Meet Tammy Sweeten

In December 2025, Electrophysiology (EP) Technologist Tammy Sweeten and Director of Cardiac EP Dr. Maully Shah from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) visited Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Bengalore, India to create awareness and improve pediatric arrhythmia care.

Over the three-day visit, Tammy provided hands-on training to the local nursing and technical support team at Narayana Health to help them remain at the cutting edge of global standards. Visits like this give Children’s HeartLink medical volunteers the opportunity to share their expertise and knowledge and learn from colleagues who work in a different context.

Tammy shares her reflection, gratitude and insights from this transformative experience in her own words.

Dr. Atul Prabhu (left) and Tammy Sweeten (right)

“I would like to thank the many individuals, across a wide range of roles, who made this opportunity possible. This experience was truly eye-opening and resulted in significant personal and professional growth.

I initially believed I was making a sacrifice by working over the holidays; however, I did not realize how much I would ultimately receive in return.

My experience began in the lab with a highly trained team that demonstrated exceptional communication and collaboration while working toward a shared goal: achieving the best possible patient outcomes. The lab served as a powerful example of how teamwork is far stronger than individual effort alone. Following the case, I had the privilege of hearing the story of the visionary who created the medical complex in Bangalore. It was an experience that was both inspiring and humbling. Seeing his dream brought to life was truly remarkable.

This experience greatly expanded my perspective on how hospitals support their communities and on the depth of generosity demonstrated within them. The obstacles physicians must overcome to provide medical care require extraordinary perseverance. Witnessing how much people give to others in their community was profoundly moving. The compassion and tireless efforts of the physicians and staff were unmatched. The selfless work ethic of the medical team was inspiring. It was humbling to realize that my greatest challenges often involve simply doing my job. I do not have to worry about access to supplies, transportation, health insurance, or cutting expenses while still striving to provide high-quality care.

Dr. Maully Shah (second from left) and Tammy Sweeten (middle) with Trans Thiracic Echocardiogram team after lab.

The gratitude expressed by the people we supported was deeply moving. Integrating into their lab and contributing to cases was seamless. The professional interactions, combined with the sharing of our collective expertise, allowed us to provide optimal patient care. Being able to bring supplies to the lab was especially rewarding and reinforced the importance of our work.

In addition, I had an impromptu opportunity of speaking in front of a diverse audience at various stages of training. Given more time, I would like to do more teaching with an interactive case presentation.

Overall, this experience left a lasting impact on me both professionally and personally, and I am deeply thankful to everyone who made it possible.”

Give Now to Support Training Visits

Supported by Children’s HeartLink donors, Narayana Health and CHOP, this training visit enabled global collaboration and exchange in medicine. While challenges in pediatric heart care vary across regions, the shared learning afforded by visits like this continues to help medical teams overcome them together and save the lives of children with congenital heart disease.

We thank Tammy Sweeten for highlighting the impact training visits have on medical volunteers.