

PCICS Podcast
The Podcast for Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care
We discuss various topics in pediatric cardiac intensive care, cardiology, cardiac surgery, and anesthesia. Episodes include challenging cases, new science, journal clubs, humanity topics, current events, education, and novel ICU therapies with guests from pediatric cardiac ICUs across the world and other leaders in the field. The PCICS Podcast is the official podcast of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society and is the longest-running podcast for pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiac critical care. Executive Producers: David Werho, Saidie Rodriguez, Deanna Tzanetos.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 15, 2025 • 35min
PCICS Podcast Episode 140 - Healing the Heart and Mind Child Psychology in Cardiac Critical Care
Join us on this episode of the PCICS podcast for a discussion about the innovative and essential roles that Child Psychologists play in the care of children with congenital heart defects. As we aim for the best clinical outcomes for our patients, Dr. Mejia (Phoenix Children's) and Dr. Harley (Stanford Medicine Children's Health) describe their holistic and multidisciplinary interventions to help patients and families weather some of the most stressful and traumatic times in their lives. Learn how a child psychologist plays an essential role in your patient's care and successful long-term outcome in the CVICU and beyond.
Host: Christopher Knoll, MD (Phoenix Children's)
Editor: Christopher Knoll
Executive Producer: Christopher Knoll

Oct 1, 2025 • 50min
PCICS Podcast Episode 139 - Its Literally Impossible to be a CVICU Nurse Resilience in the CVICU
Join us on this PCICS podcast episode as we chat about nursing resilience in the CVICU with our guest, Stacy Stravitz, DNP, PNP-AC, and how she has learned to meet the many challenges of bedside nursing head-on. With years of clinical experience, Stacy shares her tips and tricks on how to navigate the often-impossible task of being a frontline provider in a pediatric CVICU.
Guest: Stacy Stravitz, DNP, PNP-AC (Phoenix Children's)
Host: Lillian Su, MD & Christopher Knoll, MD (Phoenix Children's)
Editor: Christopher Knoll
Executive Producer: Christopher Knoll

Sep 16, 2025 • 36min
PCICS Podcast Episode 138 - Sedation IAWS EM
Join hosts Rambod Amirnovin (Miller Children’s, Elevance Health), and Melody Turner (HCA Healthcare), as they interview quality experts in the areas of sedation, withdrawal, and mobilization management. Guests Barbara-Jo Achuff, MD (Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital), Sean Barnes, MD (John’s Hopkins Children’s Center) and Bronwyn Crandall PharmD, BCPPS (C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital). We cover simple and high-tech methods to improve the neurologic status of children cared for in the CICU- optimizing sedation exposure, efficiently weaning drugs when ready, and minimizing delirium with mobilization practices.
Hosts: Rambod Amirnovin, MD (Elevance Health; Miller Children's Hospital); Melody Turner, MSN, MBA, RN (HCA Healthcare)
Editor: Rambod Amirnovin, MD (Elevance Health; Miller Children's Hospital)
Producer: Deanna Tzanetos, MD (University of Louisville)

Sep 2, 2025 • 30min
PCICS Podcast 137: PCICS NewsTalk 2025 Annual Meeting Preview
Join host David Werho (UC San Diego/Rady Children's) and guests Carly Scahill (Colorado Children's), Lillian Su (Phoenix Children's), and Yaeji Kim (IG: @chd_doodles) as they discuss the upcoming 2025 PCICS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX, co-hosted by The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease at Dell Children's Hospital. We speak about many of the plenary sessions, breakouts, social events, and things to do in Austin!
Host/Editor/Producer: David Werho
Platinum Sponsor: Prolacta BioScience

Aug 20, 2025 • 34min
PCICS Podcast 136: Building Nursing Autonomy and Trust
Please join this multi-disciplinary discussion exploring the nuances of building bedside nursing autonomy and trust. Guest: Jennifer Gauntt, MD, FAAP, FCCM. (Nationwide Children’s Hospital/Ohio State U).
Hosts: Laura Valido, BSN RN and Cardiothoracic IUC Clinical Leader-Educator (Nationwide Children’s Hospital/Ohio State U) and Natalie Pleiman MSN, RNIII, CCRN, CPN (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center/U Cincinnati).
Editor/Producer: Saidie Rodriguez, MD (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory).

Aug 1, 2025 • 33min
PCICS Podcast Episode 135: Perfusion and ECMO
Join us for a continuation of our conversation with perfusionist Jordan Brimhall and Brandon Lowe, RRT, NPS, lead ECMO specialist at Emory in Atlanta. We discuss multidisciplinary collaboration in pediatric ECMO programs.
Hosts: Deanna Todd Tzanetos, MD, MSCI (Norton Children's/UofL) and Chris Knoll, MD (Phoenix Children's). Guests Jordan Brimhall MS, CPP, FPP (Phoenix Children's) Brandon Lowe, RRT, NPS (Emory)
Editing/Production (Deanna Todd Tzanetos, MD, MSCI)

Jul 15, 2025 • 26min
PCICS Podcast Episode 134: Demystifying Perfusion
Everything you wanted to know about perfusion but were afraid to ask. Join us for a conversation with Jordan Brimhall, MS, CCP, FPP Chief Perfusionist at Phoenix Children's Hospital. We discuss what really happens in the OR and what intensivists should know and understand about cardiopulmonary bypass.
Hosts: Deanna Todd Tzanetos, MD, MSCI Norton Children's/ U of Louisville and Chris Knoll, MD Phoenix Children's
Editor/Producer: Deanna Todd Tzanetos

Jul 1, 2025 • 47min
PCICS Podcast 133: Career Advancement for Nurses in the CICU
Please join this conversation regarding career advancement for CICU nurses with guests: Bonnie Miller, MBA, BSN, RN, CPN, CNML Director of Cardiac Critical Care and Surgical Services, CHOA; Katie Gibson, MSN, RN, NE-BC Manager of Clinical Operations – CICU, CHOA and Andie Cantrell, BSN, RN, CCRN, Cardiac Clinical and Simulation Educator, CHOA.
Host and editor: Abbie Patera, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN-K, Manager of Clinical Education - Heart Center, CHOA.
Editor and Producer: Saidie Rodriguez, MD (CHOA/Emory U)
Sponsor: Inova

Jun 15, 2025 • 39min
PCICS Podcast Episode 132: NewsTalk - PCICS Latin American Chapter Launch!!!!
Join hosts David Werho (UC San Diego), Lillian Su (Phoenix Children's Hospital), and Jill Zender (Children's Health) as they interview the first ever Executive Committee for the PCICS Latin American Chapter, President Estela Horowitz, Vice-President Bruna Cury, Secretary Gloria Gomez Bernedo, and Treasurer Guillermo Moreno. They discuss the recent PCICS Symposium in Brazil as well as the beginning and future of the Latin American Chapter of PCICS.
Host, editor, producer: David Werho, MD
Sponsor: Children's Health

Jun 1, 2025 • 56min
PCICS Podcast Episode 131: M&M 2.0
What is the purpose of M&M? A destructive form of accountability? An opportunity for learning as a team? Is it a form of peer review?
Join host Lillian Su, MD (Phoenix Children's Hospital) as she interviews Kim DiMaria DNP, CPNP-AC, CCRN (Mott Children's, U of Michigan), Michael-Alice Moga, MD, MS, MBA (Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University) and Jason Buckley, MD (MUSC Children's Health, MUSC) about their PCICS 2024 session on reimagining M&M which was highlighted by numerous participants in the post conference survey. Baseball analogies included!
With permission, all 3 guests agreed to share their emails (buckleyj@musc.edu, kdimaria@med.umich.edu, mamoga@stanford.edu).
Despite the 55 minutes, we didn't have time to cover all of the resources out there!
Host and producer: Lillian Su, MD
Sponsor: Rady's Children's Health