ELSO CHARTER

I. Mission Statement

The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) is an international consortium of health care professionals and scientists who are dedicated to the development and evaluation of novel therapies for support of failing organ systems. Crucial is the promotion of a broad multidisciplinary collaboration. The primary mission of the Organization is to maintain a registry of, at least, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in active ELSO centers. As appropriate, registries of other novel forms of organ system support are within the purview of ELSO. Registry data is to be used to support clinical research, support regulatory agencies, and support individual ELSO centers. ELSO provides educational programs for active centers as well as for the broader medical and lay communities.

II. Activities of ELSO

1. Maintain a Registry of a Limited Data Set to be used for Quality Assurance and other studies to improve the delivery of care.
2. Promote use of Registry data for scholarly studies.
3. Provide for interchange of information on devices and techniques used for novel
   organ system support.
4. Provide logistical guidelines and education for the above devices and techniques.
5. Provide information and communication regarding techniques used for organ system support to active ELSO centers, the medical community, professional societies, industry, regulatory and granting agencies, third-party payors and the lay community.
6. Organize an annual conference focused on novel techniques used for organ system support.

III. Organization

ELSO Leadership and Organization

Please refer to ELSO's Bylaws for a information on ELSO's Board of Directors; CEO; Steering Committee and other advisory committees; Affiliate Chapters; and membership available on ELSO's website (elso.org).

IV. Standing Committees

ELSO will maintain Standing Committees for important areas of interest where a dedicated team is beneficial. These may change from time to time to meet ELSO’s needs. A list of ELSO standing committees is below:

1. Registry
2. Conference
3. Research
4. Publications
5. Innovation & Technology
6. Education
7. Finance
8. Membership & Nominating
9. Quality

V. Standing Committee Responsibilities

1.Registry

1. Oversee the design of all data collection mechanisms
2. Oversee the definition of all individual data elements
3. Oversee the data maintenance procedures
4. Liaison with other registries that may have similar interests and data elements to promote standardization of data definitions
5. Generate bi-annual reports of the registry activities
6. Evaluate, and approve when appropriate, all data requests
7. Notification, specifically to the Research Committee Chairperson and involved centers, when centers are classified as inactive for failure to submit data to the Registry for six months
8. Generation and maintenance of policies and procedures which apply to Registry data requests, data elements and appendices
9. Facilitate collaboration between sites requesting overlapping data sets for publication
10. Track use of all data sets and review annually progress toward publication
11. Notify centers of failure to submit datasets for abstract presentation and/or publication within one year
12. Report at least annually Registry data set usage and status of tracking in "j"
13. Maintain a form to be used for Registry data requests which also indicates the rules of Registry data use as in "h"
14. Advise and maintain collaborations with external organizations and institutions related to ELSO Registry
15. Develop and maintain a set of metrics as it relates to data, data quality, and security

2.Conference

1. Plan and execute the annual conference
2. Recommend the format and the questions to be addressed at the conference
3. Recommend the program including invited and competitive presentations
4. Prepare a syllabus for the conference

3.Research

1. Coordinate ELSO-sponsored or managed multicenter trials, regarding data collection, study evaluation, and reporting
2. Coordinate applications for grants and/or projects on behalf of ELSO and its centers participating in cooperative studies
3. Liaison for Research requests from non-ELSO organizations for cooperative studies utilizing ELSO data
4. Maintain a copy of all Registry related abstracts and manuscripts submitted for publication
5. Maintain bibliography of publications based in whole or part on Registry data

4.Publications

1. Develop and update guidelines.
2. Publish and update the Red Book and Training Manual.
3. Publish and manage creation of monographs.
4. Set policy on publication frequency and updated versions of existing publications.
5. Establish working subcommittees as needed (e.g., Guidelines, Red Book, Specialist Training Manual).
6. Manage publications with ELSO staff to achieve committee objectives.

5.Innovation & Technology

1. Coordinate the collection and utilization of data in conjunction with the Devices sub-committee regarding new devices or materials
2. Determine the priorities for improvements in technology
3. Develop protocols for the testing and reporting of devices
4. Serve as liaison between ELSO and the medical industry
5. Serve as liaison between ELSO and the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory and government agencies
6. Develop protocols for multicenter testing of new devices and techniques (in conjunction with the Research & Grants Committee and the Chief Executive Officer)
7. Ensure rapid distribution of information regarding major improvements or potential safety risks regarding devices

6.Education

1. Publish and update a directory of ELSO education programs and endorsed sites
2. Develop and maintain courses related to techniques and/or technologies within ELSO’s purview
3. Develop standardized, multidisciplinary education programs for techniques and/or technologies within the purview of the Registry
4. Develop and maintain an offering of online courses as described above
5. Develop and qualify an individual certification exam for the same
6. Develop and qualify a path to individual certification for ELSO techniques and technologies
7. Develop guidelines for training certification requirements and professional standards for use of techniques and/or technologies within the purview of the Registry

7.Finance

1. Develop the annual Operating Budget for approval by the Board of Directors
2. Promote financial stewardship across the organization, including Committees and daily operations
3. Set policy on and manage any investments made with ELSO resources
4. Oversee the annual audit process as defined in the Bylaws

8.Membership & Nominating

1. Implement and oversee annual ELSO elections
2. Collect nominations & validate the candidacy of such nominees for consideration by the full Board of Directors
3. Foster increased center and member participation in ELSO activities
4. Actively recruit potential candidates for leadership positions from across the ELSO community
5. Identify FELSO candidates and oversee FELSO cohort elections

9.Quality

1. Manage the Award of Excellence processes
2. Develop and maintain an application process for the Award of Excellence that includes multidisciplinary review panels and thorough validation of application materials
3. Develop and oversee a certification process for ELSO member-centers
4. Maintain proper business practices & guidelines consistent with ELSO’s non-profit model
5. Recommend other projects or initiatives that may impact quality for ELSO members