A look at congenital heart defects

---a time-bomb disease that not only is the #1 birth defect in the world,

but can be discovered at any time during one's life--

through the eyes of the children and adults affected, their families  

and world-renowned doctors, scientists and researches.     

The Heart of the Matter      

Available: June 1,2012

1/60 

Producer: TMK Productions  

   in partnership with The Children's Heart Foundation

NETA is pleased to offer you The Heart of the Matter for your upcoming schedules.

The Heart of the Matter is the first comprehensive and engaging documentary produced for television examining America's #1 birth defect - Congenital Heart Defects. A time-bomb disease that can show up at any time in one's life, Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) occur in approximately one out every 100 live births in the U.S.      

Included is the story of Tiana Tillman (daughter of NFL Chicago Bear Charles Tillman) and how she received a life-saving Berlin Heart.

The Heart of the Matter follows several families telling the CHD story from infancy to adulthood, interspersing these stories with discussions about the disease: its history, present and future. Congenital Heart Defects are explored through interviews with leading congenital heart specialists throughout America: doctors, nurses and scientists, as well as patients and their families.     

The focus of The Heart of the Matter is greater public awareness of America's #1 birth defect and the importance of increased research that will ultimately lead to better detection, increased survival rates, improved quality of life. All too frequently CHD isn't diagnosed at birth and goes untreated until a devastating childhood or adult event.  

The Heart of the Matter is supported with considerable outreach and promotional efforts by hundreds of heart organizations throughout the US. There are heart organizations in most US Cities. Doctors featured in the documentary come from Chicago, Seattle, Ann Arbor, Boston, Washington DC, Orlando, College Park & Bethesda, Cleveland, Atlanta, Columbus OH, Iowa, New London, CT.  (See fact sheet that follows for complete list.)

Please contact me if you have questions. I'll be in touch with you about your carriage plans over the next months. Or, when you know them, please zap them over to me.  A fact sheet follows.  

Very truly yours,

Regina

Regina Eisenberg

R Eisenberg Presents

Program Summary:

A look at congenital heart defects---a time-bomb disease that not only is the #1 birth defect in the world but can be discovered at any time during one's life-- through the eyes of the children and adults affected, their families  and world-renowned doctors, scientists and researches.   

Narrator:  

Actor Chris O'Donnell, who appears briefly in the documentary as well. 

Parts/Length:

1/60

RIGHTS:

Broadcast Rights: Unlimited/3 Years  

(June 1, 2012-May 30, 2015)         

VOD:  30 Days 

Non-Commercial Cable: Yes

School Re-Record: 1-Year   

NOLA Code:

HD Feed for Record:

Fridays beginning May 25, 2012, 1330-1430 ET, on HD04

Audio/Visual:

Stereo/Closed Captioned

Aspect Ratio:

16x9

TV Rating:

TV-G

Producer:  

Broadcast Distributor:

NETA 

Underwriters:

Northwestern University DM 2011

American College of Cardiology

Fred and Cathy Moore

The Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation

Little Hearts, Inc

Chicago Community Trust

Higher Path Foundation

Dr. Roger Cole and Dr. Guy Randolph

Dr. David Overman - Minneapolis Children's Hospital

Russ and Terry Danielson

William and Megan Foley

John and Mary Hellmuth

Rex and Karen Homme

Dennis and Julie McCrary

Chris and Jaymi Griesmeyer

Todd and Barbara Ford

Local Underwriting:

Local underwriting is permissible.  

DVD screener:

Regina Eisenberg

R Eisenberg Presents

regina@stationrelations.com 

510.550.1706

View Program At:  

http://vimeo.com/39497510  

Websites:

www.congenitalheartdocumentary.com   

www.netatonline.org 

www.stationrelations.com 

CONTACTS:

Station Relations & DVD Screener:

Regina Eisenberg

R Eisenberg Presents

regina@stationrelations.com 

510.550.1706

Publicity & Promotion:

Ted Kay, TMK Productions

ted@tmktv.com

Viewer Questions & Comments:

Ted Kay, TMK Productions

ted@tmktv.com 

List of Doctors & Cities - The Heart of the Matter:

Dr. Gerard Martin

Co-Director, Children's National Heart Institute, Washington, DC

Immediate Past Chairman, Adult & Congenital & Pediatric Cardiology

American College of Cardiology, Washington, DC

Dr. Carl Backer

Division Chief, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery

Children's Memorial Hospital- Chicago, IL

Dr. Gordon Cohen

Chief -Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery

Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 

Dr. Catherine Webb

Cardiologist, Congenital Heart Center

University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, MI

Dr. Bernard Kuhn

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Harvard Medical School- Boston, MA

Dr. James E. Lock

Cardiologist-in-Chief

Children's Hospital-Boston, MA

Dr. Jane Newburger

Associate Cardiologist-in-Chief

Academic Affairs

Children's Hospital- Boston, MA

Dr. Michael Landzberg

Director, Adult Congenital Heart Program

Children's Hospital-Boston, MA

Dr. Michael Rivkin

Director, Cerebral Vascular Disorders & Stroke Program

Children's Hospital-Boston, MA

Dr. Marla Mendelson

Director- Northwestern University

Adult Congenital Heart Center- Chicago. IL

Dr. Ziyad Hijazi

Director- Congenital and Structural Heart Disease

Rush Medical Center- Chicago, IL

Dr. Audrey Marshall

Chief- Division of Invasive Cardiology

Children's Hospital- Boston, MA

Dr. Constantine Mavroudis

Director, Congenital Heart Institute

Walt Disney Pavilion- Florida Hospital for Children 

Orlando, FL

Dr. Sunjay Kaushal

Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

University of Maryland Medical Center

College Park, MD

Dr. Richard Krasuski

Director- Adult Congenital Heart Disease Services

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland, OH 

Dr. William Mahle

Director- Pediatric Heart Transplant Program

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta -Emory University

Atlanta, GA 

Dr. Thomas Weigel

Pediatric Cardiologist

Assistant Professor-Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Chicago, IL 

Dr. John P. Cheatham

Director- Interventional Cardiology and Catheterization Therapy

Nationwide Children's Hospital - Columbus, OH

Dr. James E. Davis

Chief- Cardiac Services

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 

Dr. Gail Pearson

Director of Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Research

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/NIH

Bethesda, MD 

Dr. Ralph Sacco

Immediate Past President

American Heart Association

Miami, FL 

Dr. William Hillenbrand

Director, Pediatric Cardiology

Yale University School of Medicine

New London, CT 

Dr. Philipp Bonhoeffer

Former Head of Cardiology

Great Ormond St. Hospital- London, England

Inventor of the first collapsible pulmonary valve

Cyndi Sosnowski

University of Illinois Medical Student

Training to be an Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiologist

Chicago, IL 

Other Doctors Interviewed but not included in the final program. Will be highlighted on the accompanying website.

Dr. Gary Webb

Director-Adolescent and Adult Congenital Heart Center

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Heart Institute

Dr. Robert Beekman

Professor of Pediatric Cardiology

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Dr. Richard Ohye

Associate Professor of Surgery

University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, MI