The Time Is Now To Heal Children's Hearts

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defect in the U.S., where approximately 40,000 babies are born with heart defects each year. It's estimated that there are 2 to 3 million people in the U.S. living with CHDs.

At Phoenix Children's, we're dedicated to ensuring that children with CHDs and other heart conditions can grow up to live long, healthy lives. Our Center for Heart Care is one of the largest pediatric cardiac programs in the country and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top pediatric centers for cardiology and heart surgery. It also is home to one of the country's only programs for adults with congenital heart disease.

All of this is made possible by philanthropic support from our generous community. Donations allow the Center for Heart Care to:

• Recruit and hire top pediatric cardiologists.
• Purchase state-of-the-art equipment and technology.
• Fund research that improves patient care.
• Train the next generation of pediatric cardiologists.
• Support patient families experiencing financial hardship.

Daniel Velez, MD, serves as co-director of the Center for Heart Care. A cardiothoracic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Velez is the division chief of cardiothoracic surgery and holds the Joseph and Shawn Lampe Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery. In 2019, he made history by leading the team that operated on the youngest patient in the world to receive a total artificial heart.