OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois has once again received the Gold Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support, which recognizes excellence in providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to patients.
When a child is experiencing lung or heart issues that prevent oxygenated blood from moving through their system, ECMO can act as an artificial heart-lung machine, providing life-saving support until the underlying issue can be resolved and the patient’s lungs and/or heart heal. It is one of the most advanced forms of life support available to patients experiencing acute failure of the cardio-respiratory system.
Successful management of these critically ill patients requires a team approach, like that which is available at OSF Children’s Hospital in Peoria.
The ELSO Excellence in Life Support Award recognizes programs worldwide that distinguish themselves by having processes, procedures and systems in place that promote excellence and exceptional care in providing ECMO to their patients.
“For our patients and their families, this recognition reassures them that all of our patients at OSF Children’s Hospital have access to this advanced life-saving technology and a team of highly-trained specialists that are dedicated to its use in optimizing patient care,” said Mark Plunkett, MD., chief of pediatric and congenital heart surgery and co-director of the congenital heart program at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “This is national recognition of the outstanding quality of patient care and excellent outcomes achieved by our ECMO team.”
OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois has been an ELSO Center of Excellence for the use of ECMO since 2009.