JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — HCA Florida Memorial Hospital has been awarded the Silver Level Center on the Path to Excellence in Life Support Award by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) for its ECMO program.

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The award recognizes the hospital’s exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes, quality measures, staff training, patient satisfaction, and ongoing clinical care in its ECMO program. ECMO, or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, is a life support technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs, providing oxygen to the blood and removing carbon dioxide.

“Our ECMO program has been recognized for its excellence in life support,” said Dale Mueller, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Chief of Medical Staff at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital.

With more than 6,000 hospitals in the United States, there are only about 400 ECMO centers nationwide, highlighting the significance of HCA Florida Memorial Hospital’s achievement.

“We are honored to be the recipient of such a prestigious award regarding the critical care services and life support equipment, and training provided to our patients at our hospital,” said Donna Wagner, Vice President of Cardiovascular, Critical Care, and Neurosciences at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital.

ECMO is one of the most advanced forms of life support available to patients experiencing acute failure of the cardio-respiratory system, allowing time for the patient’s lungs or heart to heal by using a heart-lung machine to oxygenate the blood outside the body.

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