Director | ECLS/ECMO | Cardiogenic Shock & Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Programs

The MCS (Mechanical Circulatory Support) Director, in collaboration with the MCS team, coordinates all aspects of in-patient care and services for ECMO patients. Will also provide inpatient and outpatient services for VAD patients after program implementation.

About the position:

Position Summary

The Director of ECLS/ECMO, Shock & PERT Programs is responsible for the overall leadership, management, and development of the Extracorporeal Life Support/Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation program, the Cardiogenic Shock program, and the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team within UT Health Tyler. This role requires a strong background in critical care, ECMO expertise, shock resuscitation, PE management, and organizational leadership. The Director will serve as the institutional champion for building these programs from the ground up, with the expectation of being hands-on and readily available during the launch phase, gradually transitioning daily operational duties to frontline leaders as the team matures.

Responsibilities

1. Program Leadership

- Develop and implement the strategic vision for the ECLS/ECMO, Shock, and PERT programs in alignment with UT Health Tyler's institutional goals. Secure and maintain commitment from hospital administration as a foundational requirement.

- Formally establish and maintain program-specific policies, protocols, clinical pathways, and best practices for each program.

- Collaborate with healthcare leaders across departments to ensure seamless integration of ECMO, Shock, and PERT services with existing critical care, emergency medicine, cardiology, cardiac surgery, pulmonary, and interventional radiology units.

- Formally assign and define leadership roles, including:

• ECMO Medical Director and Surgical Director
• ECMO Coordinator and ECMO Specialists
• Shock Team Lead and Shock Response Coordinator
• PERT Medical Director and PERT Coordinator

- Establish activation criteria, response algorithms, and escalation pathways for each program.

2. Clinical Oversight

- Provide clinical leadership and expertise in ECMO patient care, shock resuscitation (cardiogenic, septic, undifferentiated), and acute pulmonary embolism management.

- Develop and lead Multidisciplinary Teams for each program with structured daily rounds, case conferences, and ongoing education.

- ECMO Team: intensivists, cardiac/thoracic surgeons, perfusionists, ECMO specialists, nursing, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, palliative care.

- Shock Team: intensivists, cardiology (interventional and advanced heart failure), emergency medicine, cardiac surgery, nursing, pharmacy.

- PERT: pulmonology, interventional radiology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, emergency medicine, hematology, critical care, nursing.

- Collaborate with clinical teams to assess and evaluate candidates for ECMO cannulation, mechanical circulatory support, and PERT activation; monitor patient progress through standardized pathways.

- Ensure adherence to quality and safety standards in all procedures and protocols across the three programs.

- Develop and oversee institution-specific cannulation, decannulation, anticoagulation, and weaning protocols for ECMO; shock algorithm and hemodynamic assessment protocols; and risk-stratified PE treatment pathways.

3. Staff Management & Education

- Supervise program staff, including ECMO specialists, shock response nurses, PERT coordinators, bedside nurses, respiratory therapists, and APPs.

- Develop and deliver ongoing education and training programs for all team members, including:

- ECMO simulation training and competency assessments

- Shock recognition, hemodynamic monitoring, and mechanical circulatory support education

- PERT activation drills and PE risk stratification training

- Annual competency reviews and recertification

- Foster a culture of continuous learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, and performance improvement.

- Lead the development of the APP/APRN critical care model, including scope of practice definition, training curricula, and credentialing pathways.

4. Resource Management

- Manage the budget and resource allocation for all three programs.

- Ensure the availability of necessary equipment, supplies, and resources, including ECMO circuits and consoles, mechanical circulatory support devices, catheter-directed therapy supplies, and hemodynamic monitoring systems.

- Monitor and optimize resource utilization to maintain cost-effectiveness.

- Collaborate with supply chain, biomedical engineering, and vendor partners to evaluate new technologies and negotiate contracts.

5. Quality Assurance & Data Analysis

- Establish and maintain quality assurance programs to assess and improve outcomes across ECMO, Shock, and PERT services.

- Define and track key performance indicators for each program, including:

• ECMO: survival to decannulation, survival to discharge, complication rates, ELSO registry benchmarking
• Shock: door-to-support times, lactate clearance, survival, escalation appropriateness
• PERT: time to activation, time to intervention, mortality, bleeding complications, adherence to risk stratification

- Analyze data related to patient outcomes and program performance; present findings at institutional quality committees.

- Implement changes and improvements based on data-driven insights and national benchmarking.

6. Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation

- Ensure compliance with all relevant healthcare regulations, standards, and accreditation requirements, including ELSO Center of Excellence criteria.

- Stay current with changes in ECMO technology, shock management guidelines, PE treatment guidelines, and regulatory standards.

- Collaborate with medical staff leadership to establish and maintain the credentialing and privileging process for all providers participating in ECMO cannulation/management, mechanical circulatory support, and catheter-directed therapy.

- Maintain data submission to national registries (e.g., ELSO Registry, PERT Consortium).

7. Research & Innovation

- Promote and support research initiatives related to ECMO, cardiogenic shock, and pulmonary embolism.

- Stay informed about the latest developments and advancements in extracorporeal support technology, mechanical circulatory support, and catheter-directed therapies.

- Produce original manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.

- Pursue opportunities for clinical trial participation and collaborative research with other ECMO/Shock/PERT centers.

- Present program outcomes and research at regional and national conferences.

8. Patient & Family Support

- Provide support and education to patients and their families regarding ECMO therapy, shock interventions, and PE treatment options.

- Collaborate with the patient care team, social work, chaplaincy, and palliative care to ensure comprehensive care, shared decision-making, and clear communication throughout the treatment course.

- Develop patient and family educational materials for each program.

9. Interdisciplinary Collaboration

- Collaborate with medical specialists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, interventional radiologists, hematologists, emergency medicine physicians, and critical care teams to provide comprehensive, coordinated patient care.

- Serve as the institutional liaison for ECMO, Shock, and PERT services with referring facilities, transfer centers, and regional partners.

- Participate in institutional committees related to critical care, cardiovascular services, and quality improvement.

10. Reporting

- Prepare and present regular reports on program performance, outcomes, and quality metrics to senior leadership, the medical executive committee, and the board as requested.

- Provide periodic updates on program growth milestones, staffing, financial performance, and strategic initiatives.

- Benchmark program outcomes against national data and peer institutions.

Qualifications

- Advanced clinical training in critical care medicine, cardiovascular medicine, or cardiothoracic surgery (MD/DO, APRN, or equivalent with demonstrated ECMO expertise).

- Extensive experience in ECMO management, cardiogenic shock, and acute PE management.

- Demonstrated leadership in program development, team building, and quality improvement.

- Strong communication, organizational, and strategic planning skills.

- Commitment to academic advancement, research, and education.

Education:

• Associates Degree in Nursing required
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred
• Post Graduate Degree; MSN preferred

Experience:

Minimum of 3 years of Cardiovascular Heart Failure critical care experience required; care of Patients with ECMO preferred

Certification and Licensure:

• Registered Nurse license required, APRN preferred
• BLS required
• ACLS required

A Recruitment Package that Recognizes Your Talent and may include:

• Base Salary
• Potential Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
• CME allowance
• Commencement bonus
• Medical debt consultative services by Navigate Student Loans
• Relocation allowance
• Paid malpractice coverage
• Health benefits + Retirement plan
• Marketing + practice growth assistance 

About UT Health:

UT Health Tyler has earned multiple recognitions, including the American Heart Association’s 2025 “Get With The Guidelines” awards for high-quality heart failure and stroke care, Healthgrades’ “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery Award, and systemwide honors for exceptional employee engagement and loyalty.

• Level I Trauma Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center
• Licensed Beds: 432 Beds
• OR: 12 Rooms, 2 Da Vinci Xi, 2 Cysto Rooms,
• CV OR: 2 Rooms
• 3 Cath Labs, 3 EP Labs, including hybrid OR
• ICU: 78 Beds
• Labor and Delivery: 14 Beds, 20 Step Down Beds
• NICU: 9 NICU Beds, 7 Step Down Beds

UT Health East Texas:

The UT Health East Texas system is comprised of nine hospitals, more than 90 physician clinics, over 500 employed providers, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, six urgent care clinics, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 60 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including a Level 1 trauma center. Our service area has a population of over 1.1 million. 

About UT Tyler School of Medicine:

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine is the first medical school in East Texas and the seventh in The University of Texas System. Its mission is to train future healthcare professionals to embrace responsibility for the unique needs of rural and hard-to-reach communities and populations, particularly those in East Texas. 

The school offers a robust Graduate Medical Education program, with 20 residency and fellowship training programs, enabling graduates to gain specialized skills in areas such as family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry, surgery, and anesthesia. Additionally, UT Tyler’s Master of Biotechnology program provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes medical research and biotechnology innovation, preparing them for careers in medical research, diagnostics and therapeutic development.

Construction is currently underway on a five-story, 248,000-square-foot Medical Education Building (MEB) in Tyler’s Midtown District. Connected by a skybridge to UT Health Tyler, the MEB will support interdisciplinary education for medical students and resident training. It will also aid as part of a medical education program expansion throughout the UT Health East Texas Health System.

Emphasizing a community-centered approach, the UT Tyler School of Medicine combines advanced research, hands-on learning, and partnerships with regional healthcare providers to cultivate a new generation of physicians prepared to improve healthcare outcomes and enhance the quality of life in East Texas. Visit  uttyler.edu/medicine  to learn more.

About the community:

Tyler, TX is one of the fastest-growing medical and educational centers in East Texas—with expanding clinical services, new academic programs, and a supportive community invested in healthcare excellence. Physicians who join our region benefit from a high quality of life, low cost of living, and easy access to outdoor recreation, dining, and family-friendly amenities. As the home of the UT Tyler School of Medicine and the flagship UT Health East Texas hospital, Tyler offers a unique opportunity to practice in a dynamic environment with opportunities for academic involvement, collaboration, and long-term career growth.