YOUNG DOCTORS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE TRAVEL TO THE CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA SIBLEY HEART CENTER AND EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOR EXPERT TRAINING IN PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

ATLANTA – August 2006 – The Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship program of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Sibley Heart Center and of Emory University School of Medicine, has established itself as one of the best and fastest-growing programs in the country. Primary teaching occurs at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, which has 235 licensed beds, with a Cardiac Step-down unit of 23 beds, a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) with 18 beds, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with 21 beds, and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 32 beds. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

“The Cardiology Fellowship program at the Children’s Sibley Heart Center continues to grow and expand its ability to offer young cardiologists from around the world a unique training experience at one of the nation’s premier pediatric cardiology programs,” said Derek Fyfe, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric cardiologist at Emory School of Medicine and Director of the Cardiology Fellowship Program at the Children’s Sibley Heart Center. “Given the high-volume of complex patients that we see; the hands-on experience with the latest technologies that we can offer, as well as working closely with some of the best pediatric cardiologists in the country—it’s hard to beat the fellowship experience at Children’s. It is also unique in that we strongly value collegiality, camaraderie and compassion for each other, as well as for our staff and patients.”

The cardiology fellows rotate through all disciplines of pediatric cardiology, including catheterization, fetal, transesophageal and surface echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cry), invasive electrophysiology, clinical ward and intensive care cardiology, as well as bi-weekly outpatient continuity clinic. The fellowship program training is for 36 months, which includes 12 months devoted to clinical, translational or basic science research.

Fellows develop decision-making skills with increasing levels of responsibility and experience, participating in the performance and interpretation of invasive and noninvasive diagnostic testing, and by being the primary caretaker while rotating in the cardiology clinical services.

Fellows learn to talk to families about the new diagnosis of congenital heart disease and its ramifications, as well as communicate with them about evolving changes in their child's disease. They function as team members, participating in daily medical rounds as well as all cardiology conferences. Fellows also become familiar with associated disciplines such as, genetics, radiology, and thoracic surgery. During the three-year program fellows develop a comprehensive understanding of the outpatient management of fetal, neonatal, childhood and adult congenital heart disease and the need for continuous follow-up during a patient's lifetime.

The fellowship program at Children’s and Emory is highly competitive, accepting just four fellows annually from an average of 60 applicants. There are currently eleven fellows on staff, including four new trainee additions for 2006.

New Additions to the Fellowship Program
Mark Clay, M.D., completed his combined residency in internal medicine and
pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Clay completed his medical
training at Emory University School of Medicine. During his free time, Dr. Clay enjoys
spending time with his family.

Kristopher Cumbermack, M.D., completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of California Davis Health System and obtained his medical degree from the University of Vermont in Burlington. Dr. Cumber Mack received a $2,500 peer review grant to complete his research project on newer echocardiographic measurements of ventricular systolic and diastolic function after repair. Dr. Cumber Mack enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, tennis, basketball, golf,
Literature and music.

Colin Kane, M.D., a native of Newark, Del., attended medical school at Loyola
University in Chicago. Dr. Kane completed his combined residency in internal
medicine and pediatrics at the Christian Care Health System in Newark, Del. In his free
time, he enjoys exercising, playing the guitar and traveling and has participated
in seven marathons and several triathlons.

Vincent Thomas, M.D., who completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s
Hospital of Orange County, completed his medical training at the University of Nevada
School of Medicine in Reno. His interests are composing music and playing piano,
alto saxophone and drums. He also enjoys playing basketball and attending and
participating in cultural events and community service.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the leading pediatric healthcare systems in the country, is a not-for-profit organization that benefits from the generous philanthropic and volunteer support of our community. Operating three hospitals with more than half a million patient visits annually, Children’s is recognized for excellence in cancer, cardiac, neonatal, orthopaedic and transplant services, as well as many other pediatric specialties. To learn more about Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, visit our Web site at www.choa.org or call 404-250-KIDS.

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