Larry Markham, MD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, has been named director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and co-director of the Pediatric Heart Institute at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, effective April 1.
Markham succeeds Scott Baldwin, MD, who stepped down after leading the division for more than two decades.
Markham will become only the third director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology since its founding in 1971. His appointment, which follows an extensive national search, marks a return to Vanderbilt Health, where he previously served as associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and co-director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program.
His wife, Melinda (Mindy) Markham, MD, will also rejoin the Department of Pediatrics as medical director of regional newborn services, beginning January 2027. She will provide clinical care at the main Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Monroe Carell and partner with hospital leadership to advance strategic priorities across the regional neonatal intensive care network.
“I am thrilled to welcome both Larry and Mindy back to Vanderbilt,” said Juan C. Salazar, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and system pediatrician-in-chief for Monroe Carell. “Through his leadership, research and mentoring, Larry has spent his career advancing the understanding of disease progression, therapeutic strategies, and best practices in congenital and inherited cardiac care. His expertise and extensive leadership, in close collaboration with Dr. Carlos Mery, will be instrumental in building upon the strong foundation of our nationally recognized pediatric heart program and driving it to even greater heights.”
Salazar continued, “I want to express my sincere gratitude to Scott for his decades of extraordinary leadership and contributions to pediatric cardiology, our department and the children and families we serve. I also want to thank the search committee: Susan Guttentag, Paul Moore, Carlos Mery, Rob Piana, Erin Boyd and Michelle Terrell for their outstanding work in bringing this important search to a successful conclusion.”
In his current position, Larry Markham also serves as co-director of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Service Line at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis and medical director of the Adult Congenital Heart Program at IU. Additionally, he is professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Larry Markham earned a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University, followed by a medical degree from East Tennessee State University. He completed his residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science and fellowships at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
As a National Institutes of Health-funded physician scientist, his work explores predictors of Duchenne muscular dystrophy cardiomyopathy to understand heart muscle disease progression and determine therapeutic options. He has contributed to understanding and care management guidelines for inherited conditions with aortic disease such as Marfan syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Larry Markham has co-authored over 80 manuscripts and book chapters and has participated in several study sections and national committees.
“It is an honor to return to Nashville and begin the role as the third director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and co-director of the Pediatric Heart Institute at Vanderbilt and Monroe Carell,” Larry Markham said.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring a commitment to building an academically focused cardiovascular program grounded in innovation and exceptional, comprehensive care for all children.
“In collaboration with the health system, hospital and School of Medicine, Dr. Mery, the Pediatric Heart Institute team and I share a vision to support ongoing growth of the clinical enterprise with attention to exceptional outcomes, improving educational and training opportunities and advancing clinical and translational research,” Larry Markham said.
“The program started by Dr. Graham and carried forward by Dr. Baldwin supported me during my early career and prepared me for academic leadership. Mindy and I are appreciative of Dr. Salazar’s belief in us and the potential for our future contributions to the Department of Pediatrics and Monroe Carell.”
Mindy Markham, in her previous role at Vanderbilt, was medical director of the NICU and director of Perinatal Services. Currently, she serves as associate professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, medical director of the Fetal Center at Riley Children’s Health and medical director of neonatal transport, where she has led initiatives in neonatal transport, complex care coordination and neonatal cardiac care.
“Larry and I are excited about the opportunity to return to Vanderbilt,” said Mindy Markham. “The relationships we made were pivotal in our daily work, and we look forward to renewing those partnerships. For us, this feels like a homecoming.”
“As medical director of the Vanderbilt Neonatal Network, I look forward to collaborating with my neonatology partners and hospital leadership to advance quality initiatives that impact clinical outcomes and engage with community neonatal providers in the network to optimize resource utilization,” she continued.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College. Subsequently, she earned her medical degree from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, where she remained for a residency in pediatrics. She went on to complete a neonatal-perinatal fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
