Clinical and Administrative Steps to the ECMO Program Development

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a rapidly evolving therapy for acute lung and/or heart failure. ECMO, from a technical standpoint, is con-ceptually simple—however, it can be very challenging to implement therapy at the individual patient level as well as at hospital (or healthcare system) level. ECMO program development involves engagement of key stake-holders including physicians, nursing, and administrative leadership. The goal of this chapter is to outline some of the crucial steps in developing a successful ECMO program including high-lighting the necessary resources, team members and structure, and basic program structure and function.