Shaun P. Setty, M.D. Named Medical Director of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach and Long Beach Memorial

Shaun P. Setty, M.D., has been appointed medical director of pediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgery at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach and Long Beach Memorial. Dr. Setty comes to Miller Children’s from the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, where he performed a range of complex cardiac procedures. He is board certified in both surgery and thoracic surgery.

While the MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Long Beach Memorial has a long-standing reputation of quality and innovative care, adding a medical director of pediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgery is a role that allows Miller Children’s to further expand its cardiac program. Understanding that children’s hearts are unique and require special medical care, having a separate medical director to lead pediatric congenital cardiac surgery was an important and necessary decision for Miller Children’s.

Congenital heart disease is a defect or malformation of blood vessels or the heart structure that occurs before birth. Symptoms may not manifest until adulthood. Most defects in children are abnormal connections between veins, arteries and the heart, and can send blood to the wrong areas of the body and lungs. Congenital heart defects require surgery to repair the problem. Pediatric congenital heart surgeons correct these heart defects to avoid problems in the future.

“We are excited about the growth of the pediatric cardiac surgery program at Miller Children’s” says Diana Hendel, PharmD, chief executive officer, Long Beach Memorial, Community Hospital Long Beach and Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. “Daniel Bethencourt, M.D., MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute cardiac surgery medical director, has pioneered this program and with the addition of Dr. Setty, the pediatric cardiac surgery program will further advance the care of children and young adults with congenital heart disease.”

Dr. Setty will oversee all pediatric and adult congenital heart procedures, including pre-operative patient preparation and follow-up care. In addition, Dr. Setty will expand the program’s research component.

Combined with a multi-disciplinary care team at Miller Children’s, the pediatric cardiac surgery program provides excellent care from diagnosis throughout the care continuum. ”We want to establish Miller Children’s as a congenital cardiac center that provides comprehensive care to the patient, family and community,” says Dr. Setty. “The care team will include the assistance of cardiology, anesthesiology, perfusion, intensive care, nursing and ancillary staff working as a team to heal a child’s heart.”

Dr. Setty understands that taking care of a child means taking care of the family as well. He fully supports the family centered patient care initiatives at Miller Children’s. “When one person goes through an illness, the whole family goes through it, especially when that patient is a baby or child,” says Dr. Setty.

Setty, who originally hails from Santa Maria, Calif., received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He completed his general surgery internship and residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Ore. Dr. Setty spent a year at Green Lane Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, where he was a pediatric cardiac surgery registrar and research fellow. He also completed a 3-year cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn, and a congenital cardiac surgery fellowship at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Setty comes to Miller Children’s from the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, where he performed a range of complex cardiac procedures. He is board certified in both surgery and thoracic surgery.

About Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach:
Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults, with conditions ranging from common to complex - as well as maternity care for expectant mothers - all under one roof. Only five percent of all hospitals are children’s hospitals, making them unique not only to children’s health care needs in the community, but across the region. Miller Children’s is one of only eight free-standing children’s hospitals in California - treating more than 8,000 children each year - and has become a regional pediatric destination for more than 84,000 children, who need specialized care in the outpatient specialty and satellite centers. Miller Children’s is currently undertaking a major expansion project to expand the pediatric cancer center, neonatal intensive care unit and the MemorialCare Center for Women. Visit MillerChildrens.org, like us on Facebook.com/MillerChildrensHospital and follow us at tweets@millerchildrens.