Philly Leader

The Temple ECMO Program has gained national recognition for its efforts in providing life support to patients with severe medical conditions. The program, which utilizes extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines, supports patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome and cardiogenic shock. Joseph DiMartino, Associate Vice President of Nursing at TUH-Main Campus, noted the program's significant role in the hospital's lung transplant operations and its expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, the Temple ECMO Program received the Path to Excellence Silver Level Award from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). Daniel L. Marino, East Region ECMO Coordinator for Specialty Care, highlighted that registering with ELSO involved aligning with standards expected of a Center of Excellence.

The application process required submitting data on Temple’s ECMO Program to ELSO starting in 2021. Roh Yanagida, Surgical Director of Heart Transplant and Director of the ECMO Program, emphasized the importance of external quality assessment for performance evaluation. Yanagida collaborated with Marino and other team members like Orion Garcia and Brian Fox to complete the application.

Despite not being eligible for ELSO’s highest recognitions due to a lack of five years' worth of data submission, Temple aimed for and achieved the Silver Level award. Garcia pointed out improvements such as a 50% reduction in mortality rates over five years as evidence of their progress.

The application process also involved evaluating procedures within the ECMO Program to identify areas for improvement. Marino explained that formalizing policies strengthened their operations. Upon receiving news of their award, DiMartino stated it validated their work and aligned them towards becoming a premier Center of Excellence.

Looking ahead, Garcia expressed confidence in achieving higher recognition levels next year. She accepted the Silver Award at the 2024 ELSO Conference in Detroit and praised her team's dedication. Marino added that ELSO recognition reassures patients about meeting high standards: “If you have it...they know you’ve met the highest standards.”