Michelle S. Ploutz
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Michelle S. Ploutz, MD, MPH

Languages spoken: Spanish, English

  • Dr. Ploutz is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, completed her residency at Stanford Children's Health, and her Cardiology fellowship at Children's National Medical Center. In addition, she completed an advanced fellowship in heart failure and transplantation at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Dr. Ploutz provides general pediatric cardiology care, in addition to focusing on the care of children with cardiomyopathy, heart failure and children requiring a heart transplant. She has particular interest in improving the outcome for children supported by a ventricular assist device.

    Specialties

    Board Certification

    American Board of Pediatrics (Sub: Pediatric Cardiology)

  • Dr. Ploutz is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, completed her residency at Stanford Children's Health, and her Cardiology fellowship at Children's National Medical Center. In addition, she completed an advanced fellowship in heart failure and transplantation at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Dr. Ploutz provides general pediatric cardiology care, in addition to focusing on the care of children with cardiomyopathy, heart failure and children requiring a heart transplant. She has particular interest in improving the outcome for children supported by a ventricular assist device.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Pediatrics -Associate Professor (Clinical)
    Academic Divisions Cardiology
    Board Certification
    American Board of Pediatrics (Sub: Pediatric Cardiology)

    Education history

    Fellowship Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy, and Transplant - University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Fellow
    Fellowship Pediatric Cardiology - George Washington University School of Medicine Fellow
    Residency Pediatrics - Stanford University School of Medicine Resident
    Internship Pediatrics - Stanford University School of Medicine Intern
    Graduate Training Public Health - Tufts University School of Medicine M.P.H.
    Professional Medical Medicine - Tufts University School of Medicine M.D.
    Undergraduate Biological Sciences, Spanish - Smith College B.A.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Esteso P, Auerbach SR, Bansal N, Harris R, Soslow JH, Birnbaum BF, Conway J, Cripe LH, Nandi D, Hayes E, Gambetta KE, Hall EK, Hsu DT, Kaufman BD, Rosenthal D, Kirmani, Ploutz MS, Lal AK, Peng DM, Villa CR, Shugh S, Wittlieb-Weber CA, Shih R (). Cardiac treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: consensus recommendations from the ACTION muscular dystrophy committee. Cardiol Young, 35(4), 770-775.
    2. Shumacher K, Rosenthal DR, Batazzzi A, Yu S, Reichle G, Bano M, Deshpande S, OConner M, Ahmed H, Chen S, Wright L, Kindel S, Joong A, Ploutz MS, Feingold B, Godown J, Mao C, Lorts A, Simpson K, Ybarra A, Richmond M, Amdani S, Conway J, Blume E, Cousino M (2025). The Impact of Fontan Circulatory Failure on Heart Transplant Survival: A 20 Center Retrospective Cohort Study. Circulation.
    3. Anderson-Bell DM, Hardison EH, Rashid M, Hammond BH, Hegewald M, Rapp TE, Ploutz M, Williams RV, Ziebell D, Chaiyakunapruk N (2025). Fontan patients with a systemic left ventricle have greater exercise capacity than those with a systemic right ventricle: A systemic review and meta-analysis. Pediatr Cardiol.
    4. Edelson JB, Amdani S, Rosenthal DN, Kroslowitz B, Morray B, Law S, Joong A, Wilkens S, Peng DM, Ploutz M, Murray J, Lantz J, Esch JJ, Iqbal M, Lancaster T, VanderPluym C, Jeewa A, Shugh S, Absi M, Shezad M, OConnor MJ, Lorts A, Tume S (2025). Multi-Institutional Outcomes of Impella use in pediatric patients: A brief communication from the ACTION Network. J Heart Lung Transplant.
    5. Phillips KA, Brennan A, Profsky M, Hadfield GT, Kirkland BW, Heyrend C, Grifiths ER, May LJ, Ploutz MS (2025). Adverse events and ICU readmission rates after floor transfer for paediatric patients on ventricular assist device support. Cardiol Young.
    6. Cedars A, Manlhiot C, Chinni BK, Opotowsky A, Le A, Khare P, Ko J, Everett A, Kutty S, Russell M, Payne R, Atz A, McCrindle B, Rathod R, Lewis M, Goldber D, Hill K, Ploutz MS, Detteric J, Shumacher K, Whitehill R, Penny D, Cartoski M, Sullivan R, Files M, Garg R, Wagner J, Joacosen R, Nowlen R, Fletcher S, Conway J, Kim GB, Wu F, Zak V (2025). Methylated Arginine Metabolites as Biomarkers for Clinical Status and Response to PDE5 Inhibition in Fontan Patients. J Am Heart Assoc.
    7. Lin AE, Scimone ER, Thom RP, Balaguru D, Kinane TB, Moschovis PP, Cohen MS, Tan W, Hague CD, Dannheim K, Vevitsky LL, Lilly E, DiGiacomo DV, Masse KM, Kadzielski SM, Zar-Kessler Ca, Ginns LC, Neumeyer AM, Colvin MK, Elder JS, Learn CP, Mou H, Weagle KM, Buch KA, Butler WE, Alhadid K, Musolino PL, Sultana S, Bandyopadhyay D, Rapalino O, Peacock ZS, Chou EL, Heidary G, Dorfman AT, Morris SA, Bergin JD, Rayment JH, Schimmenti LA, Lindsay ME MGH Myhre Syndrome Study Group (2024). Emergence of the natural history of Myhre syndrome: 37 patients evaluated in the Massachusetts General Hospital Myhre Syndrome Clinic (2016-2023). Am J Med Genet A.
    8. Schumacher, KR, Cedars A, Allen K, Goldberg D, Batazzi A, Reichle G, DiPaola F, Selewski D, Cousino M, Rosenthal D, on behalf of the Fontan Circulatory Failure Study Investigators (2024). Achieving consensus, severity-graded definitions of Fontan-associated complications to characterize Fontan circulatory failure. J Card Fail.
    9. Ybarra AM, Kamsheh AM, OConnor MJ, Hollander SA, Bano M, Ploutz M, Vaughn G, Lambert A, Wallendorf M, Kirklin J, Canter CE (2024). Survival does not differ by annual center transplant volume-A Pediatric Heart Transplant Society Registry study. Pediatr Transplant.
    10. Rabinowitz EJ, Mehegan M, Joong A, Shezad M, Lorts A, Villa CR, Conway J, Kobayashi R, Auerbach SR, Zinn M, Niebler R, Iqbal M, Dykes J, Choudhry S, Aljohani O, Absi M, Ploutz MS, Griffiths ER, OConnor MJ, Mokshagunda D, Said AS (2024). Multicenter outcomes for ventricular assist device support for failed Stage II palliation. JHLT Open.
    11. OConnor MJ, Shezad M, Ahmed H, Amdani S, Auerbach SR, Bearl DW, Butto A, Byrnes JW, Conway J, Dykes JC, Glass L, Lantz J, Law S, Monge MC, Morales DLS, Parent JJ, Ploutz MS, Puri K, Shugh S, Shwaish NS, VanderPluym CJ, Wilkens S, Wright L, Zinn MD, Lorts A (2023). Expanding use of the HeartMate 3 ventricular assist device in pediatric and adult patients within the Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION). J Heart Lung Transplant, 42(11), 1546-1556.
    12. Kwiatkowski D, Barnes AP, Peng D, McCormick AD, Morales DLS, Maeda K, Brickler M, Kindel SJ, Carrington S, Lantz J, Byres JW, Bansal N, Shugh S, Chandnani HK, Dykes JC, Rosenthal DR, Joong A, Nandi D, Wright LK, Wilkens SJ, Kleinmahon JA, Ploutz MS, May LJ, Ahmed H, Mauchley D, Conway LJ, Buchholz H, Jeewa A, Honjo O, Aljohani OA, Zinn MD (2023). Impact of Weight on VAD Outcomes in Pediatric and Young Adult Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy- An Analysis of the ACTION Registry. ASAIO J.
    13. Collins MM, Ou Z, Millar MM, Kittleson MM, May LJ, Ploutz MS, Molina, KM, Hayes KG, Lal AK (2022). Attitudes and Practices Surrounding Pregnancy Post Heart Transplant Among Pediatric Providers. J Heart Lung Transplant.
    14. Joong A, Maeda K, Peng DM on Behalf of the ACTION Learning Network Investigators (2022). Ventricular Assist Device Outcomes in Infants and Children with Stage 1 Single Ventricle Palliation. ASAIO J.
    15. Auerbach SR, Simpson KE, Ploutz M, ACTION Network (2021). HVAD usage and outcomes in the current ventricular assist device field: An advanced cardiac therapies improving outcomes network (ACTION) analysis. ASAIO J, 67(6), 675-680.
    16. Zafar F, Conway J, Bleiweiss M, Al-Aklabi M, Amedur R, Barnes A, Bearl DW, Buchholz H, Church S, Do NL, Duffy V, Dykes JC, Eghtesady P, Fisher L, Friedland-Little J, Fuller S, Fynn-Thompson F, George K, Gossett JG, Griffiths ER, Griselli M, Hawkins B, Hongo O, Jeewa A, Joong A, Kindel S, Kouretas P, Lorts A, Machado D, Maeda K, Maurich A, May LJ, McConnell P, Mehegan M, Monge M, Morales DLS, Murray J, Niebler RA, OConnor M, Peng DM, Phelps C, Philip J, Ploutz M, Profsky M, Reichold A, Rosenthal DN, Said AS, Schumacher KR, Si M Simpson KE, Sparks J, St Louis J, Steiner ME, VanderPluym C, Villa C, ACTION Learning Network Investigators (2021). Berlin Heart EXCOR and ACTION Network Post-Approval Surveillance Study Report. J Heart Lung Transplant, 40(4), 251-259.
    17. Villa CR, VanderPluym CJ, Ploutz M, ACTION Investigators (2020). The "ABCs of Stroke Prevention". Improving Stroke Outcomes in Children Supported with a Ventricular Assist Device in Quality Improvement Network. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes, 13(12).
    18. Ploutz M, Plasencia J, Mirea L, Pophal S, Velez D, Zangwill Z (2020). Volumetrics and fit assessments for donor to recipient size matching in pediatric transplantation: Is it time for a new paradigm? Clin Transplant, 34(5).
    19. Beaton A, Richards H, Ploutz M, Gaur L, Aliku T, Lwabi P, Ensing G, Sable C (2017). Cardiac strain findings in children with latent rheumatic heart disease detected by echocardiographic screening. Cardiol Young, 27(6), 1180-1185. (Read full article)
    20. Ploutz M, Aliku T, Bradley-Hewitt T, Dantin A, Lemley B, Gillespie CW, Lwabi P, Sable C, Beaton A (2017). Child and teacher acceptability of school-based echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease in Uganda. Cardiol Young, 27(1), 82-89. (Read full article)
    21. Bradley-Hewitt T, Dantin A, Ploutz M, Aliku T, Lwabi P, Sable C, Beaton A (2016). The Impact of Echocardiographic Screening for Rheumatic Heart Disease on Patient Quality of Life. J Pediatr, 175, 123-9. (Read full article)
    22. Ploutz M, Lu JC, Scheel J, Webb C, Ensing GJ, Aliku T, Lwabi P, Sable C, Beaton A (2016). Handheld echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease by non-experts. Heart, 102(1), 35-9. (Read full article)
    23. May LJ, Ploutz M, Hollander SA, Reinhartz O, Almond CS, Chen S, Maeda K, Kaufman BD, Yeh J, Rosenthal DN (2015). A novel pediatric treatment intensity score: development and feasibility in heart failure patients with ventricular assist devices. J Heart Lung Transplant, 34(4), 509-15. (Read full article)

    Review

    1. Ploutz M, Lorts A, Peng DM (2020). Current challenges and strategies of ventricular assist device support in infants and small children. . [Review]. Curr Treat Options Peds.

    Case Report

    1. Alaeddine M, Ploutz M, Arabia FA, Velez DA (2020). Implantation of a total artificial heart in a 10 year-old after support with a temporary perventricular assist device. J Thorac Cardiovasc, 159(3), 3.