Adult Congenital Heart Program

Director's Description

The ACHD Program at CCMC has some unique features that encompass the wide spectrum of issues that our patients face. Our 2 Board Certified (ABIM) physicians specializing in the care of ACHD patients includes Richard A. Friedman,
M.D., MBA and Justin Georgekutty, M.D. Dr. Friedman, the Director of the program trained at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine in Houston where he practiced from 1980-2011. As a Pediatric Cardiac
Electrophysiologist, he helped pioneer many of the procedures performed on patients with CHD focusing on both radiofrequency and cryoablation of complex arrhythmias, insertion and management of pacemakers and defibrillators
and was the initial physician in the Houston area performing pacemaker and defibrillator lead extraction for complications occurring as a result of these devices. As an electrophysiologist, he continued to follow the population of ACHD patients with complex arrhythmias entering into adulthood for more than 20 years. He also co-founded the ACHD program at Texas Children’s/Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Georgekutty, who joined the program in 2017 did his ACHD training over the prescribed 2 year period of time at that program. Besides being board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology, he is Board Certified in Internal Medicine by the ABIM. The core of the program is rounded out by Lisa Gilmore, N.P. who has had more than 30 years experience caring for all ages of patients with congenital heart disease with extensive experience in the Intensive Care Unit as well as in Heart Failure and Transplantation.

Finally, we are able to take advantage of all of the congenital heart specialization areas in interventional catheterization, electrophysiology and advance imaging techniques that greatly assist our surgeons in planning and executing surgery
on our patients when needed. One of the most important multidisciplinary activities is between MFM (maternal-fetalmedicine) physicians, anesthesiologists and our cardiologists in optimizing pre-natal as well as delivery and post natal
care of our pregnant patients. Our neonatologists are also involved so as to provide expert care for both mother and child at this critical time in their lives. We work closely with our adult colleagues in pulmonary/sleep medicine, lipid
disorders, psychiatry and other areas where comorbidities exist. We also work closely with our pulmonary hypertension specialists with co-management of their pulmonary-cardiac issues throughout their lives. Our Social Workers and
Financial counselors assist our families in obtaining the services needed to allow continued medical care at the highest levels.