Cooper University Health Care’s ECMO program has recently earned recognition from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. They earned a Gold Level Award for Excellence in Life Support, with the honor being received at the 36th Annual ELSO Conference in Washington D.C. on September 27.
The ELSO Excellence in Life Support Award recognizes centers that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes and quality measures, staff training and continuing education, patient satisfaction, and ongoing clinical excellence. Cooper’s ECMO program at the Gold Level ranks among the highest ECMO programs in the world.
ECMO is a treatment for patients with severe lung failure, heart failure, or cardiac arrest. It is an advanced form of life support used at Cooper in critically ill patients whose heart and lungs are too weak to pump blood or deliver adequate oxygen to sustain the body. ECMO does not heal or cure the lungs or heart directly. Instead, ECMO provides time for the patient’s lungs or heart to heal by using a heart-lung machine to oxygenate the blood outside the body.
Section head of ECMO at Cooper Emily Damuth praised the dedication to the program, which launched six years ago.
“Our team is driven by the patients and families we serve, and this Gold Level Award of Excellence designation is the result of true collaboration among all our specialists,” she said. “From critical care, cardiac surgery, cardiology, advanced heart failure, vascular and trauma surgery, emergency medicine, perfusion, behavioral medicine, nursing, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, and physical therapy, iIt represents our shared commitment to advancing life-saving care for our region.”
