extracorporeal membrane oxygenation Archives

John Pietsch, MD, founder of the ECMO program at Children’s Hospital, is retiring after 50 years of caring for patients.

Pediatric ECMO program founder Pietsch retires

Jul. 14, 2022—John Pietsch, MD, the recently retired founder of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, didn’t grow up wanting to be a doctor.

Current and former ECLS (ECMO) fellows include, from left, John Stokes, MD, Yuliya Tipograf, MD, Yatrik Patel, MD, and Sean Francois, MD.

ECMO fellowship program provides lifesaving training

Mar. 17, 2022—Vanderbilt's extracorporeal life support fellowship gives new doctors two years of hands-on experience with a lifesaving critical care tool, one that has only become more important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VUMC’s Mike West, RN, works with Ballad Health’s Jessie Blevins, RN, during a recent ECMO training session.

Initiative shares ECMO expertise with Ballad Health

Jan. 27, 2022—Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently hosted representatives of Ballad Health, a regional health system serving East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, to train its team to provide a life-saving medical program called ECMO.

Children’s Hospital ECMO program lands excellence award

Aug. 13, 2020—For the fifth straight time, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s heart-lung support program has received the ELSO Award — Gold Level for Excellence in Life Support by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).

VUMC’s ECMO program has expanded to areas outside of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

Extracorporeal life support program honored by ELSO

Aug. 6, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s extracorporeal life support (ECLS) program has received the gold level award for excellence in life support from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).

Shawn Drumgoole greets neighbors and fellow walkers at his 30th birthday walk.

Walk celebrates patient’s ECMO journey 30 years ago

Jul. 30, 2020—Thirty years ago, Shawn Drumgoole took a life-saving ride to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to be placed on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

ECMO team to help other providers create their own programs

Mar. 12, 2020—VUMC has signed an agreement with Ballad Health, a regional health system serving East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, to train its team to provide a life-saving medical program called ECMO.

Gannon to oversee efforts to expand ECMO program to additional units

Feb. 20, 2020—Whitney Gannon MSN, MS, RN, APRN, has been named to the new position of director of Quality and Education for the Vanderbilt Extracorporeal Life Support Program (ECLS).

LifeFlight first in state to offer ECMO transport via helicopter

Dec. 13, 2018—Vanderbilt LifeFlight is part of an elite group of air ambulance services across the country that offer emergency transport of critically ill patients who are on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and it is the first helicopter program in Tennessee to offer this highly skilled, specialized transport.

ECMO program takes life-saving therapy on the road

Sep. 28, 2017—Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is home to the state’s largest adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program. And most recently, it became the only adult program in Tennessee with a mobile team that can initiate ECMO on patients transported to the Medical Center by its ambulances.

Group again honors life-support program

Jan. 10, 2013—For the third straight time, Vanderbilt’s heart and lung life-support program has received the ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).