Governing Board
Heart to Heart is a 501(c)3 volunteer-driven charity organization,
led by a governing board of directors. Board members provide organizational oversight to
ensure consistent programmatic and financial accountability. They all share a strong belief
in the effectiveness and value of developing self-sustaining heart centers to save children
born with heart defects.
Given the long-term objective of our mission and the complexity of
cardiac medicine, board continuity is key. Most current members have provided more than a
decade of continuous service. The Board functions as a team; decisions are made by consensus
and then implemented by a combination of board members, office staff, and medical volunteers.
The Board works closely with the executive director to allocate resources, maximize donor
ROI, and build our own organizational sustainability.
J. Nilas Young, MD, Founder and Medical Director
1989–present
1989–present
“
I continue to represent Heart to Heart to my colleagues as an opportunity
to make an international impact medically. The umbrella under which we operate has a complex
humanitarian aspect: we help patients and their families, and we teach at the same time. We
are also ambassadors of our profession and of American medicine.”
When Dr. Young was a second-year surgery resident, he had a conversation
with a pediatric surgeon who had been involved in international aid. This doctor had been on
several trips to South America, performing operations for two weeks and then leaving. The
surgeon felt the U.S. teams did a lot of good, including some work with local physicians, but
ultimately he didn't feel he saw sustaining medical progress in the areas they visited. Almost
20 years later, when Dr. Young was preparing for Heart to Heart's first medical mission to the
Soviet Union, that conversation came back to him. His excitement about the trip – I can't
believe I am finally getting to do this – was coupled with resolve that, given the opportunity,
he wouldn't let the same thing happen: Heart to Heart's visits would not be "fix and run."
Dr. Young has led more than 25 Heart to Heart surgical-educational missions.
He has previously served both as Board Chairman and President, and continues to serve as the
organization's consummate spokesperson. As Medical Director he personally reviews surgical
outcomes and program progress for each site.
Dr. Young is currently Professor & Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic
Surgery at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. He is also the Program
Director of the UCDMC Cardiothoracic Residency Program. He serves on the Board of Directors of the
American Heart Association, Sacramento Chapter. Dr. Young has been the recipient of numerous
research grants, including a multi-year clinical study currently in progress, funded by the
National Institutes of Health. Dr. Young has authored many articles and abstracts, and collaborated
on, or contributed chapters to, many more. He is currently a peer reviewer for several thoracic
surgery publications. He makes scientific presentations at symposia throughout North America and Russia.
Dr. Young's dedication and accomplishments have been honored by numerous
medical and civic organizations that have granted him recognition and awards both in the U.S. and abroad.
Read more
about Dr. Young’s work at UC Davis Medical Center.
