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Akron Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s launch collaboration to elevate pediatric cardiology and heart surgery in Northern Ohio

01-20-2025 (Ohio)

Akron Children’s is joining forces with Cincinnati Children’s, one of the nation’s top ranked pediatric health systems, to provide complex care in pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery.

Akron Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s have partnered for over a decade to jointly care for children and teens in need of kidney transplants. In April 2024, the two organizations expanded their collaboration to include pediatric specialties in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), hepatology (liver disease), and bone marrow transplants. Cardiology is now the fifth medical specialty in which the two systems have joined forces.

The pediatric heart collaboration “essentially gives patient families a built-in second opinion with dozens of pediatric cardiologists and pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons,” said Dr. John Lane, director of pediatric cardiology at Akron Children’s.

“The teams from both Akron Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s will meet regularly to discuss cases and collaborate on treatment plans,” he said. “This includes cases where children are receiving new heart-related diagnoses as well as when parents in our Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center learn a congenital heart defect has been detected in their unborn child.”

According to Dr. Robert Stewart, director of cardiothoracic surgery at Akron Children’s, anything above and beyond Akron Children’s surgical scope, such as a child diagnosed with a rare, complex congenital heart defect, would have the option of having that surgery at Cincinnati Children’s with all follow-up care provided by the cardiologists and nurses in Akron Children’s network who the family have come to know and trust since diagnosis.

“Akron Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s are two independent health systems, entirely devoted to pediatrics,” said Dr. Stewart. “We share similar missions and, while very few patients will need to travel, there will be many benefits for our teams and patients in collaborating on cases and sharing information.”  

Dr. David Morales, director of cardiothoracic surgery at Cincinnati Children’s and executive co-director of its Heart Institute, said the collaboration will bring world-class congenital heart surgery and cardiac care closer to home for patients and families in the Akron area.

Cincinnati Children’s offers innovative procedures such as complex biventricular repairs, total artificial heart implantation and multi-organ transplantation,” Morales said. “This collaboration will increase access to such rare procedures for patients of Akron Children’s."

“Additionally, Dr. Tara Karamlou of Cincinnati Children’s, a highly-skilled pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, will work alongside Dr. Stewart to support continued growth in the surgical program at Akron Children’s.”

Dr. Stewart noted: “Dr. Karamlou is an internationally-recognized researcher who will provide a wonderful link to the highly-respected research organization already in place at Cincinnati Children’s.”  

Akron Children’s Heart Center includes 18 cardiologists and surgeons, and seven advanced practice providers who see patients at two hospital campuses in Akron and in Boardman. In addition, they see patients at Akron Children’s regional health centers in Beachwood, Boston Heights, Mansfield, Marietta, Medina, New Philadelphia, North Canton, Warren and Wooster. 

Cincinnati Children’s and University of Kentucky Children’s Joint Pediatric and Congenital Heart Program was ranked No. 5 in the nation for Cardiology & Heart Surgery in the recent U.S. News & World Report listing of the Best Children’s Hospitals.

Media Contact

Holly Pupino
hpupino@akronchildrens.org

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