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Pediatric ECMO Program

Established in 1989, The ECMO program at Monroe Carell has helped more than 1,200 patients on ECMO, averaging about 60 per year. Our ECMO program can serve up to seven patients at once.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a method of long-term lung and/or heart support for infants and children who are in severe pulmonary (lung) or cardiac (heart) failure.

Here are some of the ways we use ECMO at Monroe Carell.

  • Treating respiratory failure due to severe pneumonia, status asthmaticus, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other causes
  • Treating newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia or meconium aspiration
  • Used along with hemodialysis for infants with inborn errors of metabolism
  • Supporting patients in cardiac failure
  • Assisting with Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)

Contact Daphne Hardison, RN, MSN, CNML
ECMO Manager
(615) 322-0519

Meet Your Care Team

Brian C. Bridges

Brian C. BridgesMD

    Pediatric Critical Care

Why You Can Trust the ECMO Program at Monroe Carell

  • diploma, award, ribbon, Recognized care, quality
    Recognized care

    Our program is a member of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) data registry for national and international ECMO Centers. Since 2008, Monroe Carell's ECMO Program has been recognized as an ELSO Center of Excellence. We were awarded this honor at the Platinum level in 2023 for our commitment to patient quality and outcomes, training and collaboration.

  • medical chart, clipboard, cross, Knowledge and experience
    Experienced care

    The ECMO Program at Monroe Carell, the only one of its kind in Middle Tennessee, has been in existence since 1989. Between 2015 and 2016 we ranked 17th in the U.S. and 24th internationally for ECMO programs in volume. Our ECMO Team has a combined clinical experience of more than 300 years.

  • conference, Team approach, people, staff, partners
    Dedicated staff

    Our care team includes registered nurses and registered respiratory therapists who serve as ECMO Specialists. We are a fully dedicated team, which means we have ECMO Specialists ready without delay to provide services 24 hours per day, every day of the year. Each shift is staffed with at least three ECMO Specialists.