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NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital have been designated a Platinum Center of Excellence by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). This award, the highest honor given by ELSO, recognizes extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centers that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes, quality measures, staff training, continuing education, and excellence in clinical care. The campuses have been designated Platinum Centers of Excellence each award cycle since 2016 when the Platinum designation was first created.

The pediatric and adult ECMO centers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley’s Hospital, the only platinum-level centers in the New York tri-state area, are among 27 worldwide to receive the recognition, valid for a three-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2025.

Hospital clinical staff use ECMO, also known as extracorporeal life support (ECLS), as a lifesaving measure to support patients infants, children and adults with life-threatening conditions such as acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, or severe respiratory failure by using a heart-lung machine to oxygenate the blood outside the body, allowing time for the patients lung or heart to heal.

“It’s an absolute honor to be recognized for our cutting-edge critical care and life support services,” said Dr. Koji Takeda, surgical director of heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support and director of pulmonary endarterectomy at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “ECMO is a lifesaving tool, and our team is dedicated to providing the highest-quality personalized care so that each patient can achieve the best possible outcome.” Dr. Takeda is also an associate professor of surgery at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

“We are delighted to receive this recognition, and grateful to our exceptional teams for their commitment to our patients,” said Dr. Eva Cheung, medical director of pediatric ECMO at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “This accomplishment reflects our dedication to advancing health care and the outstanding work of our teams across disciplines to treat critically ill patients.”

ELSO’s award program recognizes and honors ECMO programs that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, and quality.

“This recognition signifies our commitment to exceptional care to patients and their families,” said Catherine A. Halliday, nursing director of cardiac services at NewYork-Presbyterian. “It also demonstrates to the health care community an assurance of high-quality standards, specialized equipment and supplies, defined patient protocols, and advanced education of all staff members.”

ELSO is an international non-profit consortium of health care centers and individuals who are dedicated to the development, evaluation, and improvement of ECMO and other innovative therapies for support of failing organ systems in the neonate, child, and adult.

The organization is made up of a broad multidisciplinary collaboration of physicians, nurses, perfusionists, respiratory therapists, technicians, researchers, and industry experts. Global chapters of ELSO provide education and expertise in ECMO delivery around the world.