Heart Center
Because Every Child Deserves Best-in-Class Care
Since 1953, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has provided leading pediatric care and healing for millions of children across South Texas. Today, the Driscoll Children’s Heart Center continues the mission of delivering cardiac services that surpass any pediatric heart program with a team of highly skilled, interdisciplinary specialists equipped with the experience, technology and compassion to care for the most complex pediatric heart conditions.
Why Choose Us
The Heart Center at Driscoll Children's Hospital provides every patient with a treatment plan designed for their unique needs, including neonatal and maternal fetal care. With a newly established Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and accessible satellite facilities—including at-home or virtual services—we promise that any child, anywhere can have access to the care they need.
Conditions We Treat
- Aortic Valve Stenosis
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation
- Atrial Septal Defect
- Atrioventricular Canal
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chest Pain
- Coarctation of Aorta
- Double-Outlet Right Ventricle
- Ebstein’s Anomaly
- Heart Murmurs
- Heart Arrhythmias
- Hypertension
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)
- Interrupted Aortic Arch
- Kawasaki Disease
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus
- Pulmonary Atresia
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Truncus Arteriosus
- Single-ventricle Heart Disease
- Syncope (passing out)
- Transposition of the Great Arteries
- Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
- Transportation of the Great Arteries
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Ventricular Septal Defect
Heart Center Specialties and Services
Advanced Cardiac Imaging
Cardiology
Cardiothoracic Surgery
CICU
Echocardiography
Electrophysiology
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Fetal Cardiology
Interstage Home Monitoring
Interventional Cardiology
Meet the Heart Center Team
Jessica L. Aber, CPNP-AC
CPNP-AC
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Brenda R. Buckner, APRN, CPNP-AC
APRN, CPNP-AC
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Constantinos Chrysostomou, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Ernesto Fernandez, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Celeste I. Garcia, CPNP-AC
CPNP-AC
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Daniel J. Gebhard, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Monica Guerra, APRN, CPNP-AC
APRN, CPNP-AC
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Mandi J. Hopkins, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Scott M. Leopold, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
John K. Maher, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Tanya Morris, APRN
APRN
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Jose L. Olarte-Motta, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Patricia Pena-Jimenez, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Shekhar S. Raj, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Thelma I. Reyes-McChesney, APRN, CPNP-AC
APRN, CPNP-AC
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Ramon J. Rivera, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Kevin P. Schooler, MD
MD
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Heart Center
Miracle Stories
Together, Against All Odds
Our experts put their passion to work every day, helping kids defy incredible odds on their health journeys here at Driscoll.
Read More Miracle Stories
A Forever Family
In the Driscoll PICU, baby Allie found the attention and care she needed to thrive—and the people who would become her parents.
Every Step of the Way
For 18 years, Driscoll’s care helped Elisabeth continuously reach unexpected milestones—including graduation.
Getting Back on Track
Preston suffered a life-threatening brain injury at 23 months. But with Driscoll—nothing would stand between him and recovery.
An Unstoppable Drive
At 6 months old, John J. started seeing specialists at Driscoll—sharing his big personality and achieving even bigger goals.