New Orleans-based Ochsner Children’s is expanding its pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program with the addition of 11 physicians across cardiac surgery, cardiology, critical care and anesthesia.
The hires include pediatric cardiac surgeons Dilip Nath, MD, who is slated to begin in July, and Thaniyyah Ahmad, MD, who will join in September. The program is also adding pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists Karen Thompson, MD, and Martina Barbic, MD, who will join in September. Mark Clay, MD, will serve as medical director of the pediatric cardiac ICU beginning in July, alongside Asha Nair, MD, according to a June 18 news release.
Ochsner Children’s also added pediatric cardiologists Mary Mehta, MD, Adeola Awujoola, MD, Jesus Jaile, MD, Ketaki Mukhopadhyay, MD, and Theresa Roca, MD. The physicians will expand services including interventional cardiology, fetal cardiology and community-based care across regions in Louisiana such as Baton Rouge, Monroe, Lafayette, as well as the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The pediatric heart program now includes more than 20 pediatric heart physicians, 38 specialized nurses and 13 advanced practice providers. The expansion comes as Ochsner Health continues construction of The Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital, a five-story, 343,000-square-foot facility on the campus of Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. The hospital is expected to open in early 2028 and support growth in specialized pediatric services, including heart care, according to the release.
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