Matthew J. O'Connor, MD Matthew J. O'Connor, MD, is a board-certified attending cardiologist in the Cardiac Center and Medical Director of the Heart Failure and Transplant Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Locations: Main Campus; Specialty Care, Lancaster; CHOP at Lancaster General Health Patient Ratings: ★★★★★ ★★★★★ | Phone: 215-590-4040 Background As a board-certified attending cardiologist and Medical Director of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Heart Failure and Transplant Program, Matthew J. O'Connor, MD, sees firsthand the effect heart failure has on patients and their families. “The impact is significant,” he says, “and so too is the potential to make lasting improvements on our patients’ quality of life. I treat patients of all ages and strive to provide the highest possible level of care to them and their families through compassion, attention to detail, and thorough knowledge of all available treatment options.” Dr. O’Connor is focused on the immunological aspects of heart transplantation in children, specifically the impact of anti-HLA antibodies. Anti-HLA antibodies are a major source of rejection following heart transplantation. Although these antibodies are absent in many patients, their presence can complicate or even prevent a transplant from happening; therefore, reducing or eliminating them before transplant is very important in order for the patient to receive a heart that is compatible with his or her immune system. He is also involved in the ACTION network, a nationwide collaboration of centers who use ventricular assist devices (VAD) in children with heart failure. A VAD is a mechanical pump a cardiac surgeon can place in a patient’s heart to increase the amount of blood that flows through the body. According to Dr. O’Connor, “There has been rapid development in this area, which is giving many children with heart failure a greater opportunity for survival and an improved quality of life.” Education and Training Medical SchoolMD - University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA InternshipPediatrics - University of Virginia Health System, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA ResidencyPediatrics - University of Virginia Health System, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA FellowshipPediatric Cardiology - The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Non-invasive Cardiac Imaging - The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Board CertificationPediatric CardiologyPediatrics Titles and Academic Titles Attending CardiologistMedical Director, Heart Failure and Transplant Program Departments and Services Cardiac Center Heart Failure and Transplant Program Familial Cardiomyopathy ProgramHeart/Lung Transplant ProgramPediatric Transplant CenterNeuromuscular Program Patient Experience Ratings About the Patient Experience Rating System The Patient Experience Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown above from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score. We are committed to true transparency. However, to ensure the comments are fair and correctly attributed, we review each one before posting to the website. We exclude entire comments that disclose patient's protected health information, are off-topic, or include other confidential or inappropriate content. Comments will appear on provider bios only if providers have a minimum number of comments. Comments are shared internally for education purposes to ensure that we are doing our very best for the patients and families for whom we are privileged to care. The comments are submitted by patients and families and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not reflect the views of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.