Global Cardiac Alliance

Global Cardiac Alliance Every Child Deserves World-Class Heart Care. No Matter Where They Are In The World.

The Global Cardiac Alliance is committed to sustainable health care for children with cardiac disease in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Since Global Cardiac Alliance launched in 2014, we’ve remained committed to the highest level of transparency and reporting as a leading international charity, serving hundreds of children each year who are born with heart disease. The Global Cardiac Alliance has earned GuideStar’s 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency by publicly sharing our key metrics and highlighting the impact we’re making in children’s lives around the world. We’re also honored to have 100-OUT-OF-100 “Give with Confidence” rating for Accounting and Finance by Charity Navigator, a trusted resource for donors and investors.

12/26/2025

Every 90 seconds, a child dies from something completely preventable…

In many countries, the cost of life-saving heart surgery is about $5,000, a fraction of what it costs in the US. But the real breakthrough isn’t just funding one operation. It’s what happens after.

At Global Cardiac Alliance, we don’t fly in to perform a few surgeries and disappear. We stay, teaching, training, and mentoring local doctors to build independent cardiac programmes.

Last year, we operated on 380 children across Africa and Southeast Asia. But the true impact? The surgeons we trained will save ten times more, long after we’ve left.

Together, we’re not just changing lives, we’re changing healthcare systems.

Comment HEART to get your Free Impact Report and see how your support creates lasting change for children worldwide ❤️‍🩹

12/26/2025

Forget counting surgeries - this one thing tells me more about impact than anything else... 👁

A pediatric heart surgeon discovered that the fastest way to create lasting change is to focus on THIS one thing:

Local team independence 💪

Here's why it matters more than everything else:

Surgeries performed ≠ lives saved long-term

You can operate on 50 children during a trip, but if no local capacity exists, thousands more will die after you leave.

One independent team = decades of impact

A trained local team operates for 20-30+ years. That's thousands of children saved from one investment.

The goal is to become unnecessary ✨

When the local team doesn't need us anymore, we've succeeded.

How we measure it:

🎯 Can the local team operate independently?

🎯 Are outcomes stable without us?

🎯 Is leadership transitioning to local staff?

🎯 Are they training the next generation?

I can predict 80% of a program's long-term impact from local team independence alone.

Follow for more on sustainable global health! 🚀

12/26/2025

Everyone becomes a global health expert after reading one article... 👁

Sorry, but if you've never trained a local surgical team, never spent years building capacity, or evaluated a pediatric cardiac program... I don't want your "medical missions don't work" opinion.

Random people with zero experience confidently declare:

❌ "Medical missions are just white savior tourism"

❌ "Just send money, not volunteers"

❌ "Local hospitals should do this themselves"

❌ "It's too complex to solve"

Meanwhile, they've NEVER:

- Trained a local surgeon to independence
- Returned to the same site year after year
- Watched a local team operate independently for the first time
- Built a program that outlasts their involvement ✨

The problem with uninformed opinions: 🚨

They discourage donors from supporting programs that actually work. They paint all medical missions with the same brush. And they ignore 30+ years of proven results.

The difference between sustainable programs and "charity tourism" is measurable. Ask about exit strategies. Ask about graduated sites. Ask about local leadership.

Tired of uninformed opinions? Follow for perspectives from 30+ years of actual fieldwork. 🔬

12/24/2025

Most medical missions aren’t helping, they’re making the problem worse…😳

I’m Dr. Bill Novick. After 30 years in pediatric cardiac surgery, I’ve seen the “fly-in, fly-out” model fail the very children it aims to help.

Here’s the reality: a team arrives, performs 20 surgeries, takes photos, and leaves. When they go home, local doctors aren’t better equipped, and the next year, the same children are still waiting.

At Global Cardiac Alliance, we do things differently. We stay 3–7 years at each site, mentoring, teaching, and building full cardiac teams who can save lives long after we’ve gone.

We don’t just heal hearts, we build healthcare systems that last. ❤️‍🩹

Comment HEART to get your Free Impact Report and see how we’re creating sustainable change, one child at a time ❤️

12/22/2025

Not all medical missions are created equal. Here's how to spot the ones that actually work... 👁

10 signs a medical mission is actually making sustainable change:

1. They stay for years, not days 🎯

3-7 years at each site. Multiple trips per year.

2. Local staff lead surgeries progressively

The visiting team's role shrinks as local surgeons take the lead.

3. They have an exit strategy ✨

The program is designed to make itself unnecessary.

4. Local teams continue after they leave

The real test: does the program continue when the international team isn't there?

5. They train the entire team

Nurses, perfusionists, anesthesiologists, ICU staff - everyone.

6. Former sites now operate independently 🚨

A track record of graduated sites proves the model works.

7. Each patient is a teaching opportunity

Mentored education means local staff gain experience with every case.

8. They measure long-term outcomes

Not just surgery counts - are local teams sustaining quality independently?
ㅤ
9. They transition to the next site

Once a site is independent, they move on to help the next community.

10. They've been doing this for decades

30+ years of proven results shows this isn't a trend.

How many of these does YOUR favorite charity demonstrate? Drop the number! 👇

12/20/2025

Most people have never thought about pediatric heart disease - but these facts change everything... 👁

7 facts about childhood heart disease that might not be on your radar (Pediatric heart surgeon approved):

1. 1 in 100 babies are born with heart defects 🧬

That's 1.35 million children worldwide every year. It's the most common birth defect on earth.

2. Most can be corrected with surgery

These aren't mysterious conditions. We have the knowledge and techniques to fix the vast majority.

3. Geography determines survival 📍

In the US or Europe? 95%+ survival. Born in sub-Saharan Africa? Death is common.

4. Training one team saves thousands

A fully trained local team can operate independently for decades.

5. It takes 3-7 years to build capacity 🔥

Real surgical training isn't a weekend workshop. We stay for years.

6. Every child is a teaching tool

Every surgery is an opportunity to train local staff using hands-on mentored education.

7. This work has been happening since 1994

Over 30 years of proven results across 35+ countries.

Which fact surprised you most? Comment the number 1-7! 👁

12/19/2025

There’s one I’ll never forget. A tiny patient whose surgery changed everything, not just for their family, but for the entire hospital…

That day, the local team performed their first complex heart surgery with only guidance from us. I watched their confidence grow with every step, from anaesthesia to post-op care, until they realised, “We can do this.”

That moment mattered more than anything.

Because when local doctors gain the skills and confidence to operate independently, it doesn’t just save one life, it creates a ripple effect.

Every surgery becomes a lesson. Every lesson builds a system. And that system saves thousands of children long after we’ve gone.

This is what sustainable medicine looks like, and it’s how we end the global crisis of preventable child deaths.

Comment HEART to get your Free Impact Report, and see how your support helps local teams perform life-saving surgeries every day ❤️‍🩹

12/18/2025

Three decades of saving children's hearts has taught me some uncomfortable truths... 👁

Advice I would give you as a pediatric heart surgeon of 30+ years, if I wasn't afraid of hurting your feelings:

🚨 Your "feel-good" donation to fly-in missions might be creating dependency

When foreign teams leave, children keep dying. Without building local capacity, nothing sustainable changes.

🚨 A child's birthplace shouldn't determine if they live or die

Same heart defect. 95% survival in wealthy countries. Death sentence in others. The only difference is access to trained teams.

🚨 Short-term charity often creates long-term problems

We've been taught that helping means swooping in. Real help means training local teams until THEY can save lives.

🚨 Your compassion fatigue is costing children their futures

I've watched donors give once, feel good, then move on. Meanwhile, 280-380 children per year still need surgery.

🚨 "I'll donate next year" often means never

Children born today with heart defects can't wait. The surgery they need exists NOW.

30+ years has shown me that honest advice changes outcomes more than gentle encouragement.

What's the hardest truth you've had to accept? Comment below 👇

12/17/2025

After 30+ years of operating on children's hearts around the world, I've learned a powerful truth... 👁

A pediatric heart surgeon once said: "The children we save aren't surviving because of luck." And the reason isn't what you think.

It's not about having the best equipment. It's not about flying in famous surgeons. It's not even about the money.

The children who survive have ONE thing in common: Access to trained LOCAL teams.

Here's what that means:

🎯 Local surgeons who don't leave after a week

🎯 Nurses who know the post-op protocols by heart

🎯 Perfusionists who've run hundreds of bypasses

🎯 ICU staff who catch complications early

We've spent 30+ years building these teams from scratch. 3-7 years at each site. 15-20 trips per year. Until they don't need us anymore.

That's not luck. That's sustainable change. Follow for more truths about global health 🫀

12/16/2025

As a heart surgeon who’s cared for thousands of children, I can tell you, some symptoms should never be ignored.

🚨 5 warning signs of a potential heart problem in kids:

1️⃣ Bluish lips or fingertips – may indicate their blood isn’t getting enough oxygen.

2️⃣ Extreme fatigue or trouble keeping up – constant tiredness isn’t normal for a child.

3️⃣ Fast or heavy breathing (even at rest) – especially while sitting, playing, or sleeping.

4️⃣ Poor weight gain or feeding difficulties – in babies, this can be an early red flag.

5️⃣ Chest pain or fainting during activity – rare, but always requires immediate medical attention.

It’s natural to feel worried, but early detection can save a life. Follow us for trusted, real-world advice on children’s heart health, straight from the operating room ❤️‍🩹

12/15/2025

A mother walked 300 miles with her dying baby in her arms…😳

and after all that, she was told the most devastating words a parent can hear: “The surgery your child needs doesn’t exist here.”
ㅤ
I’m Dr. Bill Novick, and I’ve seen this heartbreak far too many times.

Parents selling everything they own… sleeping on hospital floors… praying their child will survive long enough to reach care that should be available in their own country.
ㅤ
The real tragedy isn’t the distance. It’s the fact that in many countries:

– There are no trained surgeons for children
– No pediatric ICUs
– No sustainable cardiac programs
– And thousands of children die simply because the system isn’t there
ㅤ
Here’s the good news: this is fixable. At Global Cardiac Alliance, we’re changing the story by building care that lasts:
ㅤ
❤️ Training local doctors & nurses to perform life-saving heart surgeries

🏥 Creating sustainable, affordable programs so care stays long after we leave

👶 Helping children get treatment at home, without families losing everything

🌍 Strengthening health systems so the next child doesn’t have to travel 300 miles
ㅤ
Every time we train a team, a mother’s story changes from despair… to survival. From “there’s nothing we can do” to “your child will live.”
ㅤ
Comment HEART to get your Free Impact Report and see how your support is saving children who would otherwise have no chance ❤️‍🩹

12/13/2025

After decades in pediatric cardiac surgery, here’s the truth no one tells you about your child’s heart… ❤️‍🩹

Most children with heart disease don’t look sick. They compensate so well that early symptoms get brushed off as “normal”. But the earlier we catch these signs, the higher the chance of survival, and long-term health.

Here are the patterns I see repeatedly across thousands of cases:
🫁 Children who breathe fast but don’t complain

Their bodies adapt quietly, masking the pressure on the heart.
🍼 Feeding that takes too long or feels exhausting

This is often the first real clue something deeper is going on.
📉 Eating normally but not gaining weight

A child’s heart may be burning through energy just to function.
💙 Moments of blue lips or fingertips

Even brief episodes can signal low oxygen levels and should never be ignored.
If you notice any of these signs, here’s what I recommend:

✔️ Request an echocardiogram, it’s simple, safe, and reveals what symptoms cannot.
✔️ Get a second opinion, ideally from a paediatric cardiologist.
✔️ Track symptoms over time, especially feeding, breathing, and colour changes.
✔️ Trust your instincts, parents often recognise early warning signs before anyone else.

Through the Global Cardiac Alliance, my team and I work in low and middle income countries to help local doctors identify these signs early and deliver life saving care where it’s needed most. 🌍❤️
Follow for more advice that could save a child’s life.

Which sign do you think parents overlook the most? 👇

Disclaimer, This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any concerns about your child’s health.

Address

1750 Madison Avenue Suite 500
Memphis, TN
38104

Telephone

(901) 302-9500

Website

https://linktr.ee/cardiacalliance

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Our Story

The Novick Cardiac Alliance is committed to bringing sustainable health care solutions to children with cardiac disease in the developing world. We are dedicated to improving the skills, knowledge, technology and experience of local health care providers in regions of the world without access to quality Pediatric Cardiac Care. We aim to provide comprehensive care to all children with congenital or acquired heart disease regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, political ideation, genetic factors or economic means. Our vision is that in the future all children with heart disease, no matter where they are born, will be able to receive the medical and surgical care they require to live a long and healthy life.