University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Our Program

Children's Nebraska

The Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Heart Center at Children’s Nebraska provides comprehensive cardiac care to patients across a five-state region and beyond. From the Fetal Heart to Adult Congenital Heart Disease programs, Children’s provides care for even the most complex cases of congenital heart disease at every stage of life. Children’s is a free-standing pediatric hospital and medical center with a unique academic partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, enabling Children’s providers to educate and train the next generation of pediatric specialists.

Children’s is home to an acuity-adaptable Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), a dedicated floor serving the full spectrum of cardiac patients. Rooms can accommodate both intensive care and step-down patients, reducing the need for transfers. The CCU is equipped with advanced life support therapies, including ventricular assist devices (VADs) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The entire Criss Heart Center team, including cardiac anesthesiologists, collaborates to provide exceptional, comprehensive care to patients in the CCU.

Children’s also houses innovative cardiac catheterization suites that can double as full-service operating rooms when hybrid procedures or surgery are needed. The suites feature the ARTIS pheno, a robotic C-arm angiography system. Children’s was the first hospital to adopt ARTIS pheno in a pediatric setting.

In the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology Fellowship program, you’ll gain exposure to the full spectrum of cardiac surgical and interventional procedures. With limited competition for cases from other trainees, we’re confident you’ll graduate with case volumes that exceed ACGME requirements. You’ll also be guided by mentors who thoughtfully and progressively prepare you for independent practice. Through a series of problem-based modules grounded in adult learning theory, faculty, fellows and CRNAs cover the full scope of cardiac anesthesia in a collegial, collaborative environment.

Duration

We currently offer a hybrid one-year program, with three months spent as an attending in general pediatric anesthesiology, followed by eight months of formal training experience in cardiac anesthesia. The curriculum and focus are largely adaptable to the fellow’s goals and interests.