Texas Children’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program earns national accreditation

HOUSTON – (Feb. 28, 2017) – Texas Children’s is proud to announce the hospital’s Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Program recently earned accreditation from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA). Texas Children’s is among only six pediatric institutions nationwide, and the only one in the southwest, to be awarded this distinction. To learn more visit PHA’s website.

In order to be designated an accredited PH Care Center, a program must demonstrate dedication to making a proper diagnosis as well as have the capacity to appropriately and comprehensively manage PH patients through a set of criteria established by the PHA’s Scientific Leadership Council and the PHCC Oversight Committee.

“PH is a rare disease which requires care from highly trained specialists,” said Dr. George Mallory, director of the PH Program and medical director of the Lung Transplant Program at Texas Children’s, and professor of pediatrics-pulmonary at Baylor College of Medicine. “PHA-designated comprehensive care centers are committed to providing state-of-the-art care and therefore achieving the best possible outcomes.”

Established in 2001, Texas Children’s PH Program diagnoses and treats patients with pediatric pulmonary hypertension, with referrals extending nationally and internationally. The program strives to provide complete care and features one of the largest comprehensive pediatric teams in the nation – medical providers, nursing, social work, nutrition, pharmacy and exercise therapy. In addition, the team consults with various Texas Children’s subspecialties for excellence in care, including cardiology, critical care medicine, neonatology and the lung transplant service.

As an accredited PH Care Center, Texas Children’s will contribute to a PHA national patient registry which will track diagnostic and treatment patterns and patient outcomes to help establish best practices in patient care.

“This accreditation is a recognition of the care that our PH program provides for children who suffer from PH,” added Dr. Nidhy Varghese, pediatric pulmonologist at Texas Children’s and assistant professor of pediatrics-pulmonary at Baylor. “It is an honor to collaborate with other PH specialists around the country to advance the understanding and treatment of this condition.”

Texas Children’s Pulmonary Medicine is ranked #1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The Pulmonary Medicine team specializes in the evaluation and treatment of complex, chronic and rare pulmonary disorders and offers services to treat children dealing with a variety of pulmonary issues. For more information visit texaschildrens.org/pulmonology.

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, a second community hospital planned to open in 2017. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country, Texas Children’s Pediatrics; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.