Heda Marie R. Dapul, MD

I am a pediatric intensive care physician. I take care of children with serious, life-threatening diseases or injuries and complex medical conditions.

Growing up as the eldest daughter in a family of six children, I naturally assumed a leadership role and also learned the value of communication and collaboration. These traits are especially important in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where I work with a multidisciplinary team of specialist doctors, nurses, advance practice providers, respiratory therapists, pediatric pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists, speech–language pathologists, nutritionists, child life specialists, care managers, and social workers to provide comprehensive care to the sickest of children.

In the PICU, we provide organ support for conditions such as sepsis, respiratory failure, heart failure, kidney failure, cancer and severe seizures. We also take care of patients who have undergone complex surgical procedures, organ transplants, and those that need advanced technologies like mechanical ventilation, continuous video electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring, renal replacement therapy or dialysis, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

My research has primarily focused on pediatric neuro-critical care and pediatric Covid-19, but I also have a particular interest in quality improvement and safety. I designed and implemented tools and checklists that enhance communication between teams, standardize care, and reduce harm.

I am committed to ensuring that we provide exceptional medical care that is safe, evidence-based, and family-centered. I believe the best way to achieve this is to always put the patient and their family at the core of everything we do, which means involving them in daily family-centered rounds and valuing their input as we manage their child’s condition together as a team.