The Heart Center (Cardiology)
World-Renowned Experts Caring for Patients of All Ages With Congenital Heart Disease
Expertise. Compassion. Research.
See what drives us at The Heart Center
The Heart Center (Cardiology)
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital has expertise, compassion and the most advanced technologies. As the leader in pediatric care, we offer cardiology services, cardiothoracic surgery, and everything else you would expect to find at a nationally-renowned heart center. Pediatric and adult patients with all forms of congenital heart disease and acquired cardiomyopathy have access to world-class diagnostic, treatment and research facilities. And all locations are staffed by pediatric experts who provide patients and their families with innovation and advancements not found elsewhere.
Whether your child is newly diagnosed, or you have been living with a congenital heart condition for many years, our pediatric experts offer specialized patient care and support for the entire family.
Nationwide Children's Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Cardiology and Heart Surgery
New Patients
Now you can schedule appointments and second opinions online with a provider, time and location that is most convenient, or call (614) 722-6200.
Existing Patients
If your child is already a patient, you can schedule Cardiology follow-up appointments right in MyChart or call (614) 722-6200.
Sign Up for MyChart
Signing up for MyChart is easy, and it's free. Use MyChart to schedule appointments, view lab results, refill prescriptions and more.
Referring Physicians
We're one team. Our physician resources make referring your patients to our experts fast, seamless and ensures the highest quality of care.
Refer a PatientCan't Find What You're Looking For?
If you are unable to schedule your next appointment through MyChart, fill out our online Request an Appointment form and a member of our scheduling team will be happy to assist you.
Pediatric and Adult Heart Care. When Everything Matters, You Seek World Class.
Expertise. Compassion. Advanced technologies. The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides pediatric and adult heart patients with outstanding diagnostic, treatment and research facilities. At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, patients and families experience innovation and advancements unlike any other institution.
Under Co-Directors Antonio Cabrera, MD, FAAP, FAHA, FACC, FHFSA, Mark Galantowicz, MD, FACS and Vidu Garg, MD, The Heart Center consolidates all cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery services into a comprehensive model for family-centered care and convenience. One, comprehensive location for care, education and research. We are prepared to treat patients from 0 to 100 years of age with experts in all areas of surgical and medical subspecialties.
Meet Our Team
Our multidisciplinary team of experts offers advanced, comprehensive pediatric and adult cardiology care.
Meet Our Co-Directors
Antonio G. Cabrera
Antonio Cabrera, MD, FAAP, FAHA, FACC, FHFSA, is the division chief of cardiology and co-director of the Heart Center. He is a professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University and currently holds the Nationwide George H. Dunlap Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology.
Mark E. Galantowicz
Mark Galantowicz, MD, is the chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and co-director of The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Dr. Galantowicz is also a professor of surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and is the recipient of the Murray D. Lincoln Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Vidu Garg
Vidu Garg, MD, is the director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research and the Nationwide Foundation endowed chair in Cardiovascular Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Molecular Genetics at The Ohio State University. He also serves as director of Translational Research and is a co-director of the Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Our Programs
Adolescent & Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program
One of the first centers to receive a five-year accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association, our program includes six ACHD board-certified cardiologists. Our team offers everything an adult congenital heart patient needs, including pregnancy planning, catheterizations and surgery.
Heart & Chest Surgery
We treat patients with congenital heart disease with the simplest to the most complex procedures. Our program and outcomes are held to the highest standards. We participate in several national databases and registries as well as advisory panels.
Interventional Cardiology
Interventional cardiology is an internationally recognized program that provides a full spectrum of diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures.
Fetal Cardiac Program
When you learn your unborn child has a heart defect, the fetal cardiac team is here to help. From education to building comprehensive treatment plans, monitoring and fetal interventions, we work together to ensure the best possible outcome for your baby.
Heart Transplant Program
Heart transplants save and change lives. The heart transplant team at Nationwide Children’s focuses on maximizing a patient’s health before, during and after transplantation. Our goal is to help our patients achieve an ideal outcome after their heart transplant.
Quality Counts: See Our Surgical Outcomes
Our program is actively involved in quality assurance and improvement on a national, state, and local level. Nationally, we participate in several databases (STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database, NACHRI, UNOS) from which we receive annual reports that are reviewed for areas of improvement. Additionally, we participate in the Optum Health’s Centers of Excellence advisory panel for congenital heart surgery where issues of value (outcomes/cost) are reviewed and incorporated into our quality improvement programs. The Cardiothoracic Surgical program is also part of a statewide database and participates on the Cardiac Standards Subcommittee of the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps.
Clinic Locations
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s offers outpatient cardiology services at its main campus, Close To Home Centers and at 15 clinics throughout the Ohio region. Each location is staffed with a renowned Heart Center physician, registered nurse, cardiology technician, pediatric cardiac sonographer, medical students, residents in training and pediatric cardiology fellows in training which allows us to extend world-class services to patients regardless of where they receive care.
Featured Locations
Our Patients: The Heart of What We Do
We realize that emotional support is every bit as important as medical treatment. That’s why we want you to meet some of our patients and their families. Like you, they are dealing with the daily challenges of living with a heart condition.
Resources for Families
Animation Library
The Heart Center has created a number of educational animations to help our patients understand their heart conditions and the procedures we perform to treat them.
Your Guide to Congenital Heart Defects
Your baby has been prenatally diagnosed with a heart condition and will require services at Nationwide Children’s. Our goal is to provide you with the information and care you need to prepare for the birth of your baby.
Your Guide to Single Ventricle Heart Defects
Your baby has been prenatally diagnosed with a single ventricle heart condition and will require services at Nationwide Children’s. Our expert team of fetal medicine specialists is here to guide and support you each step of the way.
Online Second Opinions
Our team is proud to offer online second opinions for patients everywhere. If you are currently receiving care at another institution and would like a second opinion from experts at Nationwide Children’s, please visit our Online Second Opinion Program.
Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center was designed by families and professionals to support patients and families during their time at Nationwide Children's Hospital, both inpatient and outpatient.
Sibling Support (Sibling Clubhouse)
The Children's Clubhouse is a special place for preschool and school-aged children to play and learn while their siblings are in the hospital.
Places to Eat
Your child and family deserve meals that are nutritious and appealing, and that's what we provide at Nationwide Children's Hospital. We offer several options, including hotel-style room service, a cafeteria, food court, two coffee shops and other choices.
Gift Shop
From toys and cards to make a child smile to everyday items that help a parent feel more at home, everything matters during your stay at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Within the main hospital, we have two gift shops to meet the needs of our patients, their families, friends and visitors.
Ronald McDonald House
For more than three decades, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC) has been serving families with seriously ill children by providing a home-away-from-home at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. Located across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, families can find a place to call home while their children are being treated at the hospital.
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Scratch Golf Camp
In partnership with the Congenital Heart Alliance, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Heart Center patients are eligible to attend FREE summer golf camp.
Education and Training
Are you passionate about making a difference and eager to advance your career? Here at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, our fellowship programs offer a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, advanced training and mentorship from leaders in the medical community. Our programs are designed to be comprehensive and dynamic, helping you learn how to grow, lead and excel in your field.
Inside The Heart Center
Heart Conditions We Treat
- Absent Pulmonary Valve
- Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
- Aortic Insufficiency
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortopulmonary Window
- Atrial Fibrillation / Flutter Ablation
- Atrial Septal Defect
- Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD)
- Coarctation of the Aorta
- Complex Cardiac Malformations
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Vessels
- Coronary Artery Fistula
- Cyanotic Heart Disease
- Dextrocardia
- Double Inlet Left Ventricle (DILV)
- Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV)
- D-Transposition of the Great Vessels
- Ebstein's Malformation
- Ectopic Heartbeat
- Heart Failure
- Heart Murmurs
- High Risk Pregnancy
- Hypertension
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
- Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis
- Interrupted Aortic Arch (IAA)
- Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Jeune's Syndrome
- Kawasaki Disease
- Marfan Syndrome
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
- Patent Foramen Ovale
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
- Pulmonary Atresia
- Pulmonary Atresia with Ventricular Septal Defect
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Pulmonary Stenosis
- Pulmonary Valve and Branch Stenosis
- Reproductive Health
- Sick Sinus Syndrome
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest
- Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
- Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR)
- Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA)
- Tricuspid Regurgitation
- Truncus Arteriosus
- Vascular Rings
- Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
- Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome
Check Out Our Animation Library
The Heart Center has created a number of educational animations to help our patients understand their heart conditions and the procedures we perform to treat them.
