Forward Pediatric Alliance

In December 2024, Children’s Wisconsin and UW Health Kids announced the creation of Forward Pediatric Alliance, a joint venture to advance the health of pediatric and congenital heart disease patients from fetal life through adulthood by delivering outstanding clinical outcomes, driving research and training the next generation of health care providers. By combining strengths, this collaboration expands access, elevates both organizations’ already high quality of care and builds a foundation for innovation.

Forward Pediatric Alliance is a model for multi-system collaboration. Though parent organizations Children’s Wisconsin and UW Health Kids remain independent, in the cardiac realm they now function as a “one program, two campus” model. Through the alliance, more than 80 pediatric specialists from cardiology, surgery, anesthesiology and critical care will work as one integrated team. 

A Unified Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Team

At the heart of Forward Pediatric Alliance is a shared culture built on trust, collaboration and a commitment to the best outcomes for patients. Jake Jaquiss, MD, Co-Medical Director of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin, emphasizes that the strength of the program lies in the concept that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. “This partnership is not about what each organization brings separately, but about what we become together — better, bigger and bolder — bringing truly excellent care to all of the patients in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest,” said Dr. Jaquiss.