Willis Knighton Health’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program has been designated a Gold Level Center of Excellence by the international Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. The Center of Excellence designation requires reapplication every three years.

The award recognizes those centers with top-tier programs that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes and quality measures, staff training and continuing education, patient satisfaction and ongoing clinical care.  

ECMO treats severe heart of lung failure by using the ECMO machine to support the function of the heart and lungs so that those organs are able to recover from critical illness. Blood is pumped and oxygenated outside of the body and then returned to the body, allowing the patient’s heart and/or lungs to rest.

“Receiving the Gold Center of Excellence designation from ELSO is not only an incredible honor, it’s also a reflection of our unwavering commitment to saving lives and delivering the highest standard of care,” says Damarcus Davis, vice president of critical care. “This recognition affirms the strength of our ECMO program and the dedication of our multidisciplinary team. Most importantly, it represents hope and healing for the patients and families we serve every day.”

ELSO is an international, nonprofit consortium of healthcare institutions, researchers, providers and industry partners. It provides support to those delivering extracorporeal life support through continuing education, guidelines, original research, publications and a comprehensive registry of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patient data.