This week’s Meet a Mom interview is with Cheyenne Beach, MD, a mother of three and a pediatric cardiologist with Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital who leads the Pediatric Electrophysiology Program at the Children’s Heart Center.

Dr. Beach sees patients at the Pediatric Specialty Centers in Trumbull and New Haven, and at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. “I diagnose and manage heart rhythm disorders in children and in adults who were born with heart disease,” explains Dr. Beach. “One of the best parts of my job is that I see patients of all ages, from fetuses diagnosed with heart rhythm abnormalities to adults with long medical histories,” she adds. Her practice includes performing ablations, implanting pacemakers or defibrillators and more. “There’s really a lot of variety in what I do. Sometimes I wonder how I got lucky enough to have the best job in the world,” says Dr. Beach.

For this week’s Meet a Mom interview, we asked Dr. Beach to share a bit more about herself, her role at the Children’s Heart Center, and what else parents should know.

 Can you please tell us a little bit about your family?

I live in Cheshire with my husband, Ben Ristau, and our three kids. Our son Lars is 6, our daughter Helen is 4, and our son Caleb is 18 months. Ben is a physician in Farmington so we live in the perfect spot – right between New Haven and Farmington. We love Cheshire and the community that surrounds us!

You helped start the Family Inherited Arrythmia Program at Yale New Haven Health. Can you please explain what that incorporates?

I’m really proud of this program. Dr. Rachel Lampert, an adult electrophysiology (EP) colleague, and I started this program to meet an unmet need here in Connecticut. We noticed that the care for adult and pediatric patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes (diseases that run in families and put people at risk for life-threatening arrhythmias) felt disjointed, inefficient, and sometimes confusing.

We designed this program so that adults and children could be seen in the same room and at the same time. My pediatric EP partner, Dr. Jeff Vinocur, and I work through family histories and provide streamlined testing and care with Dr. Lampert and a genetic counselor, all right there during the same appointment. This type of program is unique and we are thrilled to be able to offer this type of care here at Yale New Haven Health.

Wonderful. What is Project ADAM and how are you involved?

Project ADAM is a national network of affiliates who work together to prepare schools and communities for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) situations.

Whether they’re aware of it or not, there will always be kids, teachers, school staff, and community members who are at risk for SCA. The best chance we have to save their lives is to have emergency action plans, CPR training, and nearby AEDs that we’re willing and able to use. Seeing one child not survive a cardiac arrest at school is seeing one too many.

As medical director of Project ADAM Connecticut, I work with schools and other community organizations throughout the state to build emergency action plans, ensure that they have the CPR and AED training and equipment they need, and organize drills for practice. If schools want to learn how they can get involved, they can email [email protected].

So great!  What are some common pediatric symptoms that show up in otherwise healthy kids that moms should bring up to the pediatrician?

You should talk with your pediatrician if your child has racing heartbeats (especially if they appear out of nowhere) or fainting. Often the cause of these symptoms is completely benign, and the symptoms can be managed with small changes in daily routine. They can, however, be a sign of an abnormal or even dangerous condition. Pediatricians are very good at guiding children and teenagers about these symptoms, and your friendly neighborhood pediatric cardiologist is around to help if needed!

How has your field changed since you started out?  

Our technology is changing quickly. We have new catheters and mapping strategies that allow us to perform cardiac ablations even more safely and effectively than we could in the past. Nearly all our ablation procedures are done without radiation. We have entirely new treatment options for some diseases – last year I did the first cardioneuroablation (an ablation technique that targets nerves in the heart to regulate the heartbeat and reduce syncope risk) for a pediatric patient in the state. It’s a fun challenge to stay on top of what’s new!

If parents are interested in seeing you, what is the best way to contact you/learn more?

You can make an appointment by calling 877-925-3637 (877-YALE-MDS), or by visiting ynhch.org/make-an-appointment. You can also learn more by visiting the Children’s Heart Center’s web page. My email is [email protected] – I am happy to help if I can!