In Honor of Dr. Daphne T. Hsu’s Retirement
It is with both gratitude and sadness that Montefiore Einstein announces the retirement of Daphne T. Hsu, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics (Pediatric Cardiology) and Department of Medicine (Cardiology), at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in January 2024. To honor her dedication to the field, which spanned over 40 years, we are accepting donations that will directly benefit patients and their families cared for by the Pediatric Heart Center at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (CHAM).
A world-renowned cardiologist, Dr. Hsu specialized in pediatric heart failure, transplantation, and congenital heart disease. For 13 years she served as Chief, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, and Co-Director, Pediatric Heart Center, at CHAM. Prior to Montefiore Einstein, Dr. Hsu was a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Director of Pediatric Heart Failure at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She treated more than 600 children with heart failure and more than 250 children undergoing a heart transplant.
A Commitment to Saving Young Lives
Dr. Hsu received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from Harvard University in 1978 and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Yale School of Medicine in 1982. She completed her residency training and fellowship at Babies and Children’s Hospital in New York City. Pediatric cardiology appealed to Dr. Hsu because it’s a challenging—and rewarding—specialty. “I like being able to care for the sickest children,” she said, noting that she often was able to follow her patients into adulthood. “You can share with the families the wonder of seeing their children grow up, enjoying life along the way.”
Not only was Dr. Hsu dedicated to providing extraordinary clinical care, but she was also committed to finding better ways to treat cardiac conditions. Her clinical research focused on improving outcomes in children and adults with congenital heart disease and children with diseases that lead to heart failure. She led the formation of multicenter collaborations to improve the care of children with heart failure and fostered the development of multicenter trials in children to evaluate the best treatments. During her career, Dr. Hsu published more than 180 papers on topics ranging from pediatric cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and transplant to the care of patients with complex congenital heart diseases.
A Trailblazer in Pediatric Cardiology
In addition to authoring dozens of peer-reviewed cardiology studies, Dr. Hsu served as an advisor to the FDA and the National Institutes of Health. A nationally recognized thought leader, Dr. Hsu participated in writing the consensus statement for managing pediatric heart failure and held leadership roles at the American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and American Board of Pediatrics. In 2018, Crain’s New York Business named Dr. Hsu one of the Notable Women in Health Care.
A World-Class Teacher
Dr. Hsu trained over 100 pediatric cardiology fellows and fostered the academic careers of many young investigators around the world. Through her work with the AHA, AAP, and ISHLT, she organized conferences and served as a program planner for countless international meetings. She also participated on panels and mentored medical students, residents, fellows, and young faculty.
To ensure that we continue to offer the world-class care Dr. Hsu provided, we ask for your support in her honor. Gifts will be directed to the Pediatric Heart Center and its mission to ensure outstanding care for all children affected by congenital and acquired heart diseases and cardiomyopathy through education, research, and clinical excellence.
Please contact Megan Tomkins if you have any questions about making a donation.
mtomkins@montefiore.org
646-907-4236