Mega Doctor News
EDINBURG, Texas – Driven by its mission to heal even the most critically ill patients across the Rio Grande Valley, DHR Health recently provided extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to its 100th patient since the program’s inception in 2023. ECMO is medicine’s most sophisticated life support system that can save lives even when a ventilator and strong medications cannot.
“I am living proof that ECMO is not just a medical advancement, but a true miracle,” wrote Anthony Huerta, DHR Health patient to the ECMO team. “It is the reason I am here today, able to hold my family, live my life, and continue writing the story I was so close to losing.”
Huerta was suffering from severe lung failure with concerns that he would not survive and was emergently transported to DHR Health, where he made a full recovery with ECMO over the course of just one week. The team was able to remove the breathing tube while he was still receiving ECMO support, allowing him to talk to his family and begin physical therapy even while connected to ECMO.
“Every nurse, doctor, technician, respiratory therapist, and support staff member played a role in helping my husband fight through a frightening and uncertain moment. You didn’t just care for him medically — you cared for him as a person. And you cared for us as a family, offering reassurance, patience, explanations, and kindness when our world felt like it was collapsing,” shared Huerta’s wife, Kaitlin Huerta.
ECMO is a last resort, and only approximately 60% patients who require ECMO, survive. “But that’s 60 patients—our friends, family, community members—across the RGV who are now home: back to work, reading to their grandchildren, volunteering again at their Church, or whatever brings meaning to their lives. Three years ago these patients would have died, but now we can support them,” said Dr. Andrew Phillips, DHR Health ECMO medical director, referencing the program’s 3-year anniversary approaching in February 2026.
“Reaching our 100th patient in three years is a milestone that fills us with deep gratitude for our patients and families who trusted us and pride in our team, who day in and day out demonstrate their dedication, skill, and compassion. None of this would be possible without them” Jennifer Tobar, DHR Health ECMO coordinator.
DHR Health’s ECMO program is the only comprehensive ECMO center in the Rio Grande Valley and was recently recognized with the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization’s Silver Award for outstanding quality care. The program has grown rapidly to meet the Valley’s needs, supporting 8 patients on ECMO in 2023, 30 patients in 2024, and on pace for 70 patients in 2025, of whom approximately 20% are transferred from other Valley facilities.
For more information, contact the DHR Health ECMO Hotline 24/7/365 at (956) 655-ECMO (3266).
