Appointments 312.227.4403
Care at 6 Locations
Specialties & Conditions Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
Our skilled multidisciplinary team sets the Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program apart from any other ACHD programs in the Chicago area. Lisa Forbess, MD, leads the program and Andrew deFreitas, MD, directs ACHD outreach, research and imaging. Both cardiologists have specific training and experience in caring for adolescents and adults with CHD. Our surgery team includes Sunjay Kaushal, MD, PhD, Division Head of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, who is board-certified in thoracic surgery, congenital cardiac surgery and general surgery; and Michael Monge, MD, who directs adult congenital heart surgery and is board-certified in thoracic surgery. The surgical outcomes for repair of congenital heart disease at Lurie Children’s are among the best in the nation, as reported by the STS. We offer a unique adolescent to adult care transition program that is customized for each patient.
When an adolescent patient is deemed ready for transition into the ACHD program, their pediatric cardiologist will refer them to an ACHD cardiologist at Lurie Children’s. The transition from pediatric providers to an adult specialist can be overwhelming and confusing. Our ACHD providers are here to help alleviate the stress and confusion that can come with transition of care. Our new Transition Program offers education for CHD patients 15 and over. This care coordination from pediatric cardiologist to ACHD cardiologist provides a seamless continuity of care and reduces risks of problems from multiple hand-offs to different physicians.
We prioritize information sharing and education efforts on behalf of other doctors about the care ACHD patients should receive. Lurie Children’s is a member institution of the Chicago Adult Congenital Heart Network (CATCH), which is a patient-centered, multi-institutional network of ACHD programs in the metro Chicago region. CATCH was created to help ensure that all adults with CHD in the area receive appropriate follow-up care in keeping with national practice guidelines.
View a list of conditions our specialists treat.
Dr. Lisa Forbess is the Medical Director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) program at Lurie Children’s and an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Forbess graduated from Harvard Medical School and trained in Adult and Pediatric Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Forbess is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease as well as Adult Congenital Heart Disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Forbess has advanced training in echocardiography and has expertise in preconception counseling, contraceptive counseling and in the management of heart disease in pregnancy.
Dr. de Freitas is an attending of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease program at Lurie Children’s, and the Co-Director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease program at Northwestern Memorial. He is dually certified in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, as well as Pediatric Cardiology and Adult Cardiology. Additionally, Dr. de Freitas is interested in non-invasive cardiac imaging including cardiac MRI.
Dr. Michael Monge is a cardiovascular-thoracic surgeon at Lurie Children’s. He serves as our director of adult congenital heart surgery as well as director of pediatric mechanical circulatory support with dual privileges at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Monge has been practicing at Lurie Children’s since 2013.
Dr. Eltayeb has been part of the Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery team at Lurie Children’s since 2014. Additionally, he serves as an Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is board certified in Thoracic Surgery and General Surgery.
Dr. Kaushal is the Division Head of the Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery department. Dr. Kaushal is board certified in thoracic surgery, congenital cardiac surgery and general surgery. Dr. Kaushal joined Lurie Children’s in 2020.
Dr. Tannous is an attending physician in Lurie Children’s Interventional Cardiology Program and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is board certified in Pediatric Cardiology, General Pediatrics and Adult Congenital Heart Disease.
Marta is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and brings years of experience taking care of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) patients. She is a member of our ACHD team and provides consultation services both at Lurie Children’s and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Jenifer is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner who is able to provide care for patients of any age, birth through adulthood. As a member of the ACHD team, she provides care to adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease at Lurie Children’s. Jenifer provides consultation services both at Lurie Children’s and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Please call 312.227.4403 for questions or to schedule your appointment with the ACHD Program team. In addition to in-person visits, we now offer telemedicine visits via video or phone. Some appointments will still require you to be seen in-person, but your physician and care team will let you know if a telemedicine appointment is available.
Before an appointment is scheduled, please sign a Release of Information in order to obtain past medical records. Signed forms can be emailed to ACHD@luriechildrens.org or faxed to 312.227.9640 marked "Attention: ACHD".
Lurie Children’s ACHD Contact Information
225 E. Chicago Ave, Box 21
Chicago, IL 6611
P: 312.227.4403
F: 312.227.9640
225 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
2515 N. Clark Street/467 W. Deming Place
Chicago, Illinois 60614-3393
1131 Techny Road
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
25 N. Winfield Road
East Entrance
Winfield, Illinois 60190
1870 N. Silver Cross Blvd. (formerly Clinton Street)
Suite 100
New Lenox, Illinois 60451
Busse Center for Specialty Medicine
880 W. Central Rd, Ste 6400
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Check out photos from past ACHD Education events:
Register here for our upcoming ACHD Education Day on Saturday, June 20, 2020.
Learn more about adult congenital heart disease by visiting the following helpful websites.
The Division of Cardiology is committed to excellence in the care of young patients with congenital and acquired heart disease — from the fetus to the adult. Our mission is to foster a collaborative environment in which expertise in cardiac issues is cultivated through the promotion of research, education and prevention.
