Meet Dr. Decker: Father of 5 and Cardiologist
Dr. Jamie Decker is a dedicated father of five who juggles the demands of his medical career with the joys of fatherhood. Decker is passionate about both of the hats that he wears as a dad and a cardiologist in the Heart Institute at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where he specializes in electrophysiology.
“It’s super rewarding. I love being a dad and I was always drawn to medicine,” says Decker.
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Decker has worked at John Hopkins All Children’s since 2011. His days are focused on bringing expertise in treating patients with rhythm abnormalities. From performing ablations to managing post-op patients with rhythm problems, his work is both challenging and fulfilling.
“Essentially, once we perform an ablation procedure, they’re cured,” says Decker. “That’s an incredible feeling.”
He enjoys seeing patients in the hospital and being part of their follow-up care, which allows him to establish a genuine relationship with families. Being a dad also helps him to connect with his families on a very human level.
“It’s easy to step into their shoes,” says Decker. “I treat each patient as if they were my own.”
Decker is a dad to three older children, aged 17, 14 and 12, and two young ones, aged 3 and 1. He embraces the challenges and excitement of parenting across a wide age range. His youngest is learning to walk, while his oldest is learning to drive.
“It’s definitely crazy busy all the time,” says Decker with a laugh.
He also recently coached his daughter’s soccer team, which was a great bonding experience.
“Being able to share that with her was great and it was a lot of fun,” says Decker. “It was nice just getting out there and exercising.”
But despite the craziness, Decker always make sure the family comes together. An important family tradition is bringing the whole crew together each night for family dinners.
“Everybody eats dinner together and we discuss our days,” he shares, emphasizing the importance of staying connected despite busy schedules.
For Father’s Day this June, Decker looks forward to spending quality time with his family, possibly with a relaxing day by the pool. While balancing the demands of his career and parenthood is no easy feat, Decker approaches both roles with dedication and love, striving to create meaningful connections with his children while making a positive impact in his patients’ lives.
Dr. Decker is a pediatric cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies and heart failure. He offers innovative and minimally invasive techniques to benefit patients at the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute.
Before joining All Children’s, Dr. Decker was an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology, an advanced fellowship in heart failure/transplantation, and an advanced fellowship in pediatric electrophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine.
A graduate of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Camden, New Jersey, Dr. Decker did his pediatric residency training at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
*Presented by Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital | Feature Image Credit: Amanda Pelley – Pelley Photography | Originally published in the June 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.