Geisinger Welcomes Pediatric Cardiologist Into Leadership Role Shuping Ge, M.D., has joined Geisinger as system chair of the Department of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiology. A specialist in pediatric cardiology, Dr. Ge cares for babies before and after birth, children and adolescents with congenital heart disease. He has clinical and translational research interest and expertise in non-invasive cardiovascular imaging, fetal cardiology and pediatric preventive cardiology. Dr. Ge joins pediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgeon Gerhard Ziemer, M.D., Ph.D., to lead Geisinger’s congenital heart program, which cares for patients from their prenatal days through adulthood. An avid academic, Dr. Ge will also mentor future providers and scientists as a Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree at Shandong University School of Medicine in Jinan, Shandong, China, and conducted research in cardiovascular ultrasound at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland and Wake Forest University Bowman Grey School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Ge completed his residency in pediatrics at St. Vincent’s Hospital & Medical Center in New York City and his fellowship training in pediatric cardiology at The Children’s Hospital, University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Denver. Before joining Geisinger, Dr. Ge held clinical leadership roles at Children’s Hospital of Iowa, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, in Iowa City, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, and Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, New Jersey. He’s also held professorships at University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and Temple University College of Medicine. Dr. Ge is certified in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology by the American Board of Pediatrics, and he has a subspecialty certification in pediatric cardiac magnetic resonance imaging from the American College of Radiology. He has practiced fetal, pediatric, and preventive cardiology for 20 years and has been named a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly, US News and World Report, Philadelphia Magazine and America’s Most Honored Doctors. His collaborative and translational research in cardiovascular imaging, fetal cardiology and pediatric preventive cardiology has been funded by the American Heart Association and National Institutes of Health, and he’s authored or co-authored about 250 published scholarly works.
Geisinger Surgeon Completes 200th Robotic Assisted Pediatric Spine Surgery As of May 2021, Geisinger’s Dr. Meagan Fernandez has performed more than 200 robotic-assisted pediatric spine surgeries at the Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute. Geisinger’s Musculoskeletal Institute is the only pediatric hospital in Pennsylvania using robotic assisted technology for pediatric spine surgery. Robotic-assisted spine surgery has already been used in adults. But those surgeries are largely focused in the lumbar spine, where the robot guides the surgeon in placing a small number of screws. In pediatric surgeries, the surgeon covers a much larger area with significantly more screws. Dr. Fernandez specializes in treating pediatric sports injuries, ACL reconstruction and meniscus injuries, fractures and traumatic injuries, and scoliosis. For her pediatric spine surgeries, she uses the Medtronic Renaissance™ system, the first robotic spine assist technology used in Pennsylvania to treat pediatric patients with scoliosis that requires surgery. Renaissance™ is designed to improve the safety and accuracy of implant placement in spine surgery. A certified child life specialist accompanies Dr. Fernandez during clinic to help young patients cope using play therapy and activities. The child life team also helps children understand why they are getting certain tests and can answer questions about the equipment. Dr. Fernandez joined Geisinger in 2011 and is a 2005 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed an orthopedic surgery residency in 2010 at UPMC Pinnacle in Harrisburg and a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellowship in 2011 at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Fernandez is a member of professional organizations including the Scoliosis Research Society, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North American, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.
