Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute Expands Collaboration Network

The Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute continues to expand its array of collaboration partners with the addition of MultiCare’s Mary Bridge Children’s in Tacoma, Wash. 

In addition to Mary Bridge Children’s, collaborations with Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute include Golisano Children’s at UK in Lexington, Ky.; Akron Children’s in Ohio; and Peyton Manning Children’s in Indianapolis.

The Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute works with U.S.-based and overseas health systems to offer resources, expertise and shared clinical decision-making for patients with complex and challenging heart conditions.

“We provide consultative support and collaboration through joint case reviews that include surgeons, cardiologists and other specialists as well as integrated care management and surgical planning,” said David Morales, M.D., executive co-director of the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute and director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in a statement. “Our focus is on shared decision making and partnering on best practices with a particular emphasis on quality improvement initiatives.”

Mary Bridge Children’s Heart Center said it would recruit top-tier talent and work with Cincinnati Children’s to optimize medical education, training, and quality improvement programs to ensure seamless care delivery for pediatric heart patients in the Pacific Northwest. 

This announcement coincides with Mary Bridge Children’s opening its new, free-standing children’s hospital this spring. One of the first steps in launching the heart center in 2025 was to hire an experienced clinical leader, Jorge Salazar, M.D., who hails from the Pacific Northwest.

“Cincinnati Children’s has consistently been recognized as an international center of excellence for safety, quality and patient outcomes,” said Salazar, executive medical director and chief cardiac surgeon at Mary Bridge Children’s Heart Center, in a statement. “Our mission is to offer hope to families and help patients live their best and fullest lives by prioritizing safety, providing exceptional care, and working alongside other experts in the field. It is truly an honor to do this in collaboration with the team at Cincinnati Children’s.”