Introduction: December 2015 HeartWeek Issue of Cardiology in the Young - Highlights of HeartWeek 2015: Challenges and Dilemmas of Pediatric Cardiac Care including Heart Failure in Children and Congenital Abnormalities of the Coronary Arteries.

Abstract

This December Issue of Cardiology in the Young represents the 13th annual publication in Cardiology in the Young generated from the two meetings that composed "HeartWeek in Florida". "HeartWeek in Florida", the joint collaborative project sponsored by the Cardiac Centre at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, together with Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute of Saint Petersburg, Florida, averages over 1000 attendees every year and is now recognised as one of the major planks of continuing medical and nursing education for those working in the fields of diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease in the foetus, neonate, infant, child, and adult. "HeartWeek in Florida" combines the International Symposium on Congenital Heart Disease, organised by All Children's Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine, and entering its 16th year, with the Annual Postgraduate Course in Paediatric Cardiovascular Disease, organised by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia entering its 19th year. This December 2015 Issue of Cardiology in the Young features highlights of the two meetings that compose HeartWeek. Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute's 15th Annual International Symposium on Congenital Heart Disease was held at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Saint Petersburg, Florida, from Friday, 6 February, 2015, to Monday, 9 February, 2015. This Symposium was co-sponsored by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and its special focus was "Congenital Abnormalities of the Coronary Arteries". The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's annual meeting - Cardiology 2015, the 18th Annual Update on Paediatric and Congenital Cardiovascular Disease: "Challenges and Dilemmas" - was held at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona, from Wednesday, 11 February, 2015, to Sunday, 15 February, 2015. We would like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions made to paediatric and congenital cardiac care by Juan Valentín Comas, MD, PhD (13 May, 1960 to 16 June, 2015) and Donald Nixon Ross, FRCS (4 October, 1922 to 7 July, 2014); and therefore, we dedicate this December 2015 HeartWeek Issue of Cardiology in the Young to them.