A Leader in Lifesaving Care: New ECMO Program at Methodist Dallas

The heart and lungs are essential to life, so if their function is impaired by illness or injury, patients can struggle to live without additional support. ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is a well-established machine therapy to sustain life for patients with a wide range of heart and lung conditions.

“ECMO is a high-acuity program that requires significant skill sets on the part of our physicians, nurses, and clinicians,” says John Phillips, FACHE, president, Methodist Dallas Medical Center. “We recruited physicians who are at the top of their game to create a high-quality program that will serve our entire patient population, as well as surrounding areas.”

Until recently, ECMO was not available at a Methodist facility, and physicians had to transfer patients to other hospitals. To better care for patients in our community, Methodist Dallas established an ECMO program in 2022, thanks to generous support from donors, like Hoblitzelle Foundation.

“ECMO helps patients stay alive when their heart and lungs are unable to provide enough oxygen to the body,” says David Mason, MD, thoracic surgeon on the Methodist Dallas medical staff and champion of the ECMO program. “It is vital to the emergency department and the cardiology program because it gives us another tool to save lives.”

Garrett Blackmon, a teenager injured in a severe car accident, recently experienced the lifesaving power of ECMO at Methodist Dallas. His condition was so critical, he likely would not have survived a transfer. Fortunately, after 17 days on ECMO, Garrett’s health improved. Today, he is back at home with his family.

“ECMO saved my life, and so did the people at Methodist,” Blackmon says. “They fell from heaven. I thank all of them for everything they did for me.”