• Do you have 5 years’ experience of providing ECMO therapy to an average of 5 patients/year and have belonged to ELSO for 3 years?
  • Apply for the Center of Excellence in Life Support Award
• Are you a new member of ELSO and have not performed ECMO for 5 years?
  • Apply for the Silver Level Path to Excellence Life

ECMO Programs may apply for the Center of Excellence Award (Gold or Platinum) designation if they meet these criteria:

• Member of ELSO for 3 consecutive years
• Provided ECMO therapy for 5 years
• Supported an average of at least 5 patients per year
• All patients MUST be entered into the ELSO Registry

ECMO Programs that do not meet the Center of Excellence criteria may apply for the Path to Excellence Award (Silver) if they are a member of ELSO.

• You must be a member of good standing in ELSO
  • current on your dues for three years
  • signed Data Use Agreement on file
• Dues may be paid in arrears
• Center of Excellence designation will be automatically forfeited if ELSO dues are delinquent during the designated Award period.

If your Centers’ average patient numbers for five years equal 5 or more, you are still eligible to apply.

ECMO programs can evaluate their readiness for the award process by downloading the ELSO Path to Readiness Tool or the ELSO Award Center Evaluation and Improvement Tool

These tools will help you decide if your program is meeting ELSO criteria and is ready to apply - or how to improve your existing program.

The Application Award cycle begins January 1^st and closes March 1^st at 23:59 EST.

The Award Evaluation and Improvement Tool and the Application Worksheet are available October 15^th for the current Award cycle. Online Application form for submission opens January 1st and closes March 1^st at 23:59 hr EST.

Applications submitted outside of these time periods will not be considered

• Centers may apply at any time during the 3 year award designation period.
• Centers meeting criteria for the full Center of Excellence Award may apply before their Path designation expires.
• Platinum cannot be applied for – it is determined by the application score

• You must meet the application criteria as listed for the Award of Excellence
• Once you meet these criteria you may apply during any Award application period.

Obtain access to the online application

• Have your system administrator log in to ELSO.org with their username and password.
• On the Manage Tab, select or add the center members responsible for completing the award.
• Click Edit Tab on the far left column and scroll down to select the box with the Center of Excellence award application role.
• Click to save changes.
• Open Award of Excellence tab on elso.org to access the Application
• During the submission period (1/1 – 3/1), you have unlimited access to edit and complete your award. At 23:59 EST on 3/1, the application will lock, and you will no longer be able to edit or submit your application.

• Consists of 38 questions, some with multiple sub questions
• Organized into 7 categories
• Must be completely de-identified
• No staff names, no hospital names, states or countries, or individual program names should be used
• X” may be used in place of any identifier
• Patient identifying information should never be included
• Refer to the Application Instructions for specific directions regarding completion of the application

• The process may take several months.
• Highest performing centers begin planning years in advance.
• Use the Application Worksheet to fully develop your answers prior to entering into the online application.
• Use this Worksheet to cut and paste into the online application.
• Involve members of your leadership, quality, and others as needed.

• Six specific supportive documents must be attached with the completed application:
  1. Overall course outline or plan for Basic ECMO Course (Question 4.4a)
  2. Initial water drill checklist or simulation scenario (Question 4.4b)
  3. Orientation competency check-off (Question 4.4c)
  4. Continuing education simulation scenario (Question 4.5b)
  5. Annual competency evaluation tool (Question 4.5c)
  6. Screenshot of ELSO Quality Reporting Platform data (Question6.2b)
• All documents must be in PDF form to upload.

No.

Any figures, tables, charts, graphs, photos, etc. that are essential must be embedded within the online answer box and not exceed the file size.

Most challenges related to these issues are due in part to the individual Center’s data security or firewall. Please contact your Center’s IT department for support.

• Application process includes verification of patients submitted into the ELSO Registry
• Ensure that your patient submissions are up to date when you submit
• Discrepancies must be explained

Yes, as long as the Center has staff that is fulfilling the job duties associated with the Coordinator. Describe that person. It may be the Medical Director or other team member completing these duties.

• Center of Excellence (Gold or Platinum)
  • $3,500 fee USD
  • Valid for a 3 year Award Period
• Or
• Center on the Path to Excellence (Silver)
  • $2,000 fee USD
  • Valid for a 3 year Award Period

• Start Application
• Choose the Application - Center of Excellence or Path to Excellence
• Open the Payment Section Tab within the online Application
• Center specific demographics are automatically populated using Application information
• Fees may be paid by check, credit card, or ACH
• You will be able to generate a pdf invoice to download to assist with payment by check

• Application fees should be received in full by the Application submission deadline, March 1^st
• Contact ELSO for concerns
• Scores will not be released until payment is received

• Email notification is sent to the center contacts upon submission
• Application is assigned to a panel of expert reviewers trained in the award criteria and standardized scoring tool
• Anonymity and confidentiality are maintained throughout the review process
• Process is impartial and blinded
• ECMO program contacts listed in the application will be notified of their application results by July 15^th.

• Email award@elso.org to unlock your application
• After 3/1 at 23:59 hr EST the application is closed and edits may not be made

Late applications may be considered on a case by case basis. A significant late fee will be imposed

Contact the ELSO award@elso.org for assistance

• Anonymity and confidentiality are maintained throughout the scoring process
• Scoring process is blinded by ELSO administration
• Each application is independent of previous applications
  • Scorers are blinded from knowing previous institution’s designation
• Centers are responsible to ensure their answers and attachments are de-identified
• Standardized scoring rubric is used and total points are compiled
• Each question in the application is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, from 0 (Does Not Meet) to 40
(Exceeds), with 20 meeting the standard criteria.
• Individual question scores are then added to determine a total score.
• A minimum score is required

• Interdisciplinary team with extensive ECLS leadership experience score each application
• Scorers complete training in scoring process
• Interrater reliability is measured annually to ensure standardized evaluation

• If a center follows the Award Evaluation and Improvement Tool perfectly and achieves a "Meets" score in each eligible question, the final score will be 1020 = Gold

• Centers not achieving the minimum score will not be awarded that Award level
• A lower designation may be offered in some circumstances
• Committee decisions are final

• Centers may not appeal their score
• Applications with insufficient scores are automatically reviewed by the Committee
• Committee decisions are final.
• Please refer to ELSO COE Policies and Procedures

• Centers do not apply for Platinum designation
• Platinum is based on scores and requires significant number of answers be scored "Somewhat Exceeds" or "Exceeds"
• Platinum programs demonstrate innovation and ingenuity
  • a prescriptive formula for what it takes to score Platinum is not possible
  • centers are willing to ‘break new ground’ in advancing the specialty of ECMO
• Centers that achieve the highest scores are recognized with the Platinum Level designation
• Refer to Roadmap to Platinum

• Each application is independent of previous applications
• Scorers are blinded from knowing institution identity
• Each application starts from zero and builds from there. It does not matter what level center was previously awarded
• A center does not "keep Gold" or "keep Platinum." Rather, the designation is fully earned each time
• Platinum status relies on a certain level of innovation compared with peers; the bar to attain recognition does change with time.

• Each question in the application is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, from 0 (Does Not Meet) to 40 (Exceeds), with 20 meeting the standard criteria.
• Scores are included with your Award notification email letter
• Information includes:
  • Your Center’s total score
  • Breakdown comparisons for each category
• Compare your scores to the others provided in the Award notification letter.
• Benchmark against all Centers of Excellence to identify deficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
• If your category score is below the score required to meet, that means that you did not provide adequate evidence required to meet the minimum score.
• If you are above the median score – good work!
• Utilize the Award Evaluation and Improvement Tool to honestly and ruthlessly evaluate your center’s program and how you could improve.

The Scoring Tool is proprietary.

• Centers consent for a site visit by submitting the Award Application.
• Center refusing a site visit are ineligible for Center of Excellence designation.
• Centers select 2 weeks that ECMO leadership (minimum coordinator/manager and medical director) are available
• Selection of weeks is on a separate tab within the on-line application
• A percentage of centers will receive a site visit
• Reviewers are validating the application, not evaluating outcomes or any patient specific data.
• Scores are subject to revision upon findings from the site visit.
• Site visits are one day long and conducted by 2 COE committee members between April 1^st and June 30^th
• Centers selected will be notified approximately two weeks prior to the visit with specific instructions
  • Centers not notified prior to the dates chosen will not be receiving a site visit

• After March 1^st at 23:59 hr EST when the application cycle closes you will be able to download your submission
• Previous applications can be downloaded at any time
  • PDF format and does not include attachments.
  • Award website – Application --- Download/Print My Application

• Award website --- Recognized Centers --- Media Tool Kit or Extra Plaque Order Form

The Excellence in Life Support Award and the Path to Excellence designation covers a 3 year period from January 1^st to December 31^st.