Presenter: Andrew D. Meyer, MD, MS & Veronica L. Armijo-Garcia, MD
Overview:
Extracorporeal Life Support: Envisioning the Next Frontier in Critical Care
Objectives:
To increase awareness and education for pediatric providers
Andrew D. Meyer, MD, MS is a physician-scientist who integrates biomedical engineering and medical research to improve the lives of critically ill children. As a member of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Pediatric Faculty, he sees young patients with congenital heart disease in the intensive care unit at University Hospital, the pediatric clinical partner of UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Meyer received his Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering and material science and engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering. Dr. Meyer received the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 2004, completed internship and residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics in 2008, and finished a clinical fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine in 2011. That year, UT Health San Antonio recruited him to the pediatrics faculty to teach, see patients and conduct research. Dr. Meyer then achieved new skills and knowledge in clinical research with a certificate in translational science (CTS) from UT Health San Antonio in 2016. Dr. Meyer has an active research program committed to decrease coagulation complications associated with critically illness with funding from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Children’s Heart Foundation, and U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research. Dr. Meyer has had an active research collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command since 2013. Specifically, his lab evaluates novel anticoagulant therapies that reduce thromboembolic complications associated with life-saving devices such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Please visit www.meyermedicalresearch.org to learn more.
Veronica L. Armijo-Garcia, MD is a pediatric critical care physician whose clinical focus is in caring for patients requiring ECMO support. As a member of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Pediatric Faculty, she cares for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit at the University Health Women and Children’s Hospital, the pediatric clinical partner of UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Armijo-Garcia received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology at UTSA and made UT Health San Antonio her educational home earning her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 2002, completing pediatric residency training in 2005, before becoming the first Pediatric Chief of Residents in 2006-2007. Finally, she completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine in 2009 and was recruited to the faculty at UT Health San Antonio following fellowship training. Dr. Armijo-Garcia has been a leader in the ECMO community since 2010 when she became Associate Director of Pediatric ECMO at Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. She then aided in the establishment of the ECMO and Advanced Technologies Department at University Hospital in 2014 as it’s Associate ECMO Director before assuming the role of ECMO Director in 2015. In the last 9 years she has expanded the ECMO program at University Hospital across all age groups including adults immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, has developed an ECPR Program paramount to University Hospital’s new designation as a STRAC Comprehensive Resuscitation Center, and developed a Transport ECMO Program for both adult and pediatric patients requiring ECMO support, the first of its kind in the San Antonio and South Texas. As a dedicated Ecmologist, Dr. Armijo-Garcia has been part of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization since 2009 and has authored ECMO guidelines, written book chapters and website content for ELSO as well as been a member of both ELSO’s Logistics and Education Committee and the Registry Committee. She became one of the first physicians to be ELSO Adult ECMO Certified in 2022 and is awaiting Certification in the inaugural ELSO cohort for Neonatal and Pediatric ECMO.
Financial Disclosures: Andrew D. Meyer, MD, MS & Veronica L. Armijo-Garcia, MD have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclosure.
The Pediatric Grand Rounds Planning Committee (Deepak Kamat MD, PhD, Daniel Ranch, MD and Elizabeth Hanson, MD) has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. Planning Committee member Steven Seidner, MD has disclosed he receives funding from Draeger Medical for the Clinical Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Infinity Acute Care System Workstation Neonatal Care Babylog VN500 Device in High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation (HFOV) Mode in Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) Neonates for which he is a co-principal investigator.
Credits:
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hour)
Non-Physician Participation Credit (1.00 hour)
MOC-2 credit (1.00 hour)
Target Audience:
Pediatric Doctors and Providers
Faculty, residents, health care providers; medical students and trainees.
Accreditation:
The UT Health Science Center San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation:
The UT Health Science Center San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses and other healthcare professionals will receive a Certificate of Attendance. For information on applicability and acceptance, please consult your professional licensing board.