UPMC Children’s Again Earns ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support
August 27, 2025
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh was awarded an ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support – Platinum level in July 2025.
The Award for Excellence in Life Support from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) recognizes hospitals and medical centers around the world that demonstrate exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes and quality measures, staff training and continuing education, patient satisfaction and ongoing clinical care in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
“Fewer than 20 children’s hospitals in the U.S. have received ELSO Platinum designation—and we are proud to have now earned this honor for the second time,” says Michael Anselmi, BS, CCP-LP, director of ECMO Management at UPMC Children’s. “This achievement is a true reflection of the dedication and excellence of our medical and administrative leadership, perfusion team, ECMO specialists, and the many others who support our program every day.”
UPMC Children’s ECMO program in the Heart Institute first began in 1979 and has provided some of the most advanced life support for critically ill children with complex heart and lung conditions for more than four decades.
“The ECMO department of the future will be defined by innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and seamless integration of cutting-edge technology with clinical expertise. At UPMC Children’s, we have built a model that not only sets the standard for UPMC but also serves as a global example of how excellence in training, research, and patient-centered care can transform outcomes in pediatric ECMO,” says David Palmer, EdD, CCP, FPP Sr., director for Pediatric Perfusion and UPMC ECMO Services.
In 2008, the program became one of a handful of programs in the United States to provide ECMO transport for children with advanced heart failure who need a heart transplant or long-term mechanical circulatory support.
The award will be presented at the 36th Annual ELSO Conference, September 28 to 30, 2025 in Washington D.C.
