Spotlight on Dr. Williams
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Medical School
University of North Carolina
Internship
University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill; Pediatrics
Residency
Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York City: Pediatrics
Fellowship
Children's Hospital Boston; Pediatric Cardiology
Certification
Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology; American Board of Pediatrics
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I chose to specialize in Cardiology because . . .
As a child, I was thought to have a heart condition and was evaluated by Dr. Helen Taussig, the mother of pediatric cardiology. I thought what Dr. Taussig was doing was amazing and decided, then and there, that I wanted to be a cardiologist.
I wrote my senior high school theme on “New Techniques in Heart Surgery.” Although my original plans were to work with adults, I found that pediatric cardiology was infinitely more interesting to me, and still is to this day.
I joined Childrens Hospital Los Angeles because . . .
I came to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in my current role in 2000 as the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Vice Chairman of Academic Affairs because I wanted to advocate for the improvement of healthcare for children on a larger scale.
This required that I step out of my individual field of cardiology to collaborate broadly with great minds from many fields in healthcare.
Doing so allows me to create and enhance programs at our hospital that help children, and be the driving force behind the development of programs that can become models nationally and internationally of how to provide the very best care.
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Heading the Department of Pediatrics means that . . .
Being the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics is very rewarding because the world of pediatrics is fascinating. The most interesting questions, issues, and new understandings in healthcare are revolving around how the health of a child's early life impacts their lifelong health.
As a cardiologist, I had the opportunity to be a part of an exciting era of the development of diagnostic ultrasound and the surgical correction of infants with heart disease, working with the pioneers of surgery and developing one of the earliest programs in pediatric echocardiography.
In my current role, I am able to enjoy the same creativity by organizing the terrific intellectual capital at our hospital and at the University of Southern California to create new programs that benefit, not only our patients, but serve to create new knowlege that will benefit all children.
Hospital staff rely upon me to . . .
My role is to bring the perspective of the entire hospital to new initiatives and my vision for improvements in care right here, as well as across the country. I am, therefore, a facilitator, and a mediator, bringing groups together to maximize their resources.
My greatest accomplishment is . . .
There are two things that make me feel really terrific about what I do every day. The first is when I am able to introduce a young person who is entering their chosen field of medicine to people who can help advance their career. Watching their success provides me with a great feeling of accomplishment.
The other is when I work with a group of people who are experiencing challenges accomplishing their goals. I enjoy helping them find ways forward by collaborating with other programs, divisions or departments at the hospital or outside the hospital.
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Institute for Maternal-Fetal Health
One project of which I am particularly proud has been the Institute for Maternal-Fetal Health. The collaboration between perinatology, neonatology, neurology, diagnostic radiology, cardiology, surgery and nursing make it unique. The closeness of the collaboration of all of these groups of experts creates better outcomes and new knowledge that is already enhancing care for children.
Institute for the Developing Mind
A second very important project that is in its early stages is the Institute for the Developing Mind. The Institute will be a center that brings about collaboration between clinical services for children with a broad range of developmental and neurological disorders, such as autism, and the scientists at the bench who are conducting research to explore the early development of the brain.
Ensuring a continuum of care
The goal of pediatric care is to produce healthy adults. As physicians, we really have to ask ourselves what we can do to better prepare children with chronic illness or disorders for adult life.
We need to understand how the social adaptation and development of a child changes if they have chronic illness or severe illness that results in chronic health repercussions.
As an example, we know that 50-90% of young adults with congenital heart defects drop out of healthcare in their 20’s. The same is true for young adults with many other serious chronic diseases that begin in childhood. Without adequate healthcare and monitoring during the young adult years, patients may develop preventable health problems that seriously impair their health.
We have many programs at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles that have developed special resources to help their patietns develop the skills to secure healthcare as an adult. I am bringing these groups together to form an infrastructure that can serve all of our patients as they transition to adult life.
In addition, I am working with organizations and institutions on the national level to keep this in front of the health policymakers and I anticipate being active in this long into the future.
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