Co-Director, The Heart Center at Manning Family Children's
Dr. Thomas Kimball is the Director of the Heart Center and Division Chief
of Cardiology at Manning Family Children's. A native of Oakland, California,
he received his undergraduate degree at Stanford University. Dr. Kimball
attended medical school at New York University followed by a pediatric
residency at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. He completed a
cardiology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and remained
at that institution as an attending cardiologist for 34 years.
Dr. Kimball is currently the Nelson K. Ordway Professor of Pediatrics at
the LSU Health Center, and is board-certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric
Cardiology. His clinical interests include non-invasive cardiac imaging
and pediatric coronary artery disease (Kawasaki Disease and congenital
anomalies of the coronaries). His research interests relate to the cardiovascular
effects of obesity and decreasing patients lost to follow-up rates. Dr.
Kimball values the physician/patient relationship because it is career-defining
to see his patients who were once critically ill babies develop into healthy
husbands/wives, college graduates and elite athletes.
Melvin Almodóvar, MD
Director, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care
Co-Director, The Heart Center at Children's Hospital New Orleans
Dr. Almodóvar joined the Manning Family Children's Heart Center
team in 2023. He most recently served as the George E. Batchelor Chair
in Pediatric Cardiology, Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care
Unit, and Co-Director of the Children’s Heart Center at the University
of Miami and Jackson Health System. He attended medical school at Stanford
University School of Medicine and completed his residency in pediatrics
and fellowships in pediatric cardiology and cardiac intensive care at
Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Almodóvar has held leadership positions at Boston Children’s
Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Johns Hopkin’s
All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. He brings a
wealth of experience and expertise in the management of complex congenital
heart disease, has authored more than 50 peer reviewed publications and
book chapters, and has mentored many trainees and junior faculty now practicing
in or leading cardiac intensive care units across the country.
Timothy Pettitt, MD
Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Co- Director, The Heart Center at Manning Family Children's
Dr. Timothy Pettitt attended medical school at the University of Medicine
and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed his surgery residency at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri and Barnes-Jewish
Hospital. Dr. Pettitt continued his training in St. Louis by completing
a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery as well as pediatric cardiothoracic
surgery. He joined the faculty at LSU Health and Manning Family Children's
in 1999 where he began his clinical practice. He now serves as Professor
of Surgery, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Co-Director of The Heart
Center, and Director of ECMO Services at Manning Family Children's.
He is board certified by the American Board of Congenital Heart Surgery
and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. His clinical interests include
the surgical management and postoperative care of the congenital heart
patient as well as adults with congenital heart disease. As an undergraduate,
Dr. Pettitt studied the violin at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. During
his Sophomore year, his father underwent aortic valve replacement which
was the nidus for him becoming a cardiac surgeon. It wasn't until his
cardiothoracic surgical training at Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis did his passion for congenital heart surgery develop. With
over 20 years experience, Dr. Pettitt remains committed to helping Louisiana
patients born with congenital heart disease from neonate to adult.
