Laura Mercer-Rosa, MD, MSCE, is a core faculty member at the Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness and a board-certified attending cardiologist in the Cardiac Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

As a pediatric cardiologist, Laura Mercer-Rosa, MD, MSCE, focuses on providing the best possible care for her own patients at CHOP. As a clinical epidemiologist, she expands her scope, studying the outcomes of treatments for hundreds of children at hospitals far and wide.

In both cases, it’s all about making lives better for children with heart disease.

Dr. Mercer is interested in congenital heart disease, particularly tetralogy of Fallot, a complex condition involving four distinct defects of the heart and nearby blood vessels.

“Tetralogy of Fallot is a disease that requires surgery and lifelong follow up,” says Dr. Mercer-Rosa,“ and I appreciate being able to see how patients recover from surgery and to have the opportunity to follow them as they grow up.”

Cases of tetralogy of Fallot vary a great deal in severity and in configuration, and CHOP’s Cardiac Center is adept at diagnosing and treating each case individually. Dr. Mercer-Rosa’s work as an echocardiographer produces images that allow her and her colleagues to discern the specific contours of each patient’s heart.

“I am happy to see that we are personalizing the care for children with congenital heart defects,” says Dr. Mercer-Rosa. “There is really no one-type-fits-all surgical repair, and we are understanding more and more the differences that exist from patient to patient. The better we understand these differences, the more optimal care we will be able to provide.”

Dr. Mercer-Rosa is an active researcher, with scores of publications. A particular focus is outcomes in tetralogy of Fallot, both early and late. She also has an active research interest in right ventricular function in different disease processes.

As patients or research subjects, the kids come first for Dr. Mercer-Rosa. “I want families to know (and feel) that we care deeply about them and that we strive to provide them with the best possible care,” she says.