Joseph Rossano, MD, MS, FAAP, FACC

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Joseph Rossano, MD, MS, FAAP, FACC, is a pediatric cardiologist, Co-Director of the Cardiac Center and Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He holds the Jennifer Terker Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology.

Locations: Main Campus

Phone: 215-590-4040

Background

Joseph Rossano, MD, loves rising to meet a challenge, and he is dedicated to helping children — that’s why he went into pediatric cardiology.

“Cardiovascular disorders in children can be among the most complex and challenging to treat, and I went into the field to be able to help these children survive and thrive,” Dr. Rossano says.

Dr. Rossano is Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is also an Attending Physician in the Cardiac Center and the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

“As a clinician, I mostly treat patients with cardiomyopathies (heart muscle diseases), patients who develop advanced heart failure and those who need a heart transplantation,” Dr. Rossano says. “These are complex disorders, and working with our outstanding team here at CHOP and our incredible families is tremendously rewarding.”

A graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Dr. Rossano won several awards for academic achievement during medical school. He completed his internship and residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital (formerly Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center), followed by three fellowships at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. He was trained in pediatric cardiology, heart failure transplantation, and cardiac intensive care.

Dr. Rossano came to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2011 to help manage the Hospital’s busy heart failure, transplant and cardiac mechanical support programs; train residents and fellows; and conduct research on the epidemiology and outcomes of heart disease in children.

Dr. Rossano is principal investigator or co-investigator on several ongoing research studies. This research includes investigating the use of ventricular assist devices and artificial hearts in children, studying the effectiveness of post-transplant treatments for children who have received heart transplants, an observational study of children with heart failure, and building a registry of pediatric heart transplant patients that aims to further the knowledge of pediatric heart disease and transplantation.

“Our group has an active research program ranging from understanding the fundamental nature of diseases to testing new therapies to evaluating drivers of outcomes and costs,” Dr. Rossano says.

Dr. Rossano has made dozens of presentations at meetings around the world and published over 150 manuscripts in journals such as Circulation, The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Spreading the word about new advances and techniques is part of Dr. Rossano’s commitment  to improving outcomes for children with heart disease everywhere. A frequent guest lecturer, he has spoken at children’s hospitals and medical schools across the country on topics ranging from advances in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to postoperative care of patients with ventricular assist devices to heart failure in infants.

As for families whose children are treated at CHOP, Dr. Rossano’s message is this: “We have a large, diverse, and dedicated team that is focused on achieving the best possible outcome for your child.”

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ

Internship

Pediatrics - University of Washington, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA

Residency

Pediatrics - University of Washington, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA

Fellowship

Pediatric Cardiology - Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
Advanced Heart Failure/Cardiac Intensive Care - Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
Heart Transplant - Baylor College of Medicine

Additional Training


Board Certification

General Pediatrics
Pediatric Cardiology

Undergraduate Degree


Graduate Degree

MS in Clinical Research - Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Titles and Academic Titles

Chief, Division of Cardiology

Attending Cardiologist, Cardiac Center and the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)

Co-Director of the Cardiac Center

Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Research Interests


Publications

Papers

2012

Rodriguez FH 3rd, Moodie DS, Parekh DR, Franklin WJ, Morales DL, Zafar F, et al. Outcomes of heart failure-related hospitalization with congenital heart disease in the United States. Congenit Heart Dis. Epub 2012 Nov 16. doi: 10.1111/chd.12019. Cited in PubMed; PMID 23164196.

Knudson JD, Neish SR, Cabrera AG, Lowry AW, Shamszad P, Morales DL, et al. Prevalence and outcomes of pediatric in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the United States: an analysis of the Kids' Inpatient Database*. Crit Care Med. 2012 Nov;40(11):2940-4. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31825feb3f. Cited in PubMed; PMID 22932398.

Moffett BS, Rossano JW. Use of 4-mg/kg/24-hour empiric aminoglycoside dosing in preoperative neonates with congenital heart disease. Ann Pharmacother. 2012 Sep;46(9):1193-7. doi: 10.1345/aph.1Q792. Epub 2012 Aug 21. Cited in PubMed; PMID 22911340.

Shamszad P, Cabrera AG, Kim JJ, Moffett BS, Graves DE, Heinle JS, et al. Perioperative atrial tachycardia is associated with increased mortality in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2012 Aug;144(2):396-401. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2012.01.026. Epub 2012 Feb 4. Cited in PubMed; PMID 22306216.

Rossano JW, Kim JJ, Decker JA, Price JF, Zafar F, Graves DE, et al. Prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of heart failure-related hospitalizations in children in the United States: a population-based study. J Card Fail. 2012 Jun;18(6):459-70. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2012.03.001. Epub 2012 Apr 10. Cited in PubMed; PMID 2633303.

Law SP, Kim JJ, Decker JA, Price JF, Cabrera AG, Graves DE, et al. Hospital charges for pediatric heart transplant hospitalizations in the United States from 1997 to 2006. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2012 May;31(5):485-91. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2011.12.008. Epub 2012 Feb 4. Cited in PubMed; PMID 22306440.

Rossano JW, Mott AR. Does paracetamol prevent apnoea in infants? The current dilemma of evaluation of therapies in the absence of randomized controlled trials. Resuscitation. 2012 Apr;83(4):407-8. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2012.02.001. Cited in PubMed; PMID 22414346. No abstract available.

Maskatia SA, Decker JA, Spinner JA, Kim JJ, Price JF, Jefferies JL,et al. Restrictive physiology is associated with poor outcomes in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Restrictive physiology is associated with poor outcomes in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Pediatr Cardiol. 2012 Jan;33(1):141-9. doi: 10.1007/s00246-011-0106-6. Epub 2011 Sep 4. Cited in PubMed; PMID 21892651. Cited in PubMed; PMID 21892651.

2011

Moffett BS, McDade E, Rossano JW, Dickerson HA, Nelson DP. Enteral potassium supplementation in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit: evaluation of a practice change. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2011 Sep;12(5):552-4. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0b013e3182076ab4. Cited in PubMed; 21297518.

Rodriguez FH 3rd, Moodie DS, Parekh DR, Franklin WJ, Morales DL, Zafar F, et al. Outcomes of hospitalization in adults in the United States with atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and atrioventricular septal defect. Am J Cardiol. 2011 Jul 15;108(2):290-3. Epub 2011 May 3. Cited in PubMed; PMID 21545985.

Wilmot I, Morales DL, Price JF, Rossano JW, Kim JJ, Decker JA, et al. Effectiveness of mechanical circulatory support in children with acute fulminant and persistent myocarditis. J Card Fail. 2011 Jun;17(6):487-94. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2011.02.008. Epub 2011 Apr 22. Cited in PubMed; PMID 21624737.

Zafar F, Heinle JS, Schecter MG, Rossano JW, Mallory GB Jr., Elidemir O, et al. Two decades of pediatric lung transplantation in the United States: have we improved? J of Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2011 Mar;141(3):828-32.e.1. Epub 2011 Jan 20. Cited in PubMed: PMID 21255797.

Scully BB, Zafar F, Schecter MG, Rossano JW, Mallory GB Jr, Heinle JS, et al. Lung retransplantation in children: appropriate when selectively applied. Ann Thorac Surg. 2011 Feb;91(2):574-9. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2010.09.011. Cited in PubMed; PMID 21256317.

2010

Shah AM, Jefferies JL, Rossano JW, Decker JA, Cannon BC, Kim JJ. Electrocardiographic abnormalities and arrhythmias are strongly associated with the development of cardiomyopathy in muscular dystrophy. Heart Rhythm. 2010 Oct 7(10):1484-8 Epub 2010 Jun 18. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20601155.

Rossano JW, Morales DL, Zafar F, Denfield SW, Kim JJ, Jefferies JL, et al. Impact of antibodies against human leukocyte antigens on long-term outcome in pediatric heart transplant patients: an analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010 Sep; 140(3):694-9, 699.e1-2. Epub 2010 May 27. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20537356.

Moulik M, Breinholt JP, Dreyer WJ, Kearney DL, Price JF, Clunie SK, et al. Viral endomyocardial infection is an independent predictor and potentially treatable risk factor for graft loss and coronary vasculopathy in pediatric cardiac transplant recipients. J Am Coll Cardiology. 2010 Aug 10;58(7):582-92. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20688214.

Breinholt JP, Moulik M, Dreyer WJ, Denfield SW, Kim JJ, Jefferies JL, et al. Viral epidemiologic shift in inflammatory heart disease: the increasing involvement of parvovirus B19 in the myocardium of pediatric cardiac transplant patients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010 Jul;29(7):739-46. Epub 2010 Apr 24. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20456978.

Salazar JD, Zafar F, Siddiqui K, Coleman RD, Morales DL, Heinle JS, et al. Fenestration during Fontan palliation: now the exception instead of the rule. J Thoracic Cardiovasc Surg. 2010 Jul;140(1):129-36. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20620378.

Rossano JW, Denfield SW, Kim JJ, Price JF, Jefferies JL, Decker JA, et al. B-type natriuretic peptide levels late after transplant predict graft survival in pediatric heart transplant patients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010 Mar;29(3):385-6. Epub 2009 Sept 26. Cited in PubMed: PMID 19782608.

Jefferies JL, Taylor MD, Rossano J, Belmont JW, Craigen WJ. Novel cardiac findings in periventricular nodular heterotopia. Am J Med Genet A. 2010 Jan;152A(1):165-8. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20014127.

Books

Chapters

2013

Rossano JW, Naim M, Nadkarni V, Berg RA. Epidemiology of pediatric cardiac arrest. In: da Cruz EM, Ivy DD, Hraska V, Jagger J eds. Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, and Intensive Care. New York, NY: Springer; 2013.

Naim M, Rossano JW, Nadkarni VM, Berg RA. Current CPR recommendations. In: da Cruz EM, Ivy DD, Hraska V, Jagger J eds. Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, and Intensive Care. New York, NY: Springer; 2012.

Rossano JW, Morales DLS, Fraser CD. Heart transplantation. In: Mavroudis C, Backer CL, editors. Pediatric Cardiac Surgery. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby; 2013.

2008

Rossano JW, Price JF, Nelson DP. Treatment of heart failure in infants and children: medical management. In: Nichols DG, ed. Rogers’ Textbook of Pediatric Intensive Care. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:1093-1110.

Kim JJ, Rossano JW, Nelson DP, Price JF, Dreyer WJ. Heart failure in infants and children: etiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of heart failure. In: Nichols DG, ed. Rogers’ Textbook of Pediatric Intensive Care. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:1064-1074.

Posters and Presentations

2019

Rossano J. "State-of-the-art treatment for advanced heart failure in pediatric cardiovascular conditions." Presented at the 6th Krakow Educational Workshop on Congenital Heart Disease in Poland, May 31-June 1, 2019.

Rossano J. "Evaluation and treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy." Presented at the 6th Krakow Educational Workshop on Congenital Heart Disease in Poland, May 31-June 1, 2019.

Rossano J. "Heart transplantation: Are we getting any better?" Presented at the 6th Krakow Educational Workshop on Congenital Heart Disease in Poland, May 31-June 1, 2019.

Awards and Honors


Editorial and Academic Positions

Editorial positions

2010 - present, Editorial Advisory Board, Congenital Heart Disease: Clinical Studies from Fetus to Adulthood

2010, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Pediatric Transplantation

2009 - present, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Congenital Heart Disease

Invited reviewer

Resuscitation
Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Pediatrics
Congenital Heart Disease
Pediatric Transplantation
International Journal of Artificial Organs
Clinical Transplantation,
American Journal of Cardiology
Journal of Cardiac Failure

Academic and institutional committees

October 2012 - present , NIH, Hospital, and Industry Sponsored Registry for Ventricular Assist Devices

  • Chair, Pedimacs Hospital Standards Committee

September 2012, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Congenital Heart Disease Experts Meeting

  • Expert Panel, Setting Priorities in Congenital Heart Disease Research

July 2012 - present, National Institutes of Health – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Pediatric Heart Network

  • Ancillary and Pilot Studies Committee

2009 - present, American Red Cross Advisory Council on First Aid, Aquatics, Safety, and Preparedness

2009 - present, American Red Cross Advisory Sub-council on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Leadership and Memberships