The clinical life of
Rupal T. Bhakta, M.D.
Clinical Biography
Rupal
Bhakta, M.D.
Pediatric cardiac intensivist · UAMS · Arkansas Children's
Joined the faculty of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in August 2014. Promoted to Associate Professor in 2022.
Her clinical focus is the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Arkansas Children's. She has directed the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship Program since 2021. Her clinical interests include pediatric cardiac critical care, medical education, and international health.
Recognition
Department of Pediatrics Educator of the Year· UAMS / Arkansas Children's Hospital · 2017–2018
Faculty since
Aug 2014
Associate Prof.
2022
Fellowship Dir.
2021–Present
Boards
Peds · PCCM
Investigations
Research
Best-practice models for clinical care, feeding and nutrition in critically ill patients, and risk factors for heart disease and rheumatic fever in vulnerable populations.
Selected publications
- 01
Multicenter Evaluation of Pre-operative Feeding in Infants with Ductal Dependent Circulation.
Penk J, Cagle W, Holloway A, Connolly J, Miles A, Bhakta R, Jain P, Davis SP, Riley C, Roddy DJ.
Pediatric Cardiology. 2024 Oct; 45(7):1461–1465. doi: 10.1007/s00246-023-03182-1. · PMID 37209186
- 02
Epinephrine dosing strategies during pediatric extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation reveal novel impacts on survival: a multicenter study.
Ortmann LA, Reeder RW, Raymond TT, Brunetti MA, Himebauch A, Bhakta R, Kempka J, di Bari S, Lasa JJ.
Resuscitation. 2023 Jul; 188:109855. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2023.109855. · PMID 37257678
- 03
Severe Acute Neurologic Involvement in Children With Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome.
Brown CC, Garcia X, Bhakta RT, Sanders E, Prodhan P.
Pediatrics. 2021 Mar; 147(3):e2020013631. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-013631. · PMID 33579812
- 04
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Simulation.
Bhakta RT, Alshuqayfi AA.
StatPearls [Internet]. 2020 Feb 26. · PMID 32119360
- 05
Pediatric Bronchiolitis.
Erickson EN, Bhakta RT, Mendez MD.
StatPearls [Internet]. 2020 Jan 30. · PMID 30137791
- 06
Cyanotic Heart Disease.
Ossa Galvis MM, Bhakta RT, Mendez MD.
StatPearls [Internet]. 2020 Mar 13. · PMID 29763177
- 07
Chromosomal Abnormalities Affect the Surgical Outcome in Infants with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Large Cohort Analysis.
Zakaria D, Tang X, Bhakta R, et al.
Pediatric Cardiology. 2018; 39:11–18. doi: 10.1007/s00246-017-1717-3. · PMID 28921168
- 08
Rheumatic Heart Disease in Marshallese Youth in Northwest Arkansas: A Case Series.
Baer H, Bhakta R.
Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society. 2018; 114:258–260.
- 09
Transitions of care in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.
Bhakta RT, Stockwell DC.
Critical Care Medicine. 2011; 40(7):2245–2246. · PMID 22710219
Auto-derived from MEDLINE/PubMed — list may be incomplete.
Textbook chapters
Enteral Nutrition, Critically Ill Children, and Lung Injury.
Bhakta RT, Jacobs BR.
In: Diet and Nutrition in Critical Care (Rajendram, Preedy, Patel, eds). Springer, New York. 2016. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-7836-2_89.
In progress
Principal Investigator
Mechanical ventilation and outcomes in patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) — a multi-institutional PHIS analysis.
IRB Approved (#260611)
Site Co-Investigator
Rheumatic Heart Disease in the United States: Forgotten But Not Gone — a 10-year multicenter review.
Data collection complete
Principal Investigator
Advance Neurodevelopmental Care in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
IRB Pending (#299296)
Appointments & Training
Academic
Twenty years of training and practice, here read top to bottom.
Faculty · Director· 2022–Present
UAMS — Section of Pediatric Cardiology
Associate Professor, Clinical Educator · Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship Director (since 2021)
Faculty· 2018–2022
UAMS — Section of Pediatric Cardiology
Assistant Professor, Clinical Educator · Asst. Fellowship Director 2019–2020
Faculty· 2014–2018
UAMS — Section of Pediatric Cardiology
Assistant Professor, Clinical Attending
Fellowship· 2013–2014
Arkansas Children's Hospital / UAMS
Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care · Little Rock, AR
Fellowship· 2010–2013
Children's National Medical Center
Pediatric Critical Care · Washington, DC
Internship & Residency· 2007–2010
Arkansas Children's Hospital / UAMS
Pediatric Internship & Residency
Medical School· 2003–2007
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
M.D.
Bachelor's· 1999–2003
Washington University in St. Louis
B.A., Biology & Anthropology
Mentorship & Education
Fellowship
“The next generation of pediatric cardiac intensivists is the work that compounds.”
Fellowship Director — Advanced Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship Program · UAMS · Arkansas Children's
Areas of teaching
01
Cardiac Critical Care
Pre- and post-operative management for the most fragile pediatric hearts.
02
Simulation-Based Education
ECMO simulation and high-fidelity scenario training for fellows and residents.
03
Transitions of Care
Building safer handoffs between OR, CICU, PICU, and step-down.
04
Global Pediatric Critical Care
Equity-focused collaboration in resource-variable settings.
International Field Work
Outreach
Pediatric cardiac care for children in resource-limited settings — trips with the VOOM Foundation and the Novick Cardiac Alliance, plus curriculum work in Haiti and the DRC since 2014.
Field work in Nigeria · VOOM Foundation
Trips
- 2025–Present
Oraifite, Nigeria
VOOM Foundation
Critical care physician & educator — postoperative congenital heart disease
- 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
International Curriculum for Cardiac Critical Care in Resource-Limited Settings
Critical care physician & educator
- December 2017
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Novick Cardiac Alliance
Physician volunteer
- 2014–2017
Cap-Haïtien, Haiti
Justinian University Hospital
Ultrasound curriculum development