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Physicians with Heart: Dr. Alice Hales-Kharazmi

It’s commonly said that most people in Atlanta come from someplace else, but Alice Hales-Kharazmi, MD, is a true Atlanta native and her roots go deep. She completed her medical training at Emory University School of Medicine and joined Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Heart Cardiology in 2016. Dr. Hales-Kharazmi is a part of our City Call Program and provides inpatient cardiology consultation at Scottish Rite, Egleston and Northside Hospital, and she is a member of the multidisciplinary Pulmonary Hypertension team, seeing patients in Pulmonary Hypertension clinic.

“The teams at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Heart Center and Cardiology have a wide variety of interests, expertise and resources to provide excellent patient care,” Dr. Hales-Kharazmi said. “The pulmonary hypertension team focuses on putting patients first and thinking of patients and families in terms of whole care, considering how treatments and testing affects family dynamics and what they are able to do.”

Dr. Hales-Kharazmi enjoys making connections with people in her role as a clinician and having an impact on patients and families. Her goal is to help her patients live full and healthy lives and to work with families to manage their conditions long-term.

Pulmonary hypertension is a disorder of the blood vessels in the lungs that results in elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. Congenital heart disease can contribute to the development of pulmonary hypertension, as can premature birth and underdevelopment of the lungs. Children with pulmonary hypertension need coordinated care from specialists who have experience in managing the specific drugs and therapies used to treat it. At Children’s Pulmonary Hypertension clinic, the multispecialty team includes three pediatric cardiologists, four pediatric pulmonologists, three pediatric nurse practitioners and a social worker.

Pulmonary hypertension can be treated several ways depending on the cause and severity, and treatment is personalized for each patient. If there is an underlying cause (e.g., lung disease or obstructive sleep apnea), the first step is to treat that condition. Treatment can also include oral medications, oxygen, inhaled medications and, in severe cases, continuous I.V. or subcutaneous medications.

Because kids with pulmonary hypertension sometimes need to work around certain limitations, Dr. Hales-Kharazmi focuses on ensuring that the families are comfortable with management of the condition and ensures her patients can do the activities they would like to do, if possible.

Dr. Hales-Kharazmi enjoys long distance running and has participated in several half marathons. She also likes to hike with her family, and she is teaching her two young kids to love the outdoors.

Alice Hales-Kharazmi, MD

Education

  • Medical school: Emory University School of Medicine
  • Residency: Emory University School of Medicine
  • Fellowship: Emory University School of Medicine

Areas of Focus

  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • General Cardiology

 

For more information about Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology and our pediatric cardiology specialists, click here.

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