Pediatric Cardiology Clinic and Regional Outreach Program

The Pediatric Cardiology and Regional Outreach Program is your child’s first step toward their healthiest heart possible. We’re usually a family's first visit at the Heart Institute after they’ve received a referral from their primary care doctor. Here, one of our pediatric cardiologists meets with your child and family to assess their heart.

Our cardiologists are experts in diagnosing and treating congenital heart disease and other childhood heart conditions. We'll recommend a care plan for your child and coordinate with other specialists from the Heart Institute to provide the best heart care.

Who we treat at the Pediatric Cardiology and Regional Outreach Program

We care for any child of any age with a known or potential heart condition. Our cardiology clinics are often where we confirm a diagnosis and tell you about your care options based on your child’s unique heart condition. Our experts can also confirm if your child does not have a heart problem after all.

When should a child see a cardiologist?

Our cardiologists see patients for all different reasons, from simple chest pain to known or suspected complex heart conditions. Your child’s pediatrician may refer you to one of our heart specialists for a variety of reasons, including signs or symptoms that include:

• Chest pain
• Trouble catching their breath
• Constant fatigue
• Dizziness or fainting
• An irregular heartbeat

Your child’s primary care provider may also refer your child if they identified a heart condition before or shortly after birth. Our pediatric cardiologists have advanced cardiac imaging tests and vast experience identifying cardiac issues. A visit with a pediatric cardiologist can also provide peace of mind — in some cases, we may find that your child’s heart is healthy and doesn’t need further treatment.

Why choose us for pediatric cardiology care

The best heart care can’t happen without an accurate and complete diagnosis — and that’s what we provide. With the most advanced cardiology testing technology and decades of experience, our pediatric heart experts make sure your child gets the best start to their care.

We also understand that a heart condition diagnosis can be hard for kids and families. We provide compassionate, expert care in a child-friendly environment and know how to make your child feel safe and comfortable. Everything from our spaces to our equipment is designed just for kids.

You’ll have the support and expertise of a top ranked children’s heart center in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. With outstanding outcomes and more than 25,000 clinic visits each year, we’re simply the best heart center in the region for your child.

What to expect at your child’s first pediatric cardiology appointment

Our coordinators will greet your family, check you in and direct you to one of our specially trained medical assistants. Our specialists will weigh and measure your child and then escort you to an exam room to take their blood pressure, temperature and heart rate.

During your child’s first visit, our cardiologists will decide if they need diagnostic testing. Our staff can perform tests such as an electrocardiogram (EKG) and an echocardiogram (often referred to as an “echo”) to help us learn more about their condition. These tests are not invasive or painful and are performed in a safe environment. Our imaging technicians are trained to work with kids and make them feel comfortable throughout the process.

Sometimes we know if your child needs testing based on the referral from their doctor or other medical signs we find in their medical history. Getting appropriate testing first can make your visit more efficient and get the answers your child’s doctor needs right away. If we find your child needs treatment from our experts, we will discuss the next steps with you and your family and develop a heart care plan for your child.

How long will my pediatric cardiology appointment take?

You should plan for up to three hours for your child’s first visit. We know this is a long appointment, but we make sure to complete the tests, make a diagnosis and discuss our care plan with you all on the same day. This helps save time and reduce stress for you and your child. Occasionally, children will need to come back for further testing.

What to expect after your pediatric cardiology appointment

Your family’s next step will vary based on your child’s heart condition. We usually perform more specific tests or refer you to a specialist. In addition to the routine pediatric EKG and echocardiogram, we can perform other heart tests when needed. These tests can include exercise testing, 6-minute walking tests, Holter monitoring, cardiac event recordings, specialty echocardiograms or cardiac MRIs. We’ll only perform these tests when necessary and we’ll explain each test to you and your child beforehand.

Once we learn more about your child’s condition, we may refer them to one of our subspecialty pediatric cardiology clinics or programs so they can receive even more specialized care based on their diagnosis. We have clinics that focus on a range of conditions including arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, single ventricle heart disease and pulmonary hypertension.

Scheduling your first pediatric cardiology visit

To set up your child’s initial pediatric cardiology appointment, you can call us at 720-777-6355. Your child’s primary care doctor can also make a referral to the Heart Institute, and our schedulers will contact you directly. If our schedulers contact you, they will ask for your child’s information including name, age, address, symptoms or clinical diagnosis, and insurance information. Our financial counselors can help you through the process of applying for healthcare coverage if you don’t have insurance.

Heart care close to home

Based on where you live and what services your child will need, we’ll schedule your appointment as soon as we can at one of several cardiology locations in the Denver Metro area, Colorado Springs, or in one of our regional outreach clinics.

If you don’t live in the Denver Metro area, know that we staff our regional outreach clinics with the same dedicated pediatric cardiologists who work at Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora. You’ll receive the best possible care no matter which location you visit.

Regional cardiology outreach clinics

As part of our Pediatric Cardiology and Regional Outreach Program, we offer regional clinics. We have more than 20 clinics across Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The frequency of these clinics ranges from two times per month to once every four months, depending on the needs of the local community. In these regional clinics, we also perform EKG tests and echocardiograms, as is done in our Denver Metro facilities.

Our regional outreach clinics are made possible by a wonderful partnership between Children's Colorado's Heart Institute doctors and technicians, local primary care doctors, and of course, families. These clinics provide testing and cardiac expertise so we can understand your child’s heart condition and determine if they need further care. We sometimes refer children to Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora or South Campus, Highlands Ranch, for further testing, but oftentimes children can remain in their local communities and receive the same expert care we provide at our Denver Metro locations.

Please call your local clinic to schedule an appointment.

Find an outreach clinic near you:

1. Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Montana
2. Western slope
3. Southern Colorado