Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital’s specialized life support team receives recognition for excellence

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital has been designated as a Center for Excellence in adult and pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO is one of the most advanced forms of life support for critical heart and lung failure.

This prestigious recognition comes from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), which awarded Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital the Gold Level Award for Excellence in Life Support. The designation highlights the medical center's exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes, quality measures, staff training, patient satisfaction, and ongoing clinical care.

"Nobody anticipates that their loved one will need life support, but when it is necessary, families should feel reassured that Providence is equipped to provide this critical care,” said Susan Stacey, Providence Inland Northwest chief executive. "I am grateful for our dedicated caregivers and providers whose compassion and commitment are reflected in this Gold Level Award for Excellence."

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital stands as the only medical center with an ECMO program between Seattle and Minneapolis, solidifying its status as a regional leader in life support services.

About ECMO

ECMO uses a pump to do the work of the heart and lungs for patients whose own organs are not working well due to critical illness or injury. ECMO may support the body for a range of time, from days to months, to allow the heart and/or lungs time to heal or to provide additional time for a patient needing an organ transplant. The ECMO program at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital is led by a highly specialized, multi-disciplinary team trained in intensive care.

ECMO became better known during the COVID-19 pandemic when people who could not breathe on their own were placed on ECMO in intensive care units across the country. The designated ECMO team at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital is well-known throughout the hospital as these experts quickly assemble when a patient needs ECMO.

Program Support

This program was established in 2010 thanks to generous support from the Providence Inland Northwest Foundation. Additional gifts to the Foundation have allowed the program to expand in recent years, doubling the number of pediatric and adult patients Providence can serve.