The Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital has received the Platinum Level Award of Excellence from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). This award is ELSO’s highest level of recognition, given to ECMO centers that demonstrate outstanding performance in patient care, clinical outcomes, research, quality improvement, education, and innovation.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian was among the first centers globally to receive this platinum designation in 2016. With this new award, the center maintains its position as a leading institution for ECMO care and innovation.
ECMO is a specialized life support technique used for patients with severe heart or lung conditions when conventional treatments are not effective. The procedure temporarily takes over the function of these organs to allow them time to recover or until transplantation can occur. It is often used in emergency situations for critically ill patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe asthma, heart failure, or cardiac arrest. The process involves circulating blood outside the body through a pump and oxygenator before returning it via large tubes called cannula.
“Our ECMO team is committed to providing life-saving care for patients who can’t be helped by conventional therapies,” said Ali Gharavi, chair of the Department of Medicine at Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and physician-in-chief at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian. “This award affirms our dedication. Being recognized as a center of excellence allows us to continue providing highly skilled care to those who need it most.”
The ECMO program includes specialists from surgery, cardiology, pulmonology & critical care medicine, nursing, and perfusion. Collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian brings together multiple centers at CUIMC such as the Center for Acute Respiratory Failure and the Pulmonary Hypertension Comprehensive Care Center to treat patients needing ECMO support.
Since 1982, thousands of ECMO procedures have been performed on neonates, children, and adults at CUIMC/NYP. Each year about 50 cases are conducted at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital—making it the largest pediatric ECMO program in its region.
“This prestigious recognition is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of Columbia’s ECMO team. The application alone is a Herculean effort, requiring several years of planning and months of preparation,” said Cara Agerstrand, associate professor of medicine at VP&S and director of respiratory ECMO at CUIMC/NYP. “It is quite an honor and recognition for Columbia and NYP and a reflection of the supportive leadership and institutional commitment that make achievements like this possible.”
