Growing Strong Hearts and Minds: A webinar series on neurodevelopment for families in the congenital heart disease community
“Growing Strong Hearts and Minds” is a planned series of virtual educational webinars hosted by the Cardiac Neurodevelopment Team at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WashU Medicine physicians. During the last two decades, there has been growing evidence in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery showing how congenital heart disease (CHD) and its management affects a child’s development, learning, and quality of life into adulthood. Our goal is to educate families about this emerging field of knowledge and research, and to support and empower caregivers throughout a child’s development.
2025 Webinar Details
The Heart-Brain Connection: How is congenital heart disease related to your child’s neurodevelopment?
This webinar explores how CHD affects brain development by examining recent research on cognitive and neurodevelopmental differences as children with CHD grow and enter school. We will discuss key findings from the American Heart Association’s 2024 Scientific Statement on neurodevelopmental outcomes for individuals with CHD. Additionally, we will cover how the field of pediatric cardiology is shifting its focus from survival to helping children thrive in all aspects of life.
Date: April 3
Time: 7–8 p.m.
Speaker: Mary Jane Broge, RN, CPNP
Speaker Bio: Mary Jane Broge is a pediatric nurse practitioner who specializes in cardiology and critical care medicine. She is the program lead for St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s inpatient Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program and supervises the nurse practitioners in the Heart Center. Mary Jane has been a nurse practitioner in the outpatient Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program since its inception in 2015.
Understanding Developmental and Neuropsychological Testing: How testing can impact and help your child’s development and learning
In this session, we will examine the importance of developmental and neuropsychological testing for children with CHD, including which children may benefit most from these assessments. We will also discuss how testing can provide valuable insights to support cognitive, emotional, and academic development. The goal is to help families better understand and advocate for their child based on their strengths and challenges.
Date: April 17
Time: 7–8 p.m.
Speaker: Kelly Wolfe, PhD, ABPP-CN
Speaker Bio: Dr. Wolfe is the director of neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado and an immediate past chair of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative. Her clinical work and research focus on neurodevelopment for children with CHD and working to improve these outcomes.
Empowering Your Child’s Education: A parent’s guide to understanding IEPs and 504 plans for children with CHD
This webinar will help parents and caregivers understand how Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 plans can support children with CHD in school. We will cover the differences between these plans, the process for creating them, and how to advocate for your child’s unique educational and medical needs to ensure they thrive in the classroom.
Date: May 1
Time: 7–8 p.m.
Speakers: Kyle Landry, MEd, and Christie Ruehl, JD, MBA
Speaker Bios:
Kyle Landry is the founder and manager of the Educational Achievement Partnership Program (EAPP) at Children’s Wisconsin. Kyle joined Children’s Wisconsin as a school intervention specialist, and designed, conducted, and analyzed a formal pilot study on school achievement for medically complex patients. Kyle is part of a heart family and has been deeply involved with the Herma Heart Institute since her sister was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 1987.
Christie Ruehl is the senior program manager of the Educational Achievement Partnership Program (EAPP) at Children’s Wisconsin. She developed the EAPP’s comprehensive assessment system, designed school recommendations letters, and co-authored Children’s Wisconsin School Care Guidebook for Pediatric Heart Disease. Christie’s path to the EAPP began as an educational and health care advocate for her brother, who was born with a complex medical condition that caused learning difficulties.
Kyle Landry, MEd
Christie Ruehl, JD, MBA
Building Strength: The role of physical activity in CHD care
Our final session will focus on the importance and benefits of physical activity for children with CHD, highlighting how exercise and strength contribute to both physical and mental well-being. It will also cover how to connect with community resources, peer groups, and specialized camps, while addressing safety concerns and the limitations specific to certain CHD diagnoses.
Date: May 15
Time: 7–8 p.m.
Speaker: William B. Orr, MD
Speaker Bio: William B. Orr, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist with a focus in acute care cardiology, exercise cardiology, and pediatric fitness rehabilitation. He is the director of the Pediatric Exercise Physiology Lab and director of the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at WashU Medicine.
