Pediatric Cardiology

 

The Hektoen Institute supports the development of pediatric cardiology in the Chicago area through programs spearheaded by Dr. Maria Serratto, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Illinois and member of the board and executive committee of Hektoen.

  1. Specialty Review in Pediatric Cardiology Course.
    This Board Review Course in Pediatric Cardiology is attended by participants from the U.S. and abroad. It was first organized in 1976 by Dr. Maria Serratto under the auspices of the Cook County Graduate School of Medicine of Chicago. In the 70's Pediatric Cardiology started to rapidly expand with new techniques and widening surgical indications. At the time candidates for the board examination had to rely on repeated and prolonged visits to the medical library to update their knowledge of the subject matter and refresh the experience gained during their training. What was clearly needed was a preparatory curriculum covering all aspects of the specialty, taught by a distinguished faculty. The "Specialty Review in Pediatric Cardiology" course filled that void.
    That year, and for several courses to follow, the program was two days in length attended by approximately 30 participants. The course eventually expanded to its current length of four days with about 100 attendees. Over the years the course became recognized as the premier venue for this rapidly growing specialty. An indicator of its efficacy is that a number of past and current pediatric cardiology departments heads are course alumni.
    The course is now sponsored by the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. The 2006, 2007, and 2008 courses were held in cooperation with, and under the auspices of the Hektoen Institute.
  2. Exchange program in Pediatric Cardiology
    In 2006 Hektoen initiated an exchange program with Bulgaria, in which physicians from that country expanded their knowledge by spending a period of time studying in the United States. The first beneficiaries of this program are two physicians who updated their knowledge by attending the 2006 Specialty Review Course in Pediatric Cardiology
  3. Quarterly academic conferences – The Gasul Club
    In conjunction with the Gasul Club, The Hektoen Institute sponsors a series of regular academic conferences in which pediatric cardiologists meet to discuss cases and present topics designed to advance the education, research, and medical practice in the discipline.

Benjamin Gasul, MD was a prominent pediatrician in private practice in Chicago, affiliated with Cook County Hospital in the 1940s. During his career he developed a great interest in congenital heart disease and he is now recognized as one of the fathers of pediatric cardiology in the US. At Cook County Hospital, Dr. Gasul created an active center for congenital heart disease. He also organized a monthly meeting where doctors working in this rapidly developing field could discuss complicated cases encountered in their practices, seeking advice from their colleagues and debating ideas in management and research.

These meetings became to be known as the “Gasul Club”. Although the gatherings remained informal and unstructured, they became a main pillar of this young and dynamic specialty in Chicago.
Originally the meetings were held every monthly basis, hosted by the pediatric cardiology centers of the Chicago area. This activity flourished for many years, from its onset in the mid-fifties till the late nineties.
In the year 2005, which marked the fiftieth year of its establishment, the Gasul Club was revived thanks to the efforts of Dr. Maria Serratto under the auspices of the Hektoen Institute for Medical Research, which has provided a home for the Club.

The Gasul Club now meets four times a year at the Hektoen Institute, continuing its proud tradition of teaching to young doctors the science and art of pediatric cardiology.

They meet on Wednesday, from 6 to 8 pm.

Upcoming Gasul Club meeting: July 28, 2010

Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL

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Historical note:

Benjamin Gasul was born in Lithuania. He and his family settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He graduated from Rush Medical School and interned there in 1925, followed by residency in Pediatrics. He practiced General Pediatrics until 1945 (age 50) when he became focused on heart disease in children. To be able to practice his newly found love, he worked full time at the Cook County Hospital for 2 years without pay. He was then appointed to a salaried position at County and began an academic training program in Pediatric Cardiology. Mostly self taught, he attracted many fellows from the US and abroad. In addition, he established a monthly meeting where any physician was welcome to consult with him regarding the diagnosis and treatment of childhood heart disease, be it congenital or acquired. The meeting was held at the Cook County Children’s Hospital on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, always preceded by dinner in the main hospital cafeteria. This was an era when textbooks of Pediatric Cardiology were rare (Helen Taussig’s was one), thus Dr. Gasul in collaboration with Dr. Maurice Lev (Hektoen Institute) and Dr. Rene Arcilla (University of Chicago) published the first and the only such textbook originating in Chicago. After Dr. Gasul’s death in 1962, the meeting format was continued. Eventually, after County Children’s Hospital became unable to host these dinner meetings, the location was circulated among the Chicago area hospitals and named “The Gasul Club Meetings”. The Club’s membership was informal and open to students, trainees, technologists, nurses and scientists. [Alex Muster, MD]