regionally Recognized for Expert, Tertiary-Level Critical Care

With more than 30 years of experience, CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians are regionally recognized for their expertise and treat critically ill patients from throughout Southern California. They treat the full spectrum of pathology and disease, from the very common to the very rare. Patients with a wide range of disorders are hospitalized in the PICU, including those with:

  • Conditions that require complex medical interventions including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)< inhaled nitric oxide, high frequency oscillatory ventilation, continuous video EEG monitoring, intracranial presure monitoring, portable CT scanning
  • Severe head injuries
  • Life-threatening disorders of the heart, lungs and central nervous system
  • Treatment of acute respiratory failure
  • Chronic conditions such as respiratory illnesses, cancer or muscular dystrophy, requiring pediatric intensive care
  • Post-surgical care and management, including cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, general pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery

Through participation in multi-center studies of children with life-threatening respiratory failure, CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians provide the most technically advanced therapies, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), high-frequency oscillation and the use of nitric oxide. Under their leadership, CHOC has had a successful ECMO program for more than 25 years.

CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians also are integral to the CHOC Cancer, Neuroscience, Cardiac and Orthopaedic Institutes. Their services are complemented by the multidisciplinary care provided by other pediatric subspecialty physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, clinical dietitians, child psychologists and social workers at CHOC and CHOC at Mission.

According to Virtual Pediatric Systems, LLC (VPS), a national collaborative of over 200 ICUs, when compared to a cohort of 19 similar PICUs, the CHOC PICU had:

  • A Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 (PIM3) standardized mortality ratio statistically significantly lower than the VPS reference group.
  • A statistically significantly lower Standardized Length of Stay Ratio than the VPS reference group.
  • A similar percentage of unscheduled readmissions within 24 hours when compared to the VPS reference group.

24-Hour Transport Service to CHOC and CHOC at Mission

The availability of 24-hour transport services allows CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians to bring critical care directly to the patient — and then to bring the patient back safely to either CHOC or CHOC at Mission. The sophisticated and highly specialized CHOC Transport Service is the only one in the region equipped with a pediatric high frequency oscillator and state-of-the-art ventilator.

By ambulance or helicopter, our team is available to transport children from emergency rooms, hospital nurseries, pediatric facilities and physician offices from throughout the Southern California region. Non-emergent (ACLS) transport services are also available and may be arranged by calling the Pediatric Transport Team at either CHOC or CHOC at Mission.

Fellowship Program & Professional Education

In addition to direct patient care responsibilities, CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians are committed to advances in pediatric medicine through research, teaching and tertiary clinical training. In addition to teaching Residents at CHOC, they also teach fellows. CHOC Specialists Critical Care has trained over 70 critical care fellows in the past 20 years. CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians are active members in the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network and currently involved in multiple national clinical trials. Several of our physicians hold faculty positions in the Department of Pediatrics at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. The Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship Program (CHOC/Harbor-UCLA Medical Center) is ACGME-approved and has graduated 25 board admissible pediatric intensivists during the last 10 years.

Additionally, CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians provide continuing medical education, outreach programs and consulting services to the pediatric community and to the multidisciplinary subspecialty teams at CHOC and CHOC at Mission.

Family Support and Care

CHOC Specialists Critical Care physicians are committed to the health and well-being of the children of Southern California. Medical care is provided with compassion, offering each family the necessary information to understand the child’s condition and anticipated outcome.

Referral Guidelines

Resources

Developed by CHOC Specialists, in partnership with community physicians, these guidelines provide you with useful information in working up your patients, and contribute to making the appointment itself most meaningful by having the right clinical information available.

Listed below are the specialties that currently have guidelines. Updates, as well as additional specialties and diagnoses, are added regularly.

  Allergy & Immunology

  • Allergy & Immunology Referral Guidelines: Allergic Rhinitis, Anaphylaxis

    Cardiology

  • Cardiology Referral Guidelines: Heart Murmur, Palpitations, Arrhythmia, Abnormal ECG, Chest Pain, Syncope, Hypertension, Attention Deficit Disorder, Kawasaki Disease, Genetic Disorders: Marfan, Turner, Downs, DiGeorge, Noonan, Muscular Dystrophy, Premature, Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Small Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), Hyperlipidermia.

    Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

  • Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Referral Guidelines: Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity, Inattentiveness, Developmental Delay, Autism, Asperger, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Tic Disorders, Tourette’s, Selective Mutism, Anxiety Problem, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Learning Disorder

    Endocrinology

  • Endocrinology Referral Guidelines: Growth Disorders, Thyroid Disorders and Pubertal Disorders including, Congenital Hypothyroidism (Neonate), Congenital Hypotheyroidism (Child), Acquired Hypothyroidism, Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Hypothyroidism, Central Hypothyrodism, Acquired Hyperthyroidism, Auntoimmune Hyperthyroidism (Grave’s Disease), Neonatal Hyperthyroidism, Goiter, Thyroid Nodule, Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 & Type 2, Hyperglycemia, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Impaired Fasting Glucose, Morbid Obesity, Acanthosis Nigricans, Short Stature, Failure to Thrive, Precocious Puberty/Premature Thelarche (Girls), Precocious Puberty (Boys), Premature Adrenarch (Girls), Premature Adrenarch (Boys), and Delayed Puberty.
  • Endocrinology Referral Request Form

    Gastroenterology

  • Gastroenterology Referral Guidelines: Chronic Abominal Pain, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Diarrhea, Hematochezia, Food Allergy, Peptic Ulcer Disease, Gastro Esophageal Reflux (GER), Vomiting, Constipation, Failure to Thrive.
  • Gastroenterology Referral Request Form: Abdominal Pain, Diarrhea, Weight Loss, GI Bleed, GERD, Jaundice, Constipation, Growth Failure, Vomiting

    Hematology

  • Hematology Referral Guidelines: Anemia, Thrombocytopenia, Neutropenia, Coagulation Defect, Recurrent Infections
  • Hematology Referral Request Form: Anemia, Thrombocytopenia, Neutropenia, Bleeding Disorders, Thrombosis, Recurrent infections, Di George Syndrome, Hypogammaglobulinemia, Chronic Granulomatous Disease, Hemangioma, Vascular Malformations, Port Wine Stain but no Lymphangiomas

    Hospitalist

  • Hospitalist Preference Form

    Infectious Disease

  • Infectious Disease Referral Guidelines: Recurring Fevers, Recurrent Staphylococcal Infections, Latent Tuberculosis Infection
  • Infectious Disease Referral Request Form

    Nephrology

  • Nephrology Referral Guidelines: Microhematuria, Gross Hematuria, Proteinuria, Acidosis, Cystic Kidneys, Hypertension
  • Nephrology Referral Request Form

    Neurology

  • Neurology Referral Guidelines: Recurrent Unprovoked Seizures (Epilepsy), Febrile Seizures, First Unprovoked Seizure, Developmental Delay, Tics, Tourette’s, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Concussion, Headaches
  • Neurology Referral Request Form: Non-Febrile Seizures, Intractable Epilepsy, Neuromuscular Disorders, Headaches with Neurological Findings

    Ophthalmology

  • Ophthalmology Referral Guidelines: Visual Behavior / Acuity, Eyelids, Nasolacrimal System, Anterior Segment, Ocular Media. Sensorimotor System (Pupils and Ocular movements), Prematurity, Systemic Disorders, Congenital Deformities & Syndromes, and Non Accidental Injury

    Pulmonology

  • Pulmonology Referral Guidelines: Infant Apnea, Child Apnea, Asthma, Brochopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), Chronic Cough, Cystic Fibrosis, Recurrent Pheumonia, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

    Rheumatology

  • Rheumatology Intake Form
  • Rheumatology Referral Guidelines: Arthralgias, Joint Swelling, Joint Contracture, Limp Joint, Weakness, Back Pain, Malar Rash, Proteinuria, Hematuria, Unexplained Fevers, Weight Loss, Skin Tightening, Extremity Color Changes, Iritis, Chronic Pain, Positive (+) ANA
  • Rheumatology Referral Request Form

Please note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

Blood Bank

Research

We continue our research efforts in the area of cord blood research, working to make transplants more effective and more available to patients suffering from a variety of cancers and other conditions, including auto-immune disorders. The CHOC Cord Blood Bank is one of only ten NMDP Cord Blood Banks in the country. Through the NMDP Registry, our bank provides cord blood units to transplant patients worldwide.

 

For more information, please contact Vicki Slone in the Cord Blood Program at CHOC at (714) 509-4154.

 

Allergy and Immunology

Specialties

CHOC Specialists Allergy, Asthma and Immunology physicians provide comprehensive treatment based on prevention, intervention, education and self-management. Recognized for excellence by their peers and actively involved in clinical research, they offer the latest treatment options for patients of all ages with allergic or immunologic conditions. CHOC Specialists Allergy and Immunology physicians have special expertise in caring for the medically fragile and those who have not responded to conventional therapy.

Treatment modalities include pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy, dietary control and environmental allergen/irritant avoidance. Inpatient and outpatient services are available for children and adults experiencing conditions related to allergies, asthma and immune deficiencies, including:

  • Acute, chronic and severe asthma
  • Allergic rhinitis
  • Allergic conjunctivitis
  • Acute and chronic sinusitis
  • Complicated eczema and atopic dermatitis
  • Acute and chronic urticaria
  • Drug and food allergies
  • Stinging insect allergies
  • Cellular immune deficiencies
  • Antibody immune deficiencies

Early Intervention and Outpatient Management For Acute Asthma, CHOC Specialists Allergy, Asthma and Immunology physicians are committed to providing preventive care and early intervention for asthmatic patents. Managing severe asthma exacerbations in the office has been effective in reducing the number of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and days missed from school and work.

Cost-Effective Allergy Care Emphasizing Education and Prevention The Allergy evaluation begins with a medical history, diagnostic evaluation and environmental assessment. At the conclusion of the first appointment, each patient receives a detailed treatment plan, plus educational literature on altering the home environment to minimize exposure to allergens or irritants. This approach is thorough and cost effective. By providing education for patients and their families, CHOC Specialists Allergy, Asthma and Immunology physicians promote better understanding and management of the condition through the proper use of medications, environmental controls and other preventive measures to alleviate symptoms and minimize reactions.

Active Participants in the Latest Clinical Research CHOC Specialists Allergy

Asthma & Immunology physicians serve as principal investigators for many clinical research studies, providing patients with access to the newest treatment options available. Recent studies have included new medications for asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and eczema.

Recognized within the community for excellence, CHOC Specialists Allergy, Asthma and Immunology physicians are board certified pediatric subspecialists, who have been practicing in Orange County for over 35 years. They provide medical directorship for the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology program at CHOC. As a community service, they report on daily mold and pollen counts to the Orange County Register.

CHOC Specialists Allergy, Asthma and Immunology physicians direct a summer camp for asthmatic children sponsored by the American Lung Association and participate in community education lectures and seminars.

Additionally, CHOC Children’s Allergy and Immunology Specialists are proud to be partner with the CHOC Children’s Gastroenterology Specialists to offer one of the only Eosinophilic Esophagitis Clinics in Southern California. The multidisciplinary team of allergists, gastroenterologists and dietitians, work with children from infancy to age 18 to help diagnose and treat eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) using the very latest research-based treatments.

When a child is first diagnosed with EoE, it is an overwhelming experience. The clinic team provides the expertise and support needed to manage the patient’s health and wellbeing. The clinic meets every first and third Wednesday of the month. During the initial stages of care, patients may need to attend clinic every one to three months depending on the severity of the child’s symptoms. The EoE team also provides support services outside of the clinic through e-mail and phone calls. Once there is resolution of the EoE and the trigger is identified, we recommend yearly visits for follow-up.

Cardiology

Specialties

The CHOC Specialists Cardiology Division strives to provide the best possible care for infants, children and adolescents with acquired or congenital heart disease as well as adults with congenital heart disease. Comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services are offered including collaborative care with the intensive care team in the dedicated Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU). We have a strong educational program for patients and families and we offer complete cardiovascular care.

Leading-Edge Diagnostic Capabilities & Treatment

CHOC Specialists Cardiology physicians provide the following services:

  • Inpatient and outpatient consultation
  • Prenatal consultation
  • Echocardiography (fetal, transthoracic and transesophageal)
  • Digital diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization, including atrial septal—defect or patent ductus arteriosus closure
  • Electrophysiological services, including event and Holter monitoring, tilt table testing, exercise stress testing, pacemaker implementation and programming, and state-of-the-art electrophysiological testing and ablation for arrhythmias
  • Comprehensive, multi-disciplinary Hyperlipidemia Clinic and new clinics in Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension as well as future clinics in Arrhythmias and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease
  • Care for adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease

Recognized For Excellence

CHOC Specialists Cardiology physicians serve as the Medical Directors for the pediatric cardiology services provided at CHOC. Our cardiologists work closely with the pediatric cardiac surgeons at CHOC. Collaboration with pediatric intensivists in the hospital’s dedicated CVICU as well as Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides a comprehensive, multidisicplinary approach to patient care.

Active Participants in the Latest Clinical Research

CHOC Specialists Cardiology has an active research program and has representation at the pediatric study section at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Ongoing projects include evaluating new treatments for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children with cardiac disease and newer noninvasive methodologies in monitoring children after cardiac surgery. The Division has assisted in the development of new catheters to evaluate coronary problems in children. They recently participated in a national study to evaluate newer inotropic agents following heart surgery as well as management strategies for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Future proposed projects involve an important collaboration between the CHOC Specialists Cardiology Division and the University of California, Irvine.

“The premier pediatric cardiology practice in Orange County, CA.”

The CHOC Specialists Cardiology Physicians are distinguished by their commitment to clinical excellence and research and through their training and faculty appointments at many of the nation’s most prestigious schools and hospitals including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), Boston Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX.

Dr. Anthony Chang

Chang, Anthony C. – MD, MBA, MPH

Cardiology, CHOC at Mission, CHOC Hospital, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Physicians, Providence Medical Office Building, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Jude Medical Center, Western Medical Center - Santa Ana

Anthony Chang, M.D. is the CHOC Specialists Division Chief of Cardiology, Medical Director of the CHOC Children’s Heart Institute, and an Associate Clinical Professor at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.

Dr. Chang completed his pediatric residency and pediatric cardiology fellowship training at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center, in Washington D.C., and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, respectively. He graduated from the Georgetown University Medical School, in Washington, D.C., and received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. Dr. Chang has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami School of Business and a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Dr. Chang has held faculty appointments at the Harvard University School of Medicine, the University of Southern California School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, in Philadelphia. He also directed the cardiac intensive care programs at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Miami Children’s Hospital.

Prior to joining CHOC, Dr. Chang was medical director of the pediatric cardiac intensive care service and chief of critical care cardiology at Texas Children’s Hospital, and a tenured associate professor in pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Chang is widely published and on the editorial board of several publications. He frequently publishes articles, presents lectures on a variety of topics and has published books, including Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care and Heart Failure in Children. He has served as program director for several large international conferences and symposia.

Awards

1980 “Academic Honors” (Johns Hopkins University Premedical Program, Baltimore, MD.)

1988 “Best Resident Award” (Academic Forum, Children’s Hospital National Medical Center, Washington, DC.)

1993 “Best Research Award in Critical Care Medicine” (American Academy of Pediatrics, San Francisco, CA.)

1995 “Best Teaching Award” (Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, CA.)

1998 “McGaw Award for Academic Excellence” (graduated first in class – Health Administration Executive Program, Miami, FL.)

2000 “Special Teaching Award” (Department of Pediatrics, Miami Children’s Hospital, Florida)

2003 “Presidential Citation Award” (Society of Critical Care Medicine)

2007 – 2008 “Best Doctors in America” (Best Doctors)

2008 “Outstanding Teaching Award” (UCLA Pediatric Cardiology Program)

2008 “Dean’s Outstanding Scholarship Award” (graduated first in class) and “Delta Omega” (Public Health Honor Society)

2009 “America’s Top Cardiologist” (Consumer’s Research Council of America)

2010 “California’s Top Doctors” (Orange Coast Magazine)

2011 – 2012 “Best Doctors in America” (Best Doctors)

2012 “Physician of Excellence” (Orange County Medical Association) (OCMA)

Current Research

1. Use of Novel Agents in the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension

2. Artificial Intelligence in Decision-making in Pediatric Cardiology

3. Heart Failure in Children: Current Therapy and Management

Publications

Publications† link:
Dr. Anthony Chang Publications

( † Disclaimer: This search is powered by Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a third-party website with no affiliation with CHOC.)

Video

[youtubegallery]
CHOC physicians, patients and their families talk about how CHOC provides expert pediatric care|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYhgKwYHaHY&NR=1
Dr. Anthony Chang, Medical Director of the CHOC Childrens Heart Institute discusses Life-threatening Events Associated with Pediatric Patients in Sports (LEAPS)|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCAiVJomg60&feature=player_embedded
“The Call” CHOC Documentary featuring Dr. Chang|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41v3q-aeqgc
[/youtubegallery]

Announcements

Dr. Anthony Chang and Dr. Ronald Bronicki published in Critical Care Medicine Journal: “Management of the postoperative pediatric cardiac surgical patient”

CHOC Specialists Cardiology practice office moving – Monday, August 1st, 2011

Dr. Anthony Chang & Dr. Anjan Batra Honored by the Orange County Board of Education for LEAPS

Dr. Anthony Chang and Dr. Anjan Batra discuss Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes at 1st Annual Sports Medicine for the Youth Athlete Conference hosted by CHOC

Life-threatening Events Associated with Pediatric Patients in Sports (LEAPS) – Discussion featuring Dr. Anthony Chang and Dr. Anjan Batra

“The premier pediatric cardiology practice in Orange County, CA.”
The CHOC Specialists Cardiology Physicians are distinguished by their commitment to clinical excellence and research and through their training and faculty appointments at many of the nation’s most prestigious schools and hospitals including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), Boston Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX.

CHOC PSF Pledges $1 Millon to “Change CHOC, Change the World” Campaign

Announcements

CHOC PEDIATRIC SUBSPECIALTY FACULTY, INC., PLEDGES $1 MILLION
TO “CHANGE CHOC, CHANGE THE WORLD” CAMPAIGN

 

(Orange, Calif., May 21, 2010) –CHOC Specialists, a medical pediatric specialty physician group serving CHOC Children’s, is dedicated to ensuring children’s healthcare needs are met for generations to come. As part of this commitment, the physicians of the PSF have pledged $1 million to the “Change CHOC, Change the World” campaign.

 

The comprehensive campaign will help CHOC to become a sustainable world-class pediatric institution by building a state-of-the-art facility; building a substantial endowment to support recruiting more of the world’s top pediatric experts, and fostering an environment of innovation and discovery; and building upon the academic and research affiliation with UC Irvine and its School of Medicine. The CHOC Children’s Foundation is committed to raising $125 million for the campaign by July 2013. PSF’s generous contribution will name the outdoor play area in the new tower.

 

“PSF is excited to support this campaign, transforming the delivery of pediatric healthcare in Orange County. Our children and families deserve a world-class, pediatric-focused healthcare system and we will remain a fierce advocate on their behalf,” said Paul Lubinsky, M.D., PSF chair and associate director of the CHOC Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

 

The seven-story tower, set to open on CHOC’s Orange campus in Spring 2013, will feature leading design and safety principles, a family-centered care environment, and increased capacity to meet the region’s future healthcare needs. The tower will also include new and advanced pediatric emergency department, operating rooms and related services, laboratory, pathology, imaging and radiology services.

 

To learn more about the “Change CHOC, Change the World” campaign, please go to http://www.iamforchildren.com

 

psf_gift_release_051710final.doc

Dr. Sudeep Kukreja Runs Marathon for NICU Babies

Announcements, General News

As a neonatologist, Dr. Sudeep Kukreja works 80-100 hours a week tending to some of the littlest and sickest of patients. While many people may see these infants as weak, Dr. Kukreja draws strength from them, and was inspired to run 26.2 miles in their honor. Despite having little time to train and an injured knee, Dr. Kukreja recently finished the Los Angeles Marathon – his first. Not only did he cross the finish line under six hours, he also brought in close to $7,000 for the NICU, thanks to the friends and colleagues who sponsored him. Completing the race was a victory for Dr. Kukreja and a wonderful celebration of the victories he helps secure for CHOC’s NICU babies

Grow Up Great! Dr. Joe Donnelly is 1 of 10…

Announcements, General News

Grow Up Great: A Community Partner Update
February 28, 2010

 

From Children and Families Commission of Orange County

 

Grow Up Great: A Community Partner Update – Director’s Message

 

For 10 years, the Children & Families Commission of Orange County has used Proposition 10 tobacco tax revenue to help our youngest members of society get a solid start in life. But providing funds is just one part of the story. Helping Orange County’s children to be healthy and to thrive requires compassionate, talented, selfless individuals-dedicated to serving children and their families. These people are agents of change. And this month the Commission is launching a campaign to honor them.

 

The campaign’s singular focus is people, the heart of everything the Commission and our partners have accomplished over the past decade. So from February through November 2010, we will highlight 10 individuals who serve so tirelessly on behalf of Orange County’s children. We hope that by recognizing these few, the campaign will raise awareness of the many individuals and programs that are helping our children to Grow Up Great.

 

To kick off the campaign, Agents of Change – 10 People Making a Difference in the Lives of Young Children, we honor Dr. Joseph Donnelly and the program he leads. For OC Kids Neurodevelopmental Center, a program that helps children who have developmental disorders.

 

Dr. Joe Donnelly was recruited from Baystate Medical Center Children’s Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts to UC Irvine in 2002, and now heads the Neurodevelopmental Center in Orange County. What makes him so uniquely qualified-aside from the specialty degrees in Pediatrics and Neurology and extensive experience-is his commitment to the earliest identification, treatment, and support for children with developmental, behavioral or learning disorders like autism and ADHD. For OC Kids is the only center of its kind in Orange County, providing comprehensive services for children birth through age five years.

 

Using a team approach, For OC Kids gives these children the range of support they need in one place-including Pediatric Neurology, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and a Social Worker. Family-centered care is the focus of the For OC Kids team. Through the Family Support and Education Program, families receive training, individual consultations, and connection to community resources.

 

From the outset, the Commission supported For OC Kids Neurodevelopmental Center, bringing the partners of CHOC and UC Irvine together, and funding this important program that fills such a critical need.

 

On behalf of the Commission and all the children and families whose lives are touched, I congratulate Dr. Donnelly, and For OC Kids, and all of Orange County’s Agents of Change!

 

Michael Ruane
Executive Director

CHOC Children’s Advanced Diagnostic…

Announcements, General News

CHOC CHILDREN’S ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY RECEIVES ACCREDITATION FROM COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS

February 24, 2010

 

CHOC Children’s Hematology Advanced Diagnostics Laboratory was awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of a recent successful onsite inspection. The national recognition highlights the excellent services provided through the lab.

 

“We are very proud to receive this coveted recognition for our lab, which is intended to provide much needed diagnostic services to patients with rare disorders. These studies are not offered in routine laboratories, and now patients with blood problems can be diagnosed sooner and monitored more closely,” said Dr. Diane Nugent, Director of Hematology and the Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory at CHOC Children’s. “Since we are a referral center for inherited blood disorders, it has always been our goal to bring these special tests to our community here in Orange County and throughout the state.”

 

The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program began in the 1960s and is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program. During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceeding two years. In addition, CAP inspectors examine staff qualifications, laboratory equipment and facilities, safety program and record, and overall laboratory management. The inspection program is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients.

 

The CHOC Hematology Advanced Diagnostics Laboratory is an integral part of the care provided patients that includes comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment for pediatric hematologic diseases.

CHOC is one of only eight Children’s Hospitals in…

Announcements, General News

CHOC IS ONE OF ONLY EIGHT CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS IN THE NATION NAMED A 2009 LEAPFROG TOP HOSPITAL

 

December 03, 2009

 

CHOC Children’s Hospital is one of 45 hospitals – and one of only eight children’s hospitals across the nation- named to the “Leapfrog 2009 Top Hospitals” list, based on results from The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. CHOC’s survey score was 97.2 points out of 100 possible points, as compared to an average score of 72.4 for children’s hospitals across the country. The survey (found at www.leapfroggroup.org) is the only national, public comparison of hospitals on key issues including mortality rates for certain common procedures, infection rates, safety practices and measures of efficiency.

 

According to The Leapfrog Group CEO Leah Binder, “This year’s class of Top Hospitals not only hits the mark in areas such as medication error prevention and ICU deaths, but they also use their resources wisely, providing excellent and efficient outcomes for patients. Regardless of what happens to healthcare reform, these hospitals are the future.”

 

Survey criteria included: meeting Leapfrog standards for implementing computerized physician order entry systems that have been shown to reduce medication errors by up to 85 percent; meeting stringent performance standards for complex, high-risk procedures; meeting standards for staffing the intensive care unit, shown to reduce mortality by 40 percent or more; and scoring in the top decile in the nation for efficiency – scored by the Leapfrog Hospital Recognition Program incorporating quality outcomes, length of stay, readmission rates, and incidence of hospital-acquired conditions and infections.

 

Pointing to a study by Dr. Ashish Jha at Harvard Medical School published in 2008 in the Journal of the Joint Commission, Binder says, “We know from research that Leapfrog-reporting hospitals are among the best in the country, and they demonstrate through Leapfrog that they set ambitious goals for their performance.” (Dr. Jha’s study concluded that Leapfrog hospitals have lower mortality and better quality of care than those that don’t report to Leapfrog.)

 

About The Leapfrog Group: Founded in 2000 by the Business Roundtable, The Leapfrog Group uses the collective leverage of large purchasers of healthcare to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of health care for Americans. The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the gold standard for comparing hospitals’ performance on the national standards of safety, quality and efficiency. Hospitals that participate in the survey achieve hospital-wide improvements that translate into millions of lives and dollars saved.

 

CHOC Children’s is exclusively committed to the health and well-being of children through clinical expertise, advocacy, outreach and research that brings advanced treatment to pediatric patients. Affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, CHOC’s regional healthcare network includes two state-of-the-art hospitals in Orange and Mission Viejo, several primary and specialty care clinics, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence – The CHOC Children’s Heart, Cancer, Neuroscience, and Orthopaedic Institutes.

 

CHOC is one of only eight children’s hospitals in the nation named a “2009 Leapfrog Top Hospital.” CHOC earned the Silver Level CAPE Award from the California Council of Excellence, the only children’s hospital in California to ever earn this distinction, and was awarded Magnet designation, the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence. Recognized for extraordinary commitment to high-quality critical care standards, CHOC is the first children’s hospital in the United States to earn the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.