ECMO Lifesavers: Advancing Care Through Best Practices and Immersive Simulation
Course Overview
Most courses teach content; we teach performance.
Jointly developed by Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning & Simulation (CAMLS), ECMO Lifesavers immerses clinicians in high-fidelity, team-based scenarios that mirror real alarms, handoffs, and decisions. Structured debriefs sharpen teamwork, troubleshooting, and leadership under pressure. CE/CME available. Seats are capped for deliberate practice, with team pricing for sending hospitals.
Why TGH & CAMLS
Learn from TGH’s internationally recognized ECMO team—honored with the ELSO Center of Excellence in Life Support (Gold Level)—teaming with CAMLS’ expert simulation faculty to deliver best practices in a purpose-built environment.
Who Should Attend
Physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, ECMO specialists, and perfusionists caring for patients on ECMO.
What You’ll Do (2-day intensive)
- Engage in interactive lectures grounded in the latest evidence and guidelines.
- Work through case-based discussions that translate knowledge into decisions.
- Train on high-fidelity simulations using ECMO equipment and manikins.
What You’ll Gain
- Confidence managing VV and VA ECMO with role-specific interventions.
- Sharper troubleshooting for ECMO emergencies and ventilator management.
- Stronger interprofessional coordination and real-time communication skills.
- Practice making critical decisions in realistic, high-stakes scenarios.
Secure Your Seats
Cohorts are intentionally small. Register now, ask about team pricing, or join our waitlist to be notified of future availability.
Location
Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS)
124 S. Franklin St., Tampa, FL 33602
Course Fees
Payment will not be accepted on site.
Target Audience:
This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of Physicians (Intensivists, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pulmonologists, Cardiologists), Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Providers, ECMO Specialists, and Perfusionists.
Course Outcome:
- Demonstrate effective teamwork in the care of an ECMO patient by achieving team coordination and adherence to role-specific responsibilities and interventions.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the participants should be able to:
- Describe best practices and advances for ECMO management.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply updated ECMO management protocols to case-based acute clinical scenarios.
- Collaborate in interprofessional groups to develop a standardized care plan based on the updated ECMO protocols, achieving alignment with organizational standards, as evaluated through the faculty and peer reviews.
Agenda
Monday • January 26, 2026
Opening Hour Activities: Registration · Breakfast · Vendor Showcase
Welcome and Introductions
Didactic Sessions (Introduction to ECMO, VV ECMO, Clinical Management)
Break
Didactic Sessions (Case-Based Panel Discussion, Advances in ECMO)
Break
Didactic Sessions (VA ECMO, Venting and Unloading)
Lunch & Vendor Showcase
Didactic Session: Troubleshooting/Alarms on ECMO
Transition to Skills (5 minutes)
Hands on Skills Rotations
Participants rotate through interactive skill stations designed to build confidence in essential ECMO techniques. Each station emphasizes guided practice, troubleshooting, and technical application, with expert faculty support. Debriefs reinforce learning and ensure mastery of key operational skills.
Day One Summary & Reflections
Tuesday • January 27, 2026
Opening Hour Activities: Registration · Breakfast · Vendor Showcase
Didactic Sessions (Ethics, VA ECMO Management, Cardio-Pulmonary Failure, Patient Management)
Didactic Session (Complications and Anticoagulation Considerations)
Break
Didactic Sessions (Rehabilitation, Risk Stratification, Mobile ECMO)
Lunch & Vendor Showcase
Afternoon Simulation Pre-Brief
Simulation & Case-Based Learning – Round 1
Participants engage in immersive simulation scenarios that replicate real-world ECMO emergencies and practice critical decision-making under pressure. Small-group tabletop discussions complement the simulations, challenging learners to apply protocols, troubleshoot complications, and refine interprofessional teamwork. Structured debriefs provide immediate feedback and key takeaways.
Break/Transition (15 minutes)
Simulation & Case-Based Learning – Round 2
Learners rotate through additional high-fidelity simulations and case-based discussions to deepen their understanding of ECMO management. Sessions emphasize adaptability, communication, and practical application in complex scenarios. Guided debriefs reinforce lessons learned and highlight strategies for optimizing patient care.
Final Reflections & Closing Remarks
Accreditation
ACCME
USF Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
USF Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity
Florida Board of Medicine Credit
USF Health is an approved provider of continuing education for physicians through the Florida Board of Medicine. This activity has been reviewed and approved for up to 12.00 continuing education credits
ANCC
USF Health is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
Nurses who complete this NCPD activity and claim credit can be awarded up to 12.00 ANCC contact hours.
Florida Board of Nursing
USF Health (provider number 2970) is an approved provider of continuing education for nurses through Florida Board of Nursing. This activity has been approved for 11.50 contact hours.
Disclaimer
The information provided at this CME/CE activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options for a specific patient’s medical condition.
Dr. Ioana Dumitru is Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Heart Failure Center of Excellence at Tampa General Hospital, where she also serves as Medical Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support. A nationally recognized leader in advanced heart failure, cardiac transplantation, and extracorporeal life support, Dr. Dumitru has extensive experience directing ECMO programs, training interdisciplinary teams, and advancing standards of care for critically ill patients.
She has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous clinical trials in advanced heart failure, mechanical support, and transplant, and is a frequent invited speaker at national and international conferences on ECMO, cardiogenic shock, and advanced support strategies. At Tampa General Hospital, she leads comprehensive training initiatives for fellows, residents, nurses, and advanced practice providers, with a strong focus on simulation-based education and team-based learning.
Dr. Dumitru brings deep clinical expertise and a passion for education to her role as course co-director, helping equip learners with the knowledge and hands-on skills required to excel in ECMO management.
Dr. Charles Hunley is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He serves as Associate Director of the CTICU/Heart and Lung Transplant Unit and ECMO Director at Tampa General Hospital.
With board certifications in Internal Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Hunley brings extensive expertise in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), cardiopulmonary critical care, and advanced life support. He previously directed critical care medicine at Orlando Regional Medical Center, overseeing seven ICUs and training fellows and residents in critical care and pulmonary medicine
Dr. Hunley has published and lectured widely on hemodynamics, shock, and critical care management, and has collaborated on the development of innovative hemodynamic monitoring devices. As co-director of the ECMO Lifesavers course, he leverages his clinical and leadership experience to advance best practices in ECMO management and multidisciplinary critical care.
Tampa General Hospital nurses and doctors participate in an ECMO symposium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at CAMLS in downtown Tampa. Pictured is a demonstration of resolving an air bubble in an ECMO machine. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the device provides temporary cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life.
Tampa General Hospital nurses and doctors participate in an ECMO symposium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at CAMLS in downtown Tampa. Melissa Przybysz teaches a class on using an ECMO machine with a manakin. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the device provides temporary cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life.
Tampa General Hospital nurses and doctors participate in an ECMO symposium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at CAMLS in downtown Tampa. Pictured is a demonstration on cannula placement. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the device provides temporary cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life.
Tampa General Hospital nurses and doctors participate in an ECMO symposium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at CAMLS in downtown Tampa. Pictured a patient management discussion is held. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the device provides temporary cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life.
Tampa General Hospital nurses and doctors participate in an ECMO symposium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at CAMLS in downtown Tampa. Pictured is a demonstration of resolving an air bubble in an ECMO machine. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the device provides temporary cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life.
Tampa General Hospital nurses and doctors participate in an ECMO symposium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at CAMLS in downtown Tampa. Pictured a patient management discussion is held. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the device provides temporary cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life.
Additional Information
Accommodations
You may book accommodations at our USF CAMLS partner hotels or check or availability at other downtown Tampa hotels.
Questions
If you have continuing education questions, please contact USF Health at cpdsupport@usf.edu.
Exhibitors
Interested in exhibiting at our course? Download the Exhibitor Prospectus (PDF).
Cancellation Policy
Due to instructors and other resources being procured based on course attendance, USF Health Professions Conferencing Corporation must adhere to the following cancellation policy.
- All requests for cancellation, transfer or refunds much be received in writing to camlsoperations@usf.edu.
- Cancellations received at least 31 calendar days prior to the start of the activity, a refund will be provided minus a $75 administrative fee and the cost of the book and shipping (up to a total $165.00 combined with shipping, textbook and admin fee).
- Requests for a transfer to another course date at least 31 calendar days prior to the start of the activity will be honored with no additional fees. The new course date must be within 6 months of the original course date.
- No refunds or requests for transfer will be provided if cancellation is received within (and including) 30 calendar days of the start date of the activity
- No-shows are not eligible for a refund or transfer.
- For internal USF participants or organizations wishing to be invoiced for registrations, your department or organization will be invoiced according to the above guidelines.
USF Health Professions Conferencing Corporation reserves the right to cancel this activity due to unforeseen circumstances, in which you will be contacted via phone and/or email to reschedule or issue a refund. USF Health Professions Conferencing Corporation is not responsible for travel expenses incurred by the participants in the rare event that this activity is canceled or postponed.
If you have any questions, please contact afalcone@usf.edu.
Disclosure
Relevant Financial Relationship Disclosure: Prior to the activity, USF Health will disclose and mitigate all relevant financial relationships that relate to the content of the activity.
I feel that every nurse caring for ECMO patients should participate in this course.