Education

Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS/ECMO)

The Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Program is under the direction of Dr. Kristopher George from Cardiac Surgery and Dr. Waseem Farra (Director Intensive Care Units). The ECLS team consists of Registered Nurses and Licensed Registered Respiratory Therapists, nursing leadership, an administrative assistant, and an equipment technician/perfusionist. The team works in conjunction with the intensive care units in the care of adult patients.

The Fellows are responding first to the ECMO call and provide the assessment of the patient. The fellows work hands-on in taking care of these patients. There is faculty supervision at every step. The fellows are prepared by participating in the ECMO course organized by ELSO. They also get hands-on training at the hospital.

Extracorporeal Life Support Organization

Pulmonary Hypertension Program

The Fellow's role is the longitudinal management of patients with PH, including the initial diagnostic evaluation, chronic outpatient management, and the inpatient management of right ventricular failure.

The education is also inclusive of:

• Conduct inpatient pulmonary hypertension consultations
• Opportunities to perform right heart catheterizations
• Develop skills in the interpretation of echocardiography and chest imaging, including chest computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and ventilation-perfusion scans
• Engage in scholarly activity under the supervision of expert faculty.

Faculty: Dr. Dani Fribourg.

Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT)

There are approximately 100,000 deaths each year in the U.S. due to pulmonary embolism. Henry Ford Providence Hospital's team of experts is available round-the-clock to provide prompt attention and deliver life-saving care to these patients.

The PERT comprises experts representing pulmonary critical care medicine, cardiology, vascular surgery, and interventional radiology. The teamwork between these services is exemplary.

The role of the ICU fellow is to coordinate this team when the PERT is triggered. This includes initial assessment, review of CT, performing bedside echo, and subsequently discussing with the interventionalist. The fellow has the opportunity to assist in these procedures with the interventionalist.

The PERT meets every other month to discuss progress, selected cases, and improvement in technology.

The PERT is also involved in research actively, utilizing the huge database that is available.

The Henry Ford Providence Hospital is a member of the National PERT Consortium.

Pert Consortium

Fellows Bootcamp and Other Onboarding Special Training

At the start of the new academic year in July, the fellows undergo a special boot camp that involves training in the simulation lab. The fellows learn procedures such as bronchoscopy, central lines, pleural catheters, lumbar puncture, ultrasound training, and lots more. This session is great for learning and team building.

The first-year fellows also get registered to attend the local bronchoscopy and pleural procedures course and the course held in Chicago by CHEST. These courses are great tools to jump-start the procedural skills of the fellows.

Fellows Boot Camp 

Endobronchial Valves

We are thrilled to announce that our team have begun placing Endobronchial valves, an FDA-approved device that provides a noninvasive solution to patients with severe emphysema. This exciting procedure adds to the unique clinical experience our fellows receive during their training. With the help of bronchoscopy, the placement of these valves is made easier and less invasive for patients. We are proud to offer innovative solution to our patients.

Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy

We have acquired state-of-the-art navigational bronchoscopy. This is an upgrade from our electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy which we have been using since 2012.