Vietnam National Children’s Hospital and Children’s HeartLink (USA): Building a Center of Excellence in Pediatric Cardiology for Vietnamese Children

From September 29 to October 4, 2025, a team of experts from Children’s HeartLink (CHL), USA, conducted a working visit to Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (VNCH) with the goal of sharing expertise, updating new techniques in pediatric cardiology, and providing hands-on training for doctors and nurses of the Heart Center.

On September 29, VNCH warmly welcomed the CHL delegation in a formal ceremony attended by Assoc. Prof. Tran Minh Dien, Director of VNCH; Dr. Cao Viet Tung, Vice Director; Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong, Director of the Heart Center; together with leaders of departments and medical staff.

The visiting CHL delegation comprised world-renowned pediatric cardiology specialists, including Prof. Shunji Sano – Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Showa University Hospital (Japan); Prof. Mark Cocalis and Prof. Sarah Tabbutt – Department of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital (USA); Prof. Hung Nguyen – Department of Anesthesiology, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital; along with Ms. Bistra Zheleva and Ms. Anne Betzner, both Deputy Directors of CHL, and other experts.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the detailed working program and agreed on the key objectives of cooperation throughout the visit.

Throughout the week, CHL experts directly led training sessions and shared in-depth, up-to-date knowledge in pediatric cardiology and interventional techniques with VNCH’s cardiology team. They joined clinical case discussions for children with complex congenital heart diseases, organized four internal medicine case conferences, delivered six specialized lectures for doctors, and conducted two multi-session training courses for nurses (each comprising three modules). These collaborative activities not only strengthened the professional capacity of VNCH’s healthcare staff but also paved the way for long-term and sustainable cooperation between the two sides.

At the closing session on October 3, 2025, Prof. Shunji Sano highly praised the expertise and dedication of VNCH’s medical team and provided professional recommendations to further enhance the hospital’s clinical quality – aiming for future recognition by CHL as a Center of Excellence in Pediatric Cardiology.

Representing VNCH’s leadership, Dr. Cao Viet Tung, Vice Director, expressed his sincere gratitude to CHL and the delegation for their invaluable contributions, emphasizing that CHL’s support has been instrumental in the continued development of the Heart Center.

He reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to deepening cooperation, expanding joint training and research programs, and promoting the application of new technologies in pediatric cardiac care.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong, Director of the Heart Center, also shared his appreciation and highlighted the strong impact of CHL’s continuous partnership since 2017.

Under the upcoming cooperation plan, both sides will continue to organize training programs for pediatric cardiologists, maintain weekly online consultations for complex cases, and host monthly educational sessions for nurses.Notably, they will co-organize the National Conference on Pediatric Cardiology in March 2026, expected to become a premier platform connecting Vietnamese and international pediatric cardiology experts.

Children’s HeartLink is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving care for children with congenital heart disease, particularly in countries where specialized services are limited.

Since 2017, CHL has partnered with VNCH in various activities—professional exchanges, case consultations, technology transfer, and training in post-operative cardiac care—contributing significantly to the hospital’s growth and international integration.

This recent visit once again reaffirmed VNCH’s commitment to professional excellence and international collaboration, ensuring safe and effective cardiac care for Vietnamese children.