(918) 592-0999

Cardiovascular Critical Care

ECMO REFERRALS: 1-833-OHI-ECMO (644-3266)

Oklahoma Heart Institute is proud to have been the first hospital in northeast Oklahoma to offer cardiovascular critical care. Our dedicated team of fellowship-trained intensivists and advanced practice providers offer 24/7 coverage ensuring patient care continually progresses throughout the day. The intensive care unit (ICU) coordinates care and works alongside cardiologists, surgeons and other specialists so patients can receive the consistent, unified care they need to get through the most complicated illnesses and surgeries. The ICU team cares for a broad range of patients including those with heart attacks, heart failure, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeries, structural heart procedures and patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for the most severe forms of heart and lung failure.

Oklahoma Heart Institute is the first hospital in northeast Oklahoma to offer extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to adult patients who are extremely sick due to heart and/or lung failure. “Extracorporeal” means outside of one’s body, “membrane” is a type of artificial lung and “oxygenation” is the process of getting oxygen into the blood. The ECMO machine helps to alleviate the stress on these vital organs in order for them to have a chance to rest and recover until they are able to properly function again.

Placing a patient on ECMO can be done in the operating room, cath lab, at the patient’s bedside or via a mobile unit wherever the patient is located. When connected to an ECMO machine, the blood flows through a tube into an artificial lung for the purpose of removing carbon dioxide and adding oxygen. Then, the blood is warmed to body temperature and pumped back into the body. Depending on the condition of the patient, they may stay on ECMO anywhere from just days to several weeks. During this time, the medical team is able to treat them with a variety of procedures, medicines or give them adequate time to recover.

Mobile ECMO - Due to ECMO’s lifesaving capability it’s important to reach people no matter where they are located. Because of this, Oklahoma Heart Institute has created a mobile ECMO program. They are able to place patients on ECMO much quicker and then transport them back to the Oklahoma Heart Institute hospital to continue this lifesaving therapy. The mobile ECMO program has a multidisciplinary team that includes intensivists, surgeons, nurses and perfusionists.

Ecmo is for:

  • COVID-19
  • Influenza
  • Pneumonia/ARDS
  • Patients recovering from heart failure, lung failure or heart surgery
  • Blood clot in the lungs
  • Drug intoxication
  • Ventricular assist device (VAD) procedure or similar
  • High-risk cardiac catheterization lab procedures
  • Overwhelming infection
  • Burn injury to the lungs
  • Acute heart failure
  • Low body temperature
  • Chest trauma

 

ECMO Informational Video
ECMO Patient Testimonial – Roger Glenn
ECMO Patient Testimonial – Tyler Whitmire
ECMO Patient Testimonial – Randy Blake
ECMO & VAD Patient Testimonial – Norman Cobb

Daniel Hopkins, M.D., cardiac critical care,
Adam C. Betz, M.D., cardiac critical care and medical director of ECMO at OHI
and Rachel Posey, D.O., cardiac critical care

Contact Us

For ECMO referrals, please call 1-833-OHI-ECMO (644-3266).

Referral Information

ECMO Patient Referral Guidelines

Cardiovascular Critical Care Providers

Click on a Provider to View More Information

Advanced Heart Failure Center Providers

Click on a Provider to View More Information

 

Adam C. Betz Profile Image

Adam C. Betz, M.D.
Cardiac Critical Care

Daniel Hopkins, M.D.
Cardiac Critical Care

James H. Neel, M.D., FACS

James H. Neel, M.D., FACS
CVT Surgery

Rachel Posey, D.O.

Rachel Posey, D.O.
Cardiac Critical Care

Ajit K. Tharakan, M.D.

Ajit K. Tharakan, M.D.
CVT Surgery

Andrea Dryden, APRN-CNP

Andrea Dryden, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Cherri Foster Profile Image

Cherri Foster, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Kristopher W. McDonald Profile Image

Kristopher W. McDonald, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Judith Muskrat, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Gini Renfrow, APRN-CNP

Gini Renfrow, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Natalie Scott, APRN-CNP

Natalie Scott, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Houston Slemp, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Kelsey Waller, APRN-CNP

Kelsey Waller, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care

Brooke Weaver Profile Image

Brooke Weaver, APRN-CNP
Cardiac Critical Care