The pediatric cardiology specialists at St. Luke’s Children’s can support your child’s heart health with expertise covering a wide range of conditions including congenital heart defects and disease, murmurs, arrhythmias, acquired heart disease, extreme drops in blood pressure, and fast heart rate (tachycardia). We also evaluate fetal echocardiograms for any abnormalities suspected or identified during pregnancy. And if your child requires heart surgery out of state, we will coordinate their care.
Melissa Agoudemos, MD, PhD specializes in pediatric cardiology with a broad range of interests including neonatal congenital heart disease, myocarditis, Marfan’s syndrome and other connective tissue disorders, and arrhythmias such as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). She has additional interest in echocardiographic evaluation of congenital heart disease utilizing transthoracic echo and fetal echo.
Dr. Agoudemos received a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering with a concentration in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated with honors and as a member of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. She then entered the specialized Medical Scientist Training Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin to earn both her medical degree and a doctorate degree in physiology. During that time, she spent extensive time researching the process by which the body grows new blood vessels (angiogenesis). This led to multiple awards from the American Physiological Society.
Dr. Agoudemos completed her pediatrics residency at the University of Iowa, a referral center focused on treating the most critical pediatric patients across Iowa. Her residency included a specialized research track where she focused on the effects of maternal disease on the cardiovascular health of children. This was followed by a three-year pediatric cardiology fellowship at the University of Iowa. During this time, she continued her research and won the F. M. Kenny Memorial Award in Pediatric Research. Clinically, Dr. Agoudemos developed her interest in imaging with extra training in echocardiography.
Dr. Agoudemos is originally from the Midwest, and spent her early career working at Southern Illinois University. Now that she's in Idaho, she never plans to leave! She feels honored to provide specialized pediatric cardiac care to the children of Idaho.
In her free time, Dr. Agoudemos enjoys spending time with her two teenagers, three cats, and husband.
Peter C. Dyke, II, MD, FAAP, FACC specializes in the care of children and young adults with congenital heart disease. His philosophy of care emphasizes education and support for the entire family. Fetal cardiology is an important part of Dr. Dyke’s practice wherein families learn about and plan for the birth of their child with heart disease.
Dr. Dyke practiced pediatric cardiology in Wisconsin for three years before joining the faculty at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. While at the University of Missouri he was promoted to associate professor and led the division of pediatric cardiology.
Dr. Dyke is excited to have joined the excellent St. Luke’s Pediatric Cardiology team. He also serves on the advisory board of Heart Care International and is privileged to care for children with heart disease throughout Latin America. In his spare time, he enjoys paddling one of his canoes, walking his dog, listening to and playing music, and reading. Dr. Dyke regularly delights in the joys of having three adult daughters.
Susan Etheridge, MD is a pediatric cardiologist and an electrophysiologist. She has clinical and research interests involving young patients with channelopathies and other conditions with a risk of sudden death. She is also interested in Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
Dr. Etheridge has been a part of many multicenter research studies involving children and young adults with arrhythmia issues, and is a recipient of the Helen Taussig Lifetime Achievement Award through the American Academy of Pediatrics. Patients with inherited arrhythmias are her clinical and research focus.
Dr. Etheridge travels to Alaska periodically to see pediatric electrophysiology patients and adult congenital heart disease patients, and is committed to providing excellent care to this population. Congenital heart disease procedures and surgeries cannot be done in Alaska and patients need to travel for proper care.
Dr. Etheridge is the vice president of the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Foundation and is a past chair of the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-Board of Pediatric Cardiology. She is a present member of the American College of Cardiology Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology Committee and chair the Education Committee and a past member of the Heart Rhythm Society Communications Committee. She is presently on the Board of Trustees of the Heart Rhythm Society. In addition, she is an associate editor for the journal Europace.
Elizabeth “Tess” Vickers Saarel, MD, FAAP, FACC, FHRS is a pediatric cardiologist and electrophysiologist with special expertise in heart rhythm disorders, sports cardiology, and syncope. She treats patients of all ages, including newborns, children, teens, adults, and pregnant women. Her goal is to improve the quality and longevity of life for adults and children born with heart problems.
Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Dr. Saarel practiced cardiology at the University of Michigan, the University of Utah, Primary Children’s Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic. She is a professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at CWRU. Her academic research is in the prevention of sudden cardiac death in youth, the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders in children and adults with congenital heart disease, sports cardiology, and quality improvement.
Dr. Saarel now serves on the executive committees for the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society, the Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young Task Force, and the ACC National Cardiac Data IMPACT Registry. She also holds leadership positions at the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and the Pediatric Heart Network. Past activities have included leadership in the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.
Michael S. Womack, MD works in general clinical pediatric and adult congenital cardiology with special interests in cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, cardiac catheterization, and fetal cardiology.
After earning bachelor's degrees in mathematics and chemistry from Duke University, Dr. Womack worked a year in industry and then taught chemistry and computer science for two years before earning a master's degree in medical physics and completing medical school. Following his residency, he spent a year studying Spanish and performing medical mission work in Latin America, inspired by the underserved Latino community he saw both within the United States and abroad. Next, he resumed training in pediatric cardiology with a fellowship at Duke University followed by an advanced fellowship in cardiac catheterization at Oregon Health & Sciences University and ongoing medical mission work in Central America, focusing on support and development of pediatric catheterization programs.
Dr. Womack still has the same sense of mission for program development and worked to develop the fetal and pediatric echocardiography and pediatric catheterization programs in Idaho. He also still has active projects in Central America. In 2012, he was decorated with the Order of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa by the government of Panama, its highest civilian award, for his work. He has presented at a number of national and international conferences in Central America to expand services for congenital heart defects in the region. These international experiences have been vital parts of his education that influence his local work.Call us to make an appointment.
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