Providence Swedish is one of a few hospitals with an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program in the state of Washington. “We are able to essentially shuttle the patient’s blood out of the body through our artificial lung and pump then give it back to them,” said Erin Lomas, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit clinical supervisor at Providence Swedish. “Now it’s oxygenated, and it’s been reduced of carbon dioxide. And we’re also able to support their heart as well, not just their oxygenation and ventilation.” ECMO allows patients time to recover after issues like a heart attack or pneumonia. It also helped patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had the privilege of caring for some of the very first patients on ECMO,” Lomas said. “They are survivors, and they’re thriving in our community now.” Younger people have the best survival rates with ECMO. People over the age of 65 who are functionally fit without a lot of comorbidities can be candidates too. ECMO doesn’t cure any issues or diseases, but it helps sustain a patient’s life as they get better. With the support of the Swedish Foundation, Swedish built a comprehensive team that includes infectious disease, nephrology and nursing. Donors allowed Swedish to secure the devices and send three nurses for specialized training in ECMO. Lomas says one of the most unique things about the care at Swedish is the team-based approach to everything. “We get together regularly to discuss our outcomes, to look at trends, to look at research and really make sure we have the best evidence-based practices in place to ensure that our patients have the best possible outcomes,” Lomas said. Swedish’s program has been recognized as a center of excellence, with gold status, by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. “What it demonstrates for our program is really our commitment to quality and to our patient outcomes,” Lomas said. Swedish is working to expand and grow the ECMO program and has created partnerships with other hospitals in the area to care for their patients in need of ECMO support. “This greatly improves their outcomes, their quality of life and their ability to discharge from the hospital,” Lomas said. To learn more about ECMO and the Providence Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute, visit the Swedish website. Sponsored by Providence Swedish. Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.