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DeVos Children's Hospital Adds Nationally Recognized Cardiac Specialists to Offer Services Never Before Available in West Michigan

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 12:00 CST

Ronald Grifka, M.D., Arnold Fenrich, M.D., Join Neal Hillman, M.D., Giving Area Families More Local Options for Advanced Cardiac Care

DeVos Children's Hospital today announced a major expansion of its pediatric cardiac program with the additions of Ronald Grifka, M.D. and Arnold Fenrich, M.D. to its medical staff. Doctors Grifka and Fenrich will join Dr. Neal Hillman, pediatric cardiac surgeon currently on staff at DeVos Children's Hospital, to continue building one of the Midwest's strongest pediatric cardiac teams.

Dr. Grifka and Dr. Fenrich come to Grand Rapids from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston - a leading children's hospital in the United States. They are expected to begin caring for patients at DeVos Children's Hospital in early 2006.

Both have outstanding national reputations as pioneers in their respective specialties, with extensive experience in pediatric cardiac care, related clinical research and advanced clinical instruction. Combined, they have authored more than 100 published articles on pediatric cardiac care during their careers.

A Detroit native, Dr. Grifka specializes in pediatric interventional cardiology and possesses a high degree of expertise in therapeutic catheterization - the insertion of thin tubes (catheters) into the heart to treat a variety of conditions. He serves on a wide range of professional boards and associations, is a highly regarded speaker and a reviewer for professional journals including Circulation and American College of Cardiology among others. He is a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Fenrich, who grew up in the Kalamazoo area, specializes in pediatric electrophysiology - the treatment of conditions involving the heart's electrical system, such as an arrhythmia. He serves on a wide range of professional boards and associations, regularly presents on children's cardiac care techniques and is a highly regarded expert in the use of pediatric pacemakers, implanted defibrillators and treatment of arrhythmias including performing catheter ablations. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Hillman, a highly respected pediatric cardiac surgeon, came to Grand Rapids in early 2005 after serving at Northwestern University Hospital and Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and then Primary Children's Hospital at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Since 1993, more than 1,600 pediatric cardiac surgeries have been performed at DeVos Children's Hospital for patients from this region and 18 foreign countries.

"It's very exciting for us to have a program operated by some of the leading national names in pediatric cardiac care. Families will benefit from their expertise and from an expanded range of inpatient procedures that will eliminate the need to travel out of the area for these enhanced services," said Robert Connors, M.D., president of DeVos Children's Hospital. "The addition of Dr. Hillman, Dr. Grifka and Dr. Fenrich represents a significant opportunity to build on a legacy of excellence for our patients. DeVos Children's Hospital has been providing outstanding cardiac care for more than 12 years thanks to the efforts of physicians such as Dr. Rodolfo Neirotti, Western Michigan Pediatric Cardiology Associates and many others."

Children undergoing cardiac surgery at DeVos Children's Hospital are often able to return home just two or three days after their procedure. In addition, most are admitted to the hospital the morning of the procedure. As a result, patients at DeVos Children's Hospital are able to spend more time at home with family, and less time in the hospital or traveling for care.

In October, design plans were unveiled for the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital at the corner of Michigan and Bostwick streets in Grand Rapids. The 12-story, 414,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2010. Included in the new design are dedicated operating rooms and surgical support space for families as well as the hospital's first dedicated pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratories.

DeVos Children's Hospital cares for more than 7,000 children as inpatients each year, and on average has a larger daily census than most children's hospitals in the nation. It also cares for nearly 1,200 babies in one of the nation's largest neonatal centers. The pediatric team includes more than 100 specialists uniquely skilled in providing medical care to children, in over 40 outpatient clinical settings. DeVos Children's Hospital is committed to caring for children and families with compassion, excellence and innovation.

DeVos Children's Hospital is a member of Spectrum Health, a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through its seven hospitals, more than 140 service sites and 450,000-member health plan, Priority Health. Spectrum Health's 13,000 employees, 1,400 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care to those in medical need. Spectrum Health provided $88 million in community benefit during its 2005 fiscal year. The organization has earned numerous national awards including being ranked in Verispan's listing of top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks. For more information, visit spectrum-health.org.

Source: Business Wire

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