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25 t m c » p u l s e | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 8 under the armpit makes the scar almost invisible and the incision site does not interfere with the development of the chest wall. Still, the procedure has a long way to go to gain widespread acceptance. "It really is the minority of us who feel comfortable or feel that it is the right thing to do a thoracotomy when there is a ventricular septal defect," said Luca Vricella, M.D., chief of pediatric heart transplantation at Johns Hopkins Medicine as well as the director of pediatric cardiac surgery. "But having said that, if the results are good, and the incision is small, you can't complain. And maybe it is something we should embrace in the community." Reaching for the big leagues Four days after surgery, Ethan was discharged from Children's Memorial Hermann. He walked out of the hospital on his own. "When I woke up from the surgery, it felt like someone was punching me or stabbing me," Ethan recalled, a few days into recuperation. "But I'm feeling better now. I've been playing the Wii and talking with my friends." One month post- surgery, Ethan returned to the baseball field. "At my first practice back, I was kind of wor- ried if I stretched too far that my stitches would break," he said. "But after that, it was fine and I haven't been in too much pain." His coaches weren't pushing him too hard, but after that first prac- tice, Ethan told his mom he was done with that. "They were very patient and under- standing," Julie explained. "They said he could sit out or take it easy. After his four-week checkup, Ethan told me to text his coaches to tell them, 'Don't take it easy on me!'" Just after Labor Day, Ethan played his first game of the season with the Dynasty. He helped lead the team to a 13-2 victory by striking out four players. When he grows up, he wants to follow in the footsteps of his favorite Astros player, George Springer, and compete in Major League Baseball (MLB). He already knows how he will give back once he becomes famous: he's going to visit patients at Children's Memorial Hermann. "When I play in the MLB, I want to come back and visit the kids here and give them my money," Ethan said. • Houston area's only MPH program in healthcare management • One of only five MPH programs in healthcare management in the nation accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) • Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center • Diverse faculty includes researchers, consultants, former executives and current administrators of major healthcare organizations • Offers degree and certificate programs in the fast-growing field of healthcare management Housed in UTHealth School of Public Health, the George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management provides rigorous training in healthcare management paired with a one-of-a-kind focus on population health. Learn more about our programs go.uth.edu/flemingcenter L E A R N F R O M L E A D E R S I N H E A LT H C A R E M A N A G E M E N T