Cooper University Health Care Launches Mobile ECMO Transport Program for Critically Ill Heart and Lung Patients

Cooper University Health Care's Center for Critical Care Services, in collaboration with the Cooper Transfer Center, Cooper EMS, and Cooper's Level 1 Trauma Program, has launched a Mobile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Transport Program - offering patients with life-threatening heart or lung failure access to advanced life support before they even arrive at the hospital.

The program enables a specialized multidisciplinary team to travel to referring hospitals, initiate ECMO at the bedside, stabilize critically ill patients, and safely transport them back to Cooper for ongoing management.

ECMO is an advanced form of life support used for patients experiencing severe cardiac or respiratory failure, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). By oxygenating and circulating blood outside the body, ECMO allows the heart and lungs to rest and recover when conventional therapies are no longer sufficient.

With the launch of its mobile capability, Cooper is now uniquely equipped to deploy a highly trained ECMO team - including physicians, advanced practice providers, perfusion specialists, nurses, and critical care transport professionals - to initiate veno-venous (VV) ECMO at outside facilities prior to transfer. This capability is made possible through close coordination with Cooper's EMS and Trauma teams, whose expertise in rapid response and critical care transport is essential to the program's success.

The team completed its first mobile ECMO cannulation and transport in mid-February, successfully initiating ECMO at the bedside of a critically ill patient transferred from a hospital in Vineland, NJ. The patient, who was experiencing severe ARDS and was too unstable to tolerate conventional ventilator transport, was stabilized on ECMO and safely transported to Cooper, where he recovered and was discharged.

"Mobile ECMO represents a defining step forward in the evolution of critical care across our region," said Nitin Puri, MD, director of Critical Care Services at Cooper. "Our vision is to ensure that geography is never a barrier to life-saving therapy. By extending ECMO capabilities beyond our walls and directly to the bedside of referring hospitals, we are building a truly regional system of advanced mechanical circulatory and respiratory support. This program reflects our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and delivering the highest level of care to the sickest patients wherever they are. I also want to recognize the extraordinary dedication of our ECMO retrieval team-Dr. Michael Kouch, Dr. Adam Green, Dr. Greg Felock and perfusionist Rob Rios-whose expertise and readiness make this work possible."

Mobile ECMO capability is considered a hallmark of leading quaternary care centers. By combining the expertise of its Center for Critical Care Services with the operational coordination of the Transfer Center, and the critical support of Cooper EMS and Trauma, Cooper has created a seamless pathway for rapid consultation, team mobilization, bedside cannulation, and transport.

Cooper has long been recognized as a regional leader in ECMO services, with an award-winning multidisciplinary team and a growing reputation for excellence in mechanical circulatory support. The launch of mobile ECMO represents the next phase in expanding access to this highly specialized therapy for patients throughout South Jersey and the surrounding region.

About Cooper University Health Care
Cooper University Health Care is a leading academic health system affiliated with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Cooper, headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, has revenues of more than $2.4 billion and an A+ credit rating from both S&P and Fitch Ratings.

Cooper has nearly 14,000 team members, including nearly 1,600 nurses, more than 1,200 employed physicians representing 95 specialties and subspecialties, and more than 700 advanced practice providers.

Cooper operates MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper as well as three hospitals - its 663-bed flagship Cooper University Hospital in Camden, its 229-bed Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional in Cape May Court House, and Children's Regional Hospital in Camden.

Cooper University Hospital in Camden is the only Level 1 trauma center in South Jersey and the busiest in the region. The hospital has been recognized as a top-performing regional hospital by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals annual survey for six years.

More than 2.54 million patients visit Cooper's facilities annually. Cooper's ambulatory network encompasses three outpatient surgery centers, seven urgent care centers, a wound care center, and more than 130 physician, physical therapy, and radiology offices extending from the Delaware River to the New Jersey shore.

Cooper was named one of America's Best Large Employers for 2026 by Forbes, ranking among the top 200 in the nation. Visit CooperHealth.org to learn more.