The Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) program at Cook Children’s has earned national accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) in recognition of high-quality comprehensive care for adults born with cardiac defects. 

The ACHA is a national organization begun by and dedicated to supporting individuals and families living with congenital heart disease and advancing the care and treatment available to the ACHD community. There are now 58 ACHA ACHD Accredited programs throughout the United States.  

The accreditation puts Cook Children’s in the top tier of programs across the country. The ACHA worked with leading providers of adult congenital heart disease care to develop criteria for ACHD accreditation, a crucial step in advancing and standardizing the quality of care for ACHD patients.  The accreditation program is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography and other entities.

Criteria include demonstration of high-quality medical and surgical services, specific personnel requirements, specialized equipment, and the development of policies and procedures that ensure the highest level of care in a consistent and reproducible manner. The ACHA seal of approval gives patients the peace of mind they’re receiving the best care possible from leading experts in the field. 

“I am very proud of the work that our team has accomplished in receiving accreditation from the ACHA,” said Scott M. Pilgrim, M.D., the program’s medical director. “The need to develop a comprehensive ACHD program serves as a testament to the many decades of phenomenal pediatric cardiac surgery and pediatric cardiology care here at Cook Children’s. We are honored to be able to extend the Cook Children’s Promise to this growing and vulnerable population.”

Nearly 2 million adults in the United States live with one of many different types of congenital heart defects, according to the ACHA. Fewer than 10% see a cardiologist who specializes in their unique needs.

Even after surgical repair, patients with congenital heart disease should receive lifelong maintenance examinations, and many require additional interventions either in the operating suite or the cardiac catheterization laboratory. This unique subset of patients presents with anatomic and physiologic anomalies uncommonly encountered in adult cardiology -- requiring both an understanding of the congenital heart disease as well as the long-term complications inherent in the repair.

The team includes Pamela Burg, M.D., Anna Venardos, M.D. and Haley Follett, PA-C, who help manage ongoing heart issues for adults with suspected or confirmed congenital heart disease.

Since its inception in 2014, the ACHD program has connected the dots between pediatric and adult cardiology care.  Patients are seen in outpatient clinics at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth, satellite clinics in Southlake, Mansfield and Alliance as well as locations across West Texas.  Inpatient care is available at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth as well as local adult hospitals.

The program sees patients transitioning from adolescent care into the adult medical arena from within the Heart Center as well as new adult referrals from local and regional primary care, obstetric and adult cardiology practices. Accreditation provides an even broader reach to other programs across the country as more and more patients move into the Metroplex.

In addition to comprehensive inpatient and outpatient cardiology care, the program offers nutrition support, social services, clinical therapy, noncardiac surgery support, genetic consultation, pre-pregnancy counseling, cardio-obstetrics, dental care and more.

Valerie Gibbs, DNP, RN, CPN, Assistant Vice President for Nursing at the Cook Children’s Heart Center, said the accreditation highlights the excellent care the Heart Center delivers to our patients every day.

“Our providers and clinical and administrative teams are committed to meeting the unique needs of those with congenital heart disease, and I am so happy for the well-deserved recognition,” she said.