Nicklaus Children's Hospital Earns Gold-Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support

Published on: 10/20/2026

Recognition marks nearly 20 years of commitment to exceptional patient care, quality, education and innovation in extracorporeal life support

MIAMI - Nicklaus Children's Hospital has been recognized as a Designated Gold Level Center of Excellence through the ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support, an international recognition presented by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) to centers demonstrating exceptional performance and commitment to quality in extracorporeal life support (ECLS).

The designation recognizes Nicklaus Children's Hospital's commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based care to critically ill children who require advanced life support, while maintaining rigorous standards for clinical processes, staff education, training, collaboration and continuous quality improvement.

The ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support recognizes centers that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes and quality measures, staff training and continuing education, patient satisfaction and ongoing clinical care.

"Receiving the Gold Level ELSO Award is a reflection of the expertise, dedication and teamwork of our physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, perfusionists and entire multidisciplinary ECLS team," said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children's Health System. "For our patients and families, this designation represents our commitment to providing the highest level of specialized care when children are facing some of the most critical moments of their lives."

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS), including ECMO, temporarily supports the heart and / or lungs when other medical treatments are not enough. At Nicklaus Children's, it can help children with serious cardiac or respiratory conditions, such as complications of severe sepsis and newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension. ECMO also supports patients during or after cardiac surgery, high-risk catheter procedures, cardiac arrest, and certain complex procedures which require specialized teams and rigorous care standards.

The ELSO Award also demonstrates to the health care community a center's commitment to high-quality standards, specialized equipment and supplies, defined patient protocols and advanced education for staff members.

"Earning Gold Level recognition from ELSO is a meaningful accomplishment for our entire ECMO team and reflects the dedication that goes into caring for some of our most critically ill patients," said Deborah Hill-Rodriguez, AVP and interim chief nursing officer at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. "Every member of our team plays an important role in providing this highly specialized care, and this recognition is a testament to their commitment to working together, continuing to learn and always looking for ways to improve."

The ELSO recognition reflects Nicklaus Children's Hospital's ongoing commitment to advancing pediatric critical care and providing children with access to highly specialized therapies and expert multidisciplinary care.