Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) has been named a Cardiomyopathy Center of Care by the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF), a national nonprofit committed to improving health outcomes and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy. Children’s Colorado – the only hospital in Colorado and our 7-state region to make the list – received this recognition for consistently providing high-quality cardiac care and specialized disease management for children with all forms of cardiomyopathy.
“We are honored to receive this recognition for consistent high-quality and specialized cardiac care for children with cardiomyopathy,” said Shelley Miyamoto, chair of pediatric cardiology and co-director of the Heart Institute where she focuses on diagnoses like cardiomyopathy. “Our goal is to support the comprehensive wellness of these patients so they can thrive, not just survive.”
Cardiomyopathy is a chronic and potentially life-threatening heart condition that affects how the heart pumps blood through the body. Cardiomyopathy in children is a complex and variable disease with only a quarter of those diagnosed having a known cause. Like other chronic diseases, pediatric cardiomyopathy requires a comprehensive team approach to care since symptoms and complications may need to be controlled by a combination of multiple medications, surgery or an implantable device. The type of cardiomyopathy and its severity will determine the treatment plan.
Centers of Care are recognized based on meeting CCF’s criteria of managing a high volume of cardiomyopathy patients, offering a variety of pediatric services, specializing in the treatment and management of cardiomyopathy in children, and affiliation with an academic research institution. Information about CCF’s Center of Care program and selection criteria is available on CCF’s website under “Family Resources.”
“We are glad that Children’s Colorado is among the top medical centers across the U.S. and Canada that are committed to providing the highest level of care for children with cardiomyopathy,” said Lisa Yue, CCF’s founder and president of the board.
As a leader in pediatric heart care, Children’s Colorado’s Heart Institute is the largest in the region and the only pediatric cardiac surgical program in Colorado, having performed more than 550 pediatric heart transplants and treating more than 20,000 patients each year and. The hospital has educated hundreds of pediatric cardiologists who are changing the lives of children with heart disease across the country. The Heart Institute is ranked #6 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report with outcomes and survival rates that consistently exceed national average. The hospital is one of only eight stand-alone pediatric research centers in the country and is committed to improving the lives of all kids and families with heart disease.
CCF’s Centers of Care program was established in 2017 to recognize excellence in diagnosing and treating pediatric cardiomyopathy and to provide families with information to assist them in selecting a treatment center in their area.