Achieving excellence in adult congenital heart care
As a very successful year, 2024 marked a significant milestone for medical director, Dr. Andrew Leventhal and his team at the UK HealthCare Adult Congenital Heart Program. In Decemer, the program achieved accreditation ad an Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) Center of Excellence, an outward sign of the team’s exceptional care and attention to quality and culmination of a very successful year.
“The accreditation process took several years to ensure all of the pieces of the puzzle were in place, and now we have established a program that we are very proud of – one that will benefit every single one of our patients,” said Jessica Turner, BSN, RN, Adult Congenital Heart program coordinator. “We are excited to continue to develop this program, which serves a unique patient population, while continuing to offer excellent cardiovascular care to these patients.”
Recognition as an ACHA Center of Excellence is acknowledgement that the program meets rigorous national standards to provide comprehensive, evidence-based, high-quality care for patients in Kentucky and beyond.
“The most special thing about this is that we can provide our patients an additional layer of comfort and assurance that we have everything they need to receive world-class care,” said Dr. Leventhal. “From the latest technology to multidisciplinary, collaborative care – including greatly expanded access to psychiatric care – our patients have everything they need, both right here in Lexington and at our outreach clinics throughout the region.”
Innovative technology
Part of the world-class care provided by the Adult Congenital Heart Program is a commitment to technology. The program offers all four transcatheter pulmonary valves approved by the FDA. These involve using complex three-dimensional CT scanning techniques to select valves that fit a patient’s particular anatomy.
“These valves have completely revolutionized the way that we treat patients,” said Dr. Leventhal. “These patients used to have multiple open heart surgeries during their lifetimes, but thanks to this technology, there is
generally only one surgery early in life, and then we can make minimally invasive replacements with these transcatheter valves.”
Expanding provider reach
Adding another specialized ACHD provider has also increased capacity and knowledge within the program. Dr. Ashley
Brunmeier, who joined the program in 2024, brings additional expertise and advanced training in cardiac imaging, including cardiac CT and MRI scans.
“I am very excited to be a part of this ACHD program that provides excellent holistic care to each patient,” says Dr. Brunmeier. “We have the much-needed support of our leadership, and our entire team remains focused on being the best we can be.”
Dr. Brunmeier’s additional interest in cardio-obstetrics not only provides a vital service to adult congenital heart patients interested in starting a family, but it also expands the program’s collaboration and reach within UK HealthCare.
“A lot of women want children, and that includes women who do not have the healthiest hearts,” says Dr. Brunmeier. “Women with ACHD have greater pregnancy risks, and I take keeping them as healthy as possible very seriously – we work closely with maternal fetal medicine (MFM) to keep both the mom and the baby as healthy as we can.”
