Heart Failure Program
at Primary Children's Hospital
Since 1988, we’ve been helping children with live their fullest lives. We are a national center of excellence—but we’re even prouder of the relationships we create with patients and families.
Our Care
Our team focuses on providing care for the entire family. Many of our patients have siblings or parents at risk of developing heart disease. Through genetic testing and close collaboration with our colleagues at both Intermountain Medical Center and the University of Utah, we can provide preventative cardiac care for the family.
We also understand how helpful it is to do everything in one central program. By treating heart failure early, we can often delay a heart transplant (sometimes indefinitely). If a transplant does become necessary, we already know your child and your family.
Our team
Our expertise
- Cardiac Anticoagulation Program
Many of our patients need blood thinners (anticoagulants) because heart failure carries a higher risk of blood clots. The Anticoagulation Program provides long term anticoagulation care for our patients. We work closely with families to provide concierge-style care in checking labs and adjusting blood -related medications.
- Cardiogenetics
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. Many forms of this disease are due to a genetic abnormality that makes the heart muscle weak or stiff. Our close relationship with cardiac genetic counselors allows us to offer testing that may help find the cause of the disease. That way we can learn whether other family members are at risk of developing similar heart disease.
- Cardio-Oncology Collaborative
Oncology is a branch of medicine that prevents, diagnoses, and treats cancer. We work closely with the pediatric oncologists (cancer specialists) and the “Late Effects Oncology Clinic” at Primary Children’s Hospital and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. That way we’re able to help patients at risk of heart failure due to past cancer treatments.
- Cardiorenal Collaborative
Since many of our patients have kidney problems related to their heart conditions, our team works very closely with the nephrologists (kidney specialists) at the hospital.
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Neuromuscular Collaborative
We work closely with the neuromuscular team at Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah to treat children at risk of heart disease due to underlying neuromuscular conditions.
- Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program
VADs are surgically placed, electrically powered heart pumps that work with the heart to improve blood flow. We are nationally recognized in the innovative use of VADs. We are also one of the leaders within the ACTION Network, which is a group of 35 centers focused on children needing VAD support.
In our program, many children on VADs are able to recover outside of the ICU. Our program also supports children and teens being discharged from the hospital on their VAD if they are doing well.
- UCHAMP-EP Clinic
An arrhythmia is any disorder of the heart rate or rhythm. Electrophysiology (EP) focuses on the heart’s electrical system and EP tests diagnose abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmias.
We have a combined UCHAMP-EP clinic for patients at risk for both heart failure and arrhythmias including those with internal cardiac defibrillators (ICD). This clinic provides our patients with the benefits of two specialized teams in one visit.
Our reputation
- Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry (PCMR) Center of Excellence
Since 2017, we have been recognized by the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry as a national center of excellence in the care of children with cardiomyopathy.
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence
We are the pediatric arm of two centers recognized nationally to provide excellence in care for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Intermountain Medical Center and the University of Utah).
Visiting and staying at Primary Children's Hospital
Whether you're visiting a patient, have a child being admitted overnight, or are staying with us for a longer period, we are committed to making the experience the best it can be.
