Nicklaus Children's Hospital Recognized as a Gold Level Center for Excellence in Life Support

Published on: 08/02/2023

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has been recognized as a recipient of the Gold Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). The award highlights programs that have distinguished themselves by having processes and procedures that promote excellence and exceptional care in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Extracorporeal Life Support Services are provided through the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Nicklaus Children’s, the leading pediatric care facility in South Florida.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital was selected as a Center of Excellence for demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the following three categories:

  • Excellence in promoting the mission, activities, and vision of ELSO;
  • Excellence in patient care by using the highest quality measures, processes, and structures based upon evidence; and
  • Excellence in training, education, collaboration, and communication supporting ELSO guidelines that contributes to a healing environment for families, patients and staff.

“Gold Level recognition is a tribute to the commitment and excellence of the Nicklaus Children’s PICU clinical team,” said Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Shannon Odell, MSN, BSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC. “This team provides the highest quality life-saving intervention for the region’s most critically ill infants and children.”

The ELSO Award signifies a commitment to exceptional patient care. It also demonstrates an assurance of high-quality standards, specialized equipment and supplies, defined patient protocols, and advanced education of all staff members.


About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Children Matter Most ™ (2024)

Founded in 1950 as Variety Children's Hospital, Nicklaus Children's is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.

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