Physicians with Heart: Michelle Wallace, MD

Children’s Cardiology pediatric cardiologist Michelle Wallace, MD, said she loves the anatomy and constantly furthering her knowledge of how to best care for patients with CHD. But what really keeps her going each day are the patient and family relationships she has gained as a doctor at Children’s Cardiology for the past 10 years.

“I’m so fortunate to have long-term patients whose families have entrusted me with their care since they were in the womb,” Dr. Wallace said. “You sometimes don’t realize how you’ve impacted someone until later, especially as they go through really tough experiences.”

Being part of a team that provides the highest level of both primary and specialty care all in one place, gives Dr. Wallace an enduring sense of satisfaction. CHOA is dedicated to improving the quality of life of patients not just in Atlanta, but across the state, and she said her colleagues are outstanding in several ways.

They’re not just smart people, brilliant people, but they are dedicated and kind people,” Dr. Wallace said. “They, of course, know how to deal with a range of complex diseases, but they are also focused on making a family’s experience as good as it can be, from their first interaction with us to the last. I really appreciate that attentiveness to detail. Smart is expected, but their dedication to families is next level.”

Dr. Wallace said the best compliments she receives are from families who say Children’s Cardiology ensured they felt respected and heard as a member of the care team. She said the team at Children’s Cardiology makes it a point not only to educate families about their child’s condition, but to listen to them as well.

In addition to interacting with her colleagues and ensuring that her patients receive the best care possible, Dr. Wallace loves to travel and hang out with family. With international travel destinations taken off the table currently due to the pandemic, she’s taken up hiking in the North Georgia mountains and developed a fascination with waterfalls.

“I realized there’s a lot of Georgia that I haven’t seen, so I’ve been taking advantage of exploring the state,” Dr. Wallace said. “COVID has reminded me that fresh air and smelling the roses is important for both our mental and physical health.”

Michelle Wallace, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Medical school: Morehouse School of Medicine
Residency: Children’s National Medical Center
Fellowship: Duke University Medical Center

Bio sketch

Dr. Michelle Wallace joined Children’s Cardiology Heart Center cardiology in 2010 after completing her fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. However, she was no stranger to Georgia or Atlanta having completed medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include management of patients with dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides), prenatal management of congenital heart disease (fetal cardiology), and general care of patients with congenital heart disease from birth to adolescence. She is the Assistant Program Director for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology’s Preventive Cardiology program and in addition to her faculty duties for Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Wallace also serves as the Cardiology Rotation Course Director for Morehouse School of Medicine where she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor. Dr. Wallace sees patients at our Newnan, Stockbridge and Villa Rica outpatient clinics. She is part of our preventive cardiology program, fetal cardiology program and our City Call team.

Clinic locations

Newnan
Stockbridge
Villa Rica

Areas of focus

Fetal cardiology
Preventive cardiology
Resident education

Clinical interests

General care of patients with congenital heart disease
Prenatal diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease
Care of patients with dyslipidemia (cholesterol or triglyceride abnormalities) and hypertension (high blood pressure)

Research interests