Carissa M. Baker-Smith, MD, MPH
CardiologyPrimary Office
Other Offices
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Nemours Children's Health, Seaford Nemours Children's Health, Seaford 49 Fallon Ave. Seaford, DE 19973 Appointment: (302) 629-5030
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Nemours Children's Health, Dover Nemours Children's Health, Dover 201 Towne Centre Drive Suite 500 Dover, DE 19904 Appointment: (302) 672-5650
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Nemours Children's Health, Middletown Nemours Children's Health, Middletown 200 Cleaver Farm Road Suite 201 Middletown, DE 19709 Appointment: (302) 378-5100
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Nemours Children's Health, Milford Nemours Children's Health, Milford 101 Wellness Way Milford, DE 19963 Appointment: (800) 416-4441
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Nemours Children's Health, Abington Nemours Children's Health, Abington 1245 Highland Ave. Suite 204 Abington, PA 19001 Appointment: (800) 416-4441
Get to Know Me
Carissa M Baker-Smith, MD, MPH, MS is a nationally recognized preventive cardiologist and transplant cardiologist, and the director of the Nemours Preventive Cardiology program. She currently serves as Chair, Atherosclerosis Hypertension and Obesity in the Young (AHOY) Subcommittee, American Heart Association Cardiovascular Disease of the Young.
Why I Treat Children
As a preventive cardiologist, I diagnose and treat children with conditions that put them at greater risk for acquired heart disease. We know that roughly 20% of youth are obese. These children are at particularly high risk for the development of hypertension, high cholesterol and for other conditions that put them at risk for early (premature) heart disease. I diagnose and treat children with congenital heart disease. Finally, in addition to specializing in pediatric preventive cardiology, I also specialize in pediatric heart transplantation.
What I'm Passionate About
I am an ardent and passionate believer in the right of all children to live healthy and productive lives. But without proper attention to matters of diet, exercise, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, we are cutting short their abilities. My medical interests include: Familial Dyslipidemia Pediatric Hypertension Pediatric Heart Transplantation Social Determinants of Health Outside of work, I am a mother, a wife, and a daughter. I am a runner, artist and gardener.
How I Try to Make A Difference
Every family has a unique story so I tailor my care to the unique needs of the children that I care for and their families.
Education & Training
Fellowship
- Pediatric Cardiology - Duke University Medical Center, 2010
- Pediatric Cardiology - Duke University Medical Center, 2007
Internship Residency
- General Pediatrics - Duke University Medical Center, 2006
Medical/Dental School
- MD - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2003
Board Certifications
- American Board of Pediatrics/General Pediatrics
- American Board of Pediatrics/Pediatric Cardiology
Awards & Recognition
- 2020 Chair, Atherosclerosis Hypertension and Obesity in the Young (AHOY) Subcommittee, American Heart Association Cardiovascular Disease of the Young
- 2020 Nemours Liaison of the Delaware ACCEL Center for Translational Research (CTR)
- 2020 Nemours Lead, Delaware Community Engagement and Outreach (CEO)
- 2019 Baltimore’s Top Doctors for 2019, Baltimore Magazine
- 2018 Baltimore’s Top Doctors for 2018, Baltimore Magazine
- 2016 Baltimore’s Top Doctors for 2016, Baltimore Magazine
Insurance Accepted
- Aetna Better Health PA Kids HMO
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna PPO/POS/EPO
- Amerihealth Caritas DE - PENNSYLVANIA SPECIALISTS ONLY
- Amerihealth Caritas Delaware
- Carefirst MD Community Health Plan Mcaid
- Cigna Lifesource Transplant
- Cigna/Great West HMO EPO POS
- Cigna/Great West PPO
- Delaware First Health
- Delaware Medicaid/Diamond State
- Delaware Medicare
- Devon Health Services
- Fidelis Care NJ Medicaid HMO
- First Health/Affordable PPO
- Geisinger Health Plan Commercial
- Global Medical Managment DE/PA
- Health Partners Medicaid/Kidz Partner HMO
- Highmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Delaware Traditional
- Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware Traditional
- Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delware HMO PPO POS EPO
- Highmark Medicaid Health Options
- Highmark PA CHIP & Commercial
- Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield NJ HMO
- Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NJ PPO
- Independence Blue Cross/Amerihealth/Keystone HMO PPO
- Insurance Administrators of America
- INTEGRA Administrative Group (ClaimsBridge)
- Interlink Transplant
- Keystone First Medicaid HMO
- Lifetrac Transplant
- Maryland Medicaid
- Multiplan PPO
- National Transplant (Humana)
- New Jersey Medicaid
- Olympus Managed Healthcare PPO DE/PA
- Pennsylvania Medicaid
- Plan Vista/NPPN PPO
- Preferred Healthcare PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS)
- Qualcare HMO/POS/PPO
- Star Healthcare Network
- Three Rivers Provider Network
- Tricare/Humana Military Health Services
- United Healthcare of the Mid-Atlantic
- UPMC MCAID/CHIP PA DE
- US Family Health Plan
- Wellpoint Maryland Medcaid
- Aortic Stenosis
- Atrial Septal Defects
- Atrioventricular Canal Defect
- Cardiomyopathy
- Coarctation of the Aorta
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
- Interrupted Aortic Arch
- Patent Ductus Arteriosis
- Pulmonary Artery Sling
- Pulmonary Atresia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Pulmonary Stenosis
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
- Transposition of the Great Arteries
- Tricuspid Atresia
- Truncus Arteriosus
- Ventricular Septal Defects
Research Activities
Dr. Baker-Smith’s research interests center around decreasing the burden of acquired heart disease, particularly among vulnerable populations, by addressing risk factors in youth via the creation of standardized practice models, outcomes research and quality improvement. At Nemours, she serves as the primary investigator for a new investigational drug (evinacumab) used for the management of youth with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.
- Carissa Baker-Smith, MD, MPH, MS Nemours. ACCEL Rapid Grant. Barriers to Utilization and Impact on Patient Experience and Outcomes: Early Experience of Telehealth in Pediatric Cardiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Familial Hypercholesterolemia Drug Trial
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Impact of race and health coverage on listing and waitlist mortality in pediatric cardiac transplantation; Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation; (2023).
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Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.; Circulation; (2023).
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Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association; Circulation; (2023).
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Association of Area Deprivation With Primary Hypertension Diagnosis Among Youth Medicaid Recipients in Delaware.; JAMA network open; (2023).
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Telehealth and Application of Appropriate Use Criteria for Pediatric Transthoracic Echocardiography; Pediatric Cardiology; (2022).
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Nutrition interventions for youth with dyslipidemia: a National Lipid Association clinical perspective; Journal of Clinical Lipidology; (2022).
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Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Children and Adolescents: 2022 Update: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association; Hypertension; (2022).
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Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Mitigating Health Disparities Across the Lifespan in Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association; Journal of the American Heart Association; (2022).
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Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Cardiovascular Disease in Children and Adolescents: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.; Journal of the American Heart Association; (2021).
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Impact of Social Determinants and Digital Literacy on Telehealth Acceptance for Pediatric Cardiology Care Delivery during the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.; The Journal of pediatrics; (2021).
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Pediatric Ambulatory Blood Pressure Classification: The Case for a Change.; Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979); (2021).
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Health Care Policy and Congenital Heart Disease: 2020 Focus on Our 2030 Future.; Journal of the American Heart Association; (2021).
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Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II is associated with global vascular disease.; Orphanet journal of rare diseases; (2021).
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Arch intervention following stage 1 palliation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome is associated with slower feed advancement: A report from the National Pediatric Quality Cardiology Improvement Collaborative; Cardiology in the Young; (2020).
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Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Youth: An Important Marker of Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association; Circulation; (2020).
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Echocardiographic assessment of mechanical circulatory support and heart transplant; Progress in Pediatric Cardiology; (2020).
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Recommendations for exercise and screening for safe athletic participation in hypertensive youth; Pediatric Nephrology; (2020).
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Preventing Premature Atherosclerotic Disease; Current Hypertension Reports; (2020).
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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, COVID-19, and the Renin-Angiotensin System: Pressing Needs and Best Research Practices; Hypertension; (2020).
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Aligning Adult and Pediatric Blood Pressure Guidelines; Hypertension; (2019).
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Diagnosis, management, and treatment of systemic hypertension in youth, updates from the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guideline; Lifestyle Medicine: Third Edition; (2019).
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Systematic reviews: A small fraction of the evidence used to generate the 2017 clinical pediatric hypertension clinical practice guideline; Journal of Hypertension; (2019).
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Research gaps in primary pediatric hypertension; Pediatrics; (2019).
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The use of nonnutritive sweeteners in children; Pediatrics; (2019).
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The landscape of cardiovascular care in pediatric cancer patients and survivors: A survey by the ACC Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Work Group; Cardio-Oncology; (2019).
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Exercise testing in hypertension and hypertension in athletes; Pediatric Hypertension; (2018).
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Cardiovascular disease in the young council's science and clinical education lifelong learning committee: Year in review; Journal of the American Heart Association; (2018).
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Development of quality metrics for ambulatory pediatric cardiology: Transposition of the great arteries after arterial switch operation; Congenital Heart Disease; (2018).
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Erratum: Subcommittee on screening and management of high blood pressure in children. Clinical practice guideline for screening and management of high blood pressure in children and adolescents (Pediatrics (2017) 140:3 (e20171904) DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-1904); Pediatrics; (2018).
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Diagnosis, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in children and adolescents; Pediatrics; (2018).
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The simplified table in the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics childhood hypertension guideline performs exactly as intended; Journal of hypertension; (2018).
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Clinical practice guideline for screening and management of high blood pressure in children and adolescents; Pediatrics; (2017).
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Description of Antihypertensive Medication Use in a Pediatric Practice: Single and Multiple Antihypertensive Medication Therapy; Journal of Clinical Hypertension; (2017).
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Development of Quality Metrics in Ambulatory Pediatric Cardiology; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (2017).
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Databases for congenital heart defect public health studies across the lifespan; Journal of the American Heart Association; (2016).
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Safe and Effective Use of Pharmacologic and Device Therapy for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy; Pharmacotherapy; (2016).
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Predictors of Prolonged Hospital Length of Stay Following Stage II Palliation of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (and Variants): Analysis of the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC) Database; Pediatric Cardiology; (2015).
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Predictors of prolonged length of intensive care unit stay after stage i palliation: A report from the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative; Pediatric Cardiology; (2014).
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Lifestyle interventions for blood pressure control in children and adolescents; Nutrition, Lifestyle Factors, and Blood Pressure; (2012).
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Variation in Postoperative Care following Stage I Palliation for Single-ventricle Patients: A Report from the Joint Council on Congenital Heart Disease National Quality Improvement Collaborative; Congenital Heart Disease; (2011).
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Cough in pediatric patients receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy or angiotensin receptor blocker therapy in randomized controlled trials; Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; (2010).
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Double aortic arch with aortic atresia and left-sided type B interruption; Congenital Heart Disease; (2010).
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Erratum: Racial differences in blood pressure response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in children: A meta-analysis (Clinical Pharmacology Therapeutics (2008) 84, (315-319)); Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; (2008).
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Pediatric antihypertensive trial failures: Analysis of end points and dose range; Hypertension; (2008).
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Racial differences in blood pressure response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in children: A meta-analysis; Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; (2008).
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The economic returns of pediatric clinical trials of antihypertensive drugs; American Heart Journal; (2008).
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Chemokines and chemokine receptors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis; (2000).
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