Cardio-Oncology Care at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
Children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment – and even those in remission – are susceptible to premature cardiovascular disease. Specialized Le Bonheur pediatric cardiologists in our cardio-oncology program are specially trained to care for children with chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy and/or heart failure.
Le Bonheur's Heart Institute is designated a gold level Center of Excellence by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (ICOS). ICOS Centers of Excellence are programs that supply an exceptionally high concentration of expertise and related resources, delivering care in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary fashion to afford the best patient outcomes possible.
Our cardiologists provide heart care to inpatients and clinic patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and to children who are in remission but still suffer long-term effects of chemotherapy.
Children with cancer now have a more than 85% five-year survival rate, but a growing number of survivors suffer from premature cardiovascular disease. Our cardiologists are on the forefront of caring for cancer patients and publishing new research on cancer-related therapies, including cardiovascular illness.
Patients have access to:
- A world-class team of cardiologists, trained to care for children with heart failure – particularly chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy
- Access to cutting-edge imaging, including cardiac MRI, advanced echocardiography – and an expert team of cardiologists to interpret the studies.
- A world-class team of oncologists and specialists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Meet Our Cardio-Oncology Team
Dr. Towbin serves as executive co-director of Le Bonheur’s Heart Institute, chief of Pediatric Cardiology for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr Towbin is also medical director of cardiomyopathy, heart failure, mechanical circulatory support (ventricular assist devices [VADs]), cardio-oncology, cardio-hematology and heart transplant at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Dr. Towbin specializes in diagnostic and therapeutic advances for cardiomyopathies (heart muscle disease), heart failure, heart transplantation and cardiovascular genetics. His research work and clinical expertise in pediatric heart failure, which has generated over 580 published manuscripts, is internationally known, and he is widely considered a leader in pediatric cardiology specifically in the area of cardiomyopathy care for children. Dr. Towbin is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty.
Dr. Ryan is a specially-trained pediatric cardiologist with advanced training in cardiomyopathy, heart failure and heart transplant care. She completed her fellowship training in Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Heart Institute. She is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty.
Dr. Martinez is a specially-trained cardiologist in the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and an associate professor in Pediatric Cardiology and Genetics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Martinez completed his Pediatric Cardiology fellowship at Riley Children's Hospital at Indiana University and received advanced specialty training in cardiomyopathy, heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He is currently the medical director of the Cardiovascular Genetics service in Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Heart Institute and serves as a consulting cardio-oncologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, participating in the development of clinical preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for children and adult patients with cancer who become susceptible to cardiovascular disease. His areas of focus include pediatric transplant cardiology, cardiomyopathies, heart failure, cardio-genetics and cardio-oncology.
Dr. Absi is a dual-specialty trained pediatric cardiologist and cardiac intensive care physician who trained at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. More recently, he received expert training in cardiomyopathy and mechanical circulation support (ventricular assist devices; VADs) at Texas Children's Hospital. Dr. Absi is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Absi is medical director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, which includes ventricular assist devices (VADs), at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
Clinic Coordinator
Jeri Thomas, RN
