Emergency and urgent care locations

In life-threatening emergencies, find the emergency room location nearest you. For non-life-threatening medical needs when your pediatrician is unavailable, visit one of our urgent care locations.

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Stephanie Nakano, MD

Provider's Specialties

Cardiology - Pediatric
Pediatrics

Provider's location(s)

Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora

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Patient ratings

4.8/5
(10 ratings)

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The Heart Institute

(720)777-6820

Insurance plans accepted

We participate with most major health insurance plans and national transplant networks.

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Prepare for your visit

We want to make sure you know what to expect before you arrive.

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My care philosophy

Pediatric heart diseases are not simply adult heart problems in children. My goals are to help families navigate through this unique world of pediatric heart disease, and expand our understanding of these conditions in order to have effective pediatric-focused treatments for the future.

Get to know Stephanie Nakano, MD

Departments and Programs

Conditions Treated

Cardiomyopathy
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
Heart Failure
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Languages spoken

English

Experience and background

My clinical focus is on the care of children and young adults with decreased heart function (including those with cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, single ventricle congenital heart disease, and following heart transplantation) as well as those with general pediatric cardiology conditions.

Undergraduate 2003

University of California–Los Angeles (CA)

Medical Education 2007

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Residency 2010

Children's Hospital-Oakland Program

Fellowship 2014

University of Colorado (Children's Hospital Colorado) Program

Website: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1tOEn1TCQhGAz/bibliography/47502989/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending

For Patients:
My research interests are focused on identifying why some children with single ventricle heart disease do well with surgical palliation while others are prone to heart failure. Increasing our understanding of heart failure in this population is essential to improving outcomes for the future.

For Referring Providers:
My research interests focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying pediatric single ventricle heart failure with the goal of discovering novel pediatric-specific therapeutic targets. Currently, my projects include: 1) determining the molecular and functional myocardial effects of phosphodiesterase 1 inhibition in the failing single ventricle, and 2) identifying circulating miRNAs that may represent biomarkers of single ventricle heart failure.

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Patient ratings and reviews

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Average rating

4.8/5
(10 ratings)

Patient reviews

Feb 10, 2025

I just want to thank you for all the support you gave my son and I am deeply grateful for saving my son's life. Everyone put in their best effort and commitment and they don't show pride in this noble profession. Thank you to all the doctors and anesthesiologists and nurses. I remember one in particular who I saw doing her job with so much love and affection that she helped my son. It was a nurse, Lara, if I remember correctly. Thank you all for so much passion for what you do.