Children’s Hospital Los Angeles taps interventional cardiologist Frank Ing, MD, to co-direct Heart Institute and head division of cardiology
LOS ANGELES (July 10, 2014)—Frank F. Ing, MD, FAAP, FACC, FSCAI, associate chief of Cardiology and director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, has taken on two new roles at CHLA: chief of the Division of Cardiology and co-director of the Heart Institute. Ing replaces Michael Silka, MD, who filled both positions for more than 15 years. Ing assumed his new responsibilities as of July 1.
“Dr. Ing is an internationally renowned interventional cardiologist who is at the forefront of developing technologies, programs and procedures for less invasive approaches to treating our pediatric patients,” says Brent Polk, MD, physician in chief and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and chair of Pediatrics and vice dean for Child Health at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). “He has a profound understanding of CHLA’s commitment to providing the finest and most advanced care possible for children with heart disease. Working in tandem with Heart Institute Co-Director Vaughn Starnes, Dr. Ing is poised to help our nationally ranked cardiology program reach new heights in the years ahead.”
Since arriving at CHLA in 2012, Ing has shown a relentless desire to innovate. Recently, he received media attention for his collaboration on the first fetal aortic valvuloplasty procedure performed in Southern California. He has also implemented new clinical trials, outcome studies and research related to therapeutic catheterizations.
“We strive for eminence,” Ing says. “We endeavor to be recognized as leaders in the field of cardiology, and to become the institution others wait on to develop clinical and research breakthroughs.”
Ing came to CHLA from Texas Children’s Hospital, where he served as director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and a professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. He is one of the nation’s leading interventional pediatric cardiologists; his primary area of research is the development of transcatheter techniques and cardiovascular devices to treat congenital and structural heart disease, from the fetus to the elderly.
Board-certified in both general pediatrics and pediatric cardiology, Ing is also a professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Cardiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Cardiology, and the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. He is also a regular faculty member on various international scientific conferences, including the Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Symposium and Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, as well as an invited speaker at numerous international meetings.
Michael Silka, MD, has worked closely with Ing to make the transition go smoothly. “I want to extend a warm debt of gratitude to Dr. Silka for his 15 years of leadership and stewardship of one of the nation’s leading pediatric cardiac care centers,” Polk says. “Dr. Silka will be assuming new responsibilities as the Division of Cardiology’s new director of Electrophysiology and will continue in a significant capacity in the Heart Institute and the Division of Cardiology.”
About Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital on the West Coast and among the top five in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
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