Defining the Country ’ s
BEST PULMONARY HYPERTENSION PROGRAMS
As much as one might expect one of the world ’ s leading experts in pediatric pulmonary hypertension ( PH ) to tell an exciting story about his rise to renown , it ’ s just not in the nature of Dunbar Ivy , MD , to be that dramatic .
“ I came out here to Colorado , loved the mountains , loved my boss ,” he says of starting his career . “ Studying pulmonary hypertension just seemed interesting .”
1
OF THE
3
FIRST
PH CARE CENTERS IN THE COUNTRY TO RECEIVE ACCREDITATION FROM THE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATION
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This understatement fits Dr . Ivy , whose steady disposition can disarm parents who may be worried that their child ’ s vital organs seem to be failing them ; after all , it wasn ’ t until the 1990s that most children with PH survived .
That is , in part , thanks to Steven Abman , MD , and John Kinsella , MD , physicians at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado who in 1991 successfully pioneered the use of nitric oxide to treat newborns with PH ( see p . 40 ).
Dr . Ivy trained under Dr . Abman , and is now part of a triumvirate of Children ’ s Colorado PH experts on the forefront of clinical trials , research , and treatment .
Their prominence in pulmonary hypertension was validated in 2015 , when Children ’ s Colorado became one of the first three pediatric hospitals in the country to receive accreditation as a PH
Care Center from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association ( two more hospitals have since been accredited as of this printing ).
The rigorous evaluation considers patient volumes , available therapies , number of clinical trials , and research , among many other factors . “ This accreditation is a mark of excellence ,” Dr . Ivy says .
But the accreditation is more than an award . It ’ s a beacon for parents of children with PH , who may not know where to go for hope for survival .
While leading the accreditation will certainly be a career highlight for Dr . Ivy , 25-plus years ago his motivation for studying a complicated , rare disease was much simpler : “ I wanted to make a difference ,” he says . “ There was this particular disease without a cure , and I wanted to help those patients .”
CARDIOLOGY & HEART SURGERY