Megan Rodts, MD

My clinical specialty is general pediatrics, and I am currently training in fellowship for general pediatric cardiology. I grew up in a family with a physician father and a nurse practitioner mother. I saw my parents dedicate their lives to serving other people, both inside and outside of the hospital. This experience had a profound impact on me, teaching me the value of service through the practice of medicine. I love the idea of caring for patients across their lifespan — from a young age when they may be critically ill, through their teen years and into adulthood.

Throughout my education, I was drawn to science and fascinated by the problem-solving process. Over time, I realized I had a strong interest in human interactions and development through psychology studies. I chose pediatrics because of a drive to serve patients throughout development.

As a pediatric cardiologist-in-training, I have an intense fascination with congenital heart disease and how each patient has a slightly different puzzle to solve. Practicing in cardiology requires robust knowledge and understanding of fluid dynamics and cause and effect.

My research interests are health literacy in patients and families with cardiac conditions and how this impacts their understanding of their disease, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. I am also interested in the quality improvement of processes and systems in the hospital to improve outcomes and patient/family experiences.

As my interest in pediatric cardiology evolved, I recognized the complexities of the associated conditions. I realized the challenges families from lower literacy or socioeconomic backgrounds may face when caring for their children. They need to make informed decisions regarding their child's care, even for conditions that some physicians may not fully understand.

During my residency, I had exposure to many social determinants of health while working with an underserved population in a primary care clinic. Through this experience, I recognized the importance of educating every patient and family regarding their medical conditions in an equitable manner.

As a resident, I also had the opportunity to work on quality improvement (QI) projects. I recognized how such research could have a relatively quick and tangible result that directly impacts patients. I published a paper regarding health literacy in the congenital heart disease population, looking at how we can improve reading levels and understanding of patient education materials. I was honored to be named Cardiology Resident of the Year at Cincinnati Children's in 2020.