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Expert Pediatric Cardiology Care—Close To Home
For parents in Contra Costa County and surrounding communities, having a child with a complex medical condition used to mean spending lots of time traveling all over the Bay Area for visits with children’s specialists.
Through our collaboration with Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, we diagnose and treat all types of pediatric congenital and acquired heart diseases, as well as arrhythmias—right here, close to home.
In addition to your pediatric cardiologist, your child’s care team may also include nurses and other healthcare providers—all who have advanced training in specifically treating children and teens.
Meet Your Doctors
Sarah Stack, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Growing up, my pediatrician and sub-specialists were compassionate physicians who helped me feel comfortable in scary situations. I knew I wanted to help people in the same way someday. Despite illness or disease, children are joyful and parents are hopeful. Their joy and hope inspire me to be the best physician I can be. I was drawn to cardiology because of the fascinating physiology and the amazing advances in medical and surgical treatments of congenital and acquired heart disease.
My goal is to partner with families so they understand their child's heart disease and all the treatment options available. Most importantly, I want to help children live healthy and fulfilling lives, where visits with me are only a small portion of their time. My favorite question to ask during a visit is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question helps frame our work in the context of the child's whole life. It is a true honor to watch my patients grow up.
Janaki Gokhale, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
I feel blessed to work with children every day. I could be having a horrible day, and one of my patients will turn my day around by saying something funny. I continue to be amazed at the resilience and healing power of the children I work with. It is their optimism that gets me up in the morning and inspires me to do my best work.
I work with families as a team. As a mother of two daughters, I know that parents of a sick child appreciate honesty and compassion from their physicians. My promise to families is that I will work as hard as I can with you to provide the very best care for your child. I always treat every child as if he or she were my own.
Kenneth Rouillard, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
As a child I wanted to grow up to be a detective and later I found that medicine, particularly pediatric cardiology, was a great opportunity to pursue my intellectual curiosity and science. Today, I help children by using non-invasive tools to search for clues to recognize and diagnose children who may have heart problems.
I consider my patients part of my family, so my mission is to take care of children as if they are my own and to give every child the opportunity to achieve their best potential. Being a proud father of two young men has also taught me how to be a better physician, how to truly listen to questions and concerns, and the importance of being a partner in caring for children. It's the best way I know to have a great impact on a child's life, but also for families and our community as a whole.
Stafford Grady, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
When parents come to me with a sick child, they are often paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. Through my medical experience I am able to help them understand what's happening, and also give them hope about the future.
It is a rare privilege to be able to share these life-changing moments with families, especially when a child is going through surgery. It binds me to them so deeply; I end up making friends for life. Every follow-up visit is like seeing my friends, people I care about, and hearing about their successes.
Lisa Arcilla, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
What makes pediatric cardiology special is that many of the conditions we encounter can be repaired or effectively managed, allowing children to lead fulfilling lives. Though we face hurdles along the way, the ever-evolving nature of our field presents exciting opportunities.
What Our Partnership With Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Means For Your Family
Your pediatrician referred you to us, and we want you to know that you’re in good hands. Our collaboration marries the best of two worlds for our patients and their families by bringing Stanford Medicine Children's Health expertise and innovation into a community-based setting that keeps families close to home. Together, our partnership provides:
- Expert Care from Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Doctors: From office visits to hospital procedures and stays at our Walnut Creek Medical Center, you can rest easy knowing that your child will be cared for by some of the nation’s top pediatric specialists—without having to travel to outside of the East Bay.
- Comprehensive Care, Conveniently Close: Any hospital-based services your child may need—ranging from simple blood work and imaging to infusion therapies—can all be conveniently done at our Walnut Creek Medical Center by staff who are highly trained in treating children of all ages, using specialized equipment designed just for children.
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU): If your child requires complex care, you’ll have the added peace of mind that our PICU—staffed 24/7 by Stanford Medicine Children’s Health doctors and John Muir Health nurses and other care providers—is right here at our Walnut Creek Medical Center. Learn more about our PICU.
Learn more about Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and our partnership.