MDNews - Greater Kansas

Tuan Nguyen, MD, and Mohamad Al-Ahdab, MD, review a patient's test results during Dr. Nguyen's first week at Kansas Kids Heart Center. Dr. Al-Ahdab, known in the medical community as Dr. Mo, founded the practice in 2010 and recently hired Dr. Nguyen, a Wichita native with experience as a Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at Miami Children's Hospital. Wichita Native Tuan Nguyen, MD, Joins Kansas Kids Heart Center DR. AL•AHDAB, known in the Wichita medical community as Dr. Mo, says the practice specializes in pediatric cardiology and serves a diverse population. "We're continuing to grow. We're a private practice, and we provide a range of services — anything from fetal echocardiogram for pregnant moms with concerns or possible risk for congenital heart defects to newborns with heart problems or children with acquired or congenital heart problems," Dr. Mo says. "We also provide care for adults with congenital heart problems. We have a wide spectrum. If you walk through my clinic any day, you see a pregnant mom here for a fetal echocardiogram sitting next to a child here for evaluation of heart murmur next to an adult in his 30s who has grown up with a congenital heart problem." The work requires a particular passion for and commitment to the community, both of which Dr. Mo says can be found in Tuan Nguyen, MD, FAAP, who is returning to his hometown of Wichita to join Dr. Mo at KKHC. WELCOMING DR. NGUYEN Dr. Nguyen brings his experience as a Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at Miami Children's Hospital and his interest in echocardiography to his new role, as well as a number of ideas to grow the practice's reach within Wichita and into underserved surrounding areas. "It's my hometown. I grew up here and I worked here for a while after residency as well," Dr. Nguyen says. "I knew when I was doing residency there was a big need for cardiology here. I still have a passion for it and wanted to come back here, so getting the opportunity to come back here with Dr. Mo was great." This isn't the first time the two have crossed paths in the medi - cal field. "I did residency here in town at Wesley and was a hospitalist there for two years," Dr. Nguyen says. "I knew he wanted to do a cardiology fellowship, so we talked a little bit at that time," Dr. Mo says. "I encouraged him to pursue cardiology, and he ended up going to Miami Children's Hospital." In Miami, Dr. Nguyen saw pathologies common to medically underserved nations around the world. While Wichita's patholo- gies diƒer significantly, Dr. Nguyen says there are some striking similarities, particularly regarding access to medical care. "You get people from rural areas who have to go 50–100 miles to see a cardiologist, and especially a pediatric cardiologist," Dr. Nguyen says. The pathologies help frame some of the opportunities Drs. Mo and Nguyen hope to pursue together. "I spoke with Dr. Mo about potential outreach clinics in other communities," Dr. Nguyen says, adding these could be one-day opportunities in areas around the state. "I think that would be good for areas where they have issues with access to care." "We see a lot of patients from outside of Wichita and from all over Kansas," Dr. Mo says, noting patients come from as far as Liberal, Topeka, Hays and Pittsburg within Kansas, as well as from Oklahoma. Access is constantly at the forefront for the staƒ at KKHC, who are committed to providing appointments within two weeks of an initial referral, if not sooner. there for two years," Dr. Nguyen says. a little bit at that time," Dr. Mo says. "I encouraged him to pursue cardiology, and he ended up going to Miami Children's Hospital." A Heart for Kansas' Kids K ANSAS KIDS HE ART CENTER'S ¤KKHC'S¥ COMMITMENT TO COMPASSIONATE, STATE¢ OF¢THE¢ART CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS HAS BUILT UP THE WICHITA PR ACTICE'S CLIENT BASE AND REPUTATION SINCE MOHAMAD AL¢AHDAB, MD, FA AP, CCDS, FOUNDED THE PR ACTICE IN 2010. 1 8❱❱❱❱❱ S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

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