Donation to help children who need heart surgery in OKC

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OKLAHOMA CITY – The Presbyterian Health Foundation recently awarded more than $590,000 to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health to fund two state-of-the-art pediatric cardiac ultrasound units.

The equipment will benefit children in need of complex heart surgeries.

According to a release, the new systems will upgrade equipment in pediatric surgical suites at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center, providing significant enhancements in available ultrasound technology.

“The new technology will elevate the excellence in care, workflow and access for young heart patients, as well as provide important data to further understand the multifaceted complexities of heart conditions in children to provide the best surgical solutions,” Children’s said in a release.

The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital pediatric cardiothoracic surgical team, led by Dr. Harold Burkhart, uses advanced surgical techniques and minimally invasive procedures to care for young patients with congenital heart disease, acquired heart disease, heart murmurs and arrythmias. The team has achieved outstanding surgical results well above the national average – a distinction very few programs in the country have achieved.

“The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Heart Center is rapidly becoming the go-to place for pediatric heart care and surgery,” Presbyterian Health Foundation Chairman Tom R. Gray III said. “Dr. Harold Burkhart and his talented team have worked hard to ensure our youngest patients have world-class care right here at home, and we are thrilled to provide these new units to further elevate this rising center of excellence.”

Every year, as a high-volume pediatric cardiac surgery center, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital receives more than 10,000 pediatric cardiology visits and performs more than 500 pediatric heart surgeries. With over 150 physicians, surgeons, nurses and specialists who focus on caring for the smallest hearts and the widest range of complex congenital conditions, heart patients benefit from the most comprehensive methods available in Oklahoma.

“I would like to thank Presbyterian Health Foundation for this incredibly generous gift that will allow us to have daily dedicated cardiac imaging in the operating room,” Burkhart said. “It will truly make a difference in the surgical management of our complex cardiac children.”

Oklahoma Children’s Hospital plans to provide pediatric heart transplant services to children in Oklahoma within the next year.