This year marked the inaugural year for CHOP’s new Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Fellowship. The fellowship aims to educate pediatric intensivists and pediatric cardiac intensivists on forms of extracorporeal technologies with a focus on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
ECMO is an advanced form of life support that can rescue critically ill children with respiratory and/or cardiac failure unresponsive to medical management. It is a complex and specialized resource that is increasingly being regionalized to academic medical centers.
Fellows are also exposed to other ECLS types including dialysis, plasmapheresis, and ventricular assist devices. ECLS use has been increasing over time, so the fellowship aims to provide intensivists advanced training in these life support modalities in order to improve patient care and create leaders in the field.
CHOP’s ECLS fellowship is one of only a few similar training programs in the world. It furthers CHOP’s mission to be a leader in medical education. The fellowship was approved after a request for proposals for novel training programs. The CHOP ECMO program is a large volume center and has been named an Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Platinum Center of Excellence since 2017.
Hera Mahmood M.D., was the inaugural fellow who completed her fellowship in July 2025. Erika Pineda M.D. will be the ECLS fellow beginning in August 2025. The fellowship is run by Marissa A. Brunetti M.D. and Adam Himebauch M.D., MSCE, both intensivists in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine.
Dr. Mahmood reflected on her fellowship:
My time as the ECLS Fellow at CHOP has been an incredibly rich and transformative experience. At the start of the year, I expected to develop proficiency in managing patients on ECMO, but my experience went far beyond that. I became part of a collaborative, deeply experienced team that values curiosity, precision, and progress. Whether at the bedside managing high-risk ECMO patients or in interdisciplinary meetings working to refine protocols and improve outcomes, I was constantly challenged to think critically, lead with intention, and innovate in real time.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the fellowship was the opportunity to care for a broad and varied patient population, spanning from neonates to young adults. The clinical cases encompassed a wide range of complex pathologies, including congenital and acquired cardiac conditions as well as severe respiratory failure. This diversity deepened my understanding of the multifaceted challenges involved in managing extracorporeal support across different ages and physiological conditions. I also had the opportunity to develop a systems-based understanding of how a large, high-volume ECMO program functions. In addition, I contributed to initiatives aimed at improving safety, efficiency, and team communication. The mentorship I received throughout the year was exceptional and shaped how I see myself as a clinician, educator, and future leader in the field.
As I transition into my new role as a PICU attending at CHOP, I carry with me a deep commitment to advancing excellence in extracorporeal support. I am excited to continue contributing to the ECLS program from the attending side, mentoring future fellows, supporting innovation, and remaining actively engaged in a program that has shaped me both personally and professionally.
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This year marked the inaugural year for CHOP’s new Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Fellowship. The fellowship aims to educate pediatric intensivists and pediatric cardiac intensivists on forms of extracorporeal technologies with a focus on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
ECMO is an advanced form of life support that can rescue critically ill children with respiratory and/or cardiac failure unresponsive to medical management. It is a complex and specialized resource that is increasingly being regionalized to academic medical centers.
Fellows are also exposed to other ECLS types including dialysis, plasmapheresis, and ventricular assist devices. ECLS use has been increasing over time, so the fellowship aims to provide intensivists advanced training in these life support modalities in order to improve patient care and create leaders in the field.
CHOP’s ECLS fellowship is one of only a few similar training programs in the world. It furthers CHOP’s mission to be a leader in medical education. The fellowship was approved after a request for proposals for novel training programs. The CHOP ECMO program is a large volume center and has been named an Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Platinum Center of Excellence since 2017.
Hera Mahmood M.D., was the inaugural fellow who completed her fellowship in July 2025. Erika Pineda M.D. will be the ECLS fellow beginning in August 2025. The fellowship is run by Marissa A. Brunetti M.D. and Adam Himebauch M.D., MSCE, both intensivists in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine.
Dr. Mahmood reflected on her fellowship:
My time as the ECLS Fellow at CHOP has been an incredibly rich and transformative experience. At the start of the year, I expected to develop proficiency in managing patients on ECMO, but my experience went far beyond that. I became part of a collaborative, deeply experienced team that values curiosity, precision, and progress. Whether at the bedside managing high-risk ECMO patients or in interdisciplinary meetings working to refine protocols and improve outcomes, I was constantly challenged to think critically, lead with intention, and innovate in real time.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the fellowship was the opportunity to care for a broad and varied patient population, spanning from neonates to young adults. The clinical cases encompassed a wide range of complex pathologies, including congenital and acquired cardiac conditions as well as severe respiratory failure. This diversity deepened my understanding of the multifaceted challenges involved in managing extracorporeal support across different ages and physiological conditions. I also had the opportunity to develop a systems-based understanding of how a large, high-volume ECMO program functions. In addition, I contributed to initiatives aimed at improving safety, efficiency, and team communication. The mentorship I received throughout the year was exceptional and shaped how I see myself as a clinician, educator, and future leader in the field.
As I transition into my new role as a PICU attending at CHOP, I carry with me a deep commitment to advancing excellence in extracorporeal support. I am excited to continue contributing to the ECLS program from the attending side, mentoring future fellows, supporting innovation, and remaining actively engaged in a program that has shaped me both personally and professionally.
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Extracorporeal Life Support Fellowship Program