Angel 7 is a pediatric ECMO transport ambulance. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
The heart-lung support program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is now among the top 10% of Extracorporeal Life Support Organizations (ELSO) in the world.
The team, which has repeatedly achieved the highest level of recognition available from ELSO for nearly two decades, once again was recognized as a Platinum Center of Excellence in Life Support.
The back-to-back recognition is more than an award for Monroe Carell, said the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) program’s manager, Daphne Hardison, MSN, RN, CES-P.
“Platinum programs demonstrate innovation and ingenuity but specifically recognizing centers that are ‘willing’ to break new ground in advancing the specialty of ECMO,” said Hardison. “We are honored to be the recipient of such a prestigious award signifying our excellent critical care services, life support equipment and advanced training at Monroe Carell.”
ECMO is a life-sustaining mechanical system that temporarily takes over for the heart and lungs of critically ill patients, allowing their organs to rest and recover by removing carbon dioxide from the blood, replacing it with lifesaving oxygen, and returning it to the patient’s circulatory system.
Vanderbilt Health was the first to use this technology in Tennessee in 1989, with the first patient placed on ECMO in the neonatal intensive care unit. The pediatric program is one of the largest and most successful programs in the world.
The ELSO Award of Excellence is given only to those ECMO programs worldwide that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, satisfaction and quality, and that distinguish themselves by having processes, procedures and systems in place that promote excellence and exceptional care.
“Our Pediatric ECMO Center’s accomplishments reflect the dedication of advancing the highest level of support to the most critically ill patients in our care,” said Hardison. “We are continuously striving to ensure the highest quality of care while promoting continued growth in this arena.”
ELSO is an international consortium of health care institutions, scientists, clinicians and industry partners dedicated to the development and evaluation of new therapies for supporting failing organ systems.
The ELSO Award of Excellence, good for three years, is recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Parents magazine as one of the criteria used in ranking top institutions.
The Monroe Carell ECMO team consists of a broad array of health professionals, including ECMO specialists; nurses; respiratory therapists; physical, speech and occupational therapists; pharmacists; nutritionists; intensive care unit physicians; and surgeons.
