Meet Dr. Van Anh Nguyen

“I specialized in pediatric cardiology because I’m amazed by how the heart works and pumps. And I really love kids,”

says Dr. Van Anh Nguyen who’s been at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (VNCH) since 2017, the same year the hospital began its partnership with Children’s HeartLink and the University of California, San Francisco. “I feel inspiration while doing echocardiograms, during clinic and when in the ICU taking care of children with heart disease.”

Van Anh with Malaysian doctor and Children’s HeartLink country director Adriana Dobrzycka.

With the support of Children’s HeartLink, she spent six months as a Fellow at our Center of Excellence Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) in Malaysia.

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Her experience highlights how pivotal Children’s HeartLink’s Centers of Excellence are in advancing the knowledge and skills of medical professionals in lower resource environments. Centers of Excellence serve as beacons in the global community—supporting medical professionals in transforming and strengthening children’s heart care in their own countries.

In 2026, Vietnam National Children’s Hospital was designated as a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence, joining IJN and others in transforming care for their region, locally and internationally, through training medical professionals like Van Anh.

In Van Anh’s own words (edited for clarity), get a glimpse into the impact that Children’s HeartLink Centers of Excellence have when they support vital medical professionals who go on to improve and expand heart care for children in their home country.

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Fellowship Learnings

Van Anh with medical professionals at IJN.

“I started with basic skills and concepts in heart anatomy because VNCH is still developing advanced techniques. We have echocardiograms and CT scans, but to go deep inside these techniques and modalities, you have to have more understanding about the details of the heart.

I learned the most from the morning discussions because all the complex cases are brought there. I learned the concepts and how they work with patients. By doing reconstructions and Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance scans, I know more about the functions of the heart and more deeply its anatomy.”

Fellowship’s Impact on Van Anh’s Work at Home

Improved Treatments

“These learnings have great impact on the work I do in Vietnam. The more details I know, the more I can deal with the tiny heart.

Van Anh with IJN heart care team.

When I know these details about the tiny heart’s condition, like what structures have defects, I can better inform the surgeon and improve interventions before the procedure. It’s very important to talk about these in advance so the best plan for patients can be tailored in every case.”

Sharing Knowledge and Joining a Global Community

“Because I went to Malaysia and learned new things, I grew up more. I can help my patients and colleagues understand more about heart defects.

I also collaborated with people around the world. During my Fellowship, I met colleagues from Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines. I shared ideas with them and they shared ideas with me. I learned about collaborating on the details. Every case discussion we had was very detailed and collaborative.”

Pediatric cardiac care is a highly-specialized field and requires a multi-disciplinary approach to care. Training local hospital teams in building and growing their heart care programs is the sustainable approach to providing lifesaving care to more children born with heart disease.

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