DHR Health Celebrating One Year of Pioneering ECMO Program

A Lifeline for the Rio Grande Valley

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Dr. Andrew Phillips shares a joyful moment with Jose E. Altamirano Brown and his family, celebrating life and recovery thanks to DHR Health's ECMO program. Jose's triumphant journey from critical care to family life represents hope and the incredible impact of advanced medical support. Image by Roberto Hugo González
Dr. Andrew Phillips shares a joyful moment with Jose E. Altamirano Brown and his family, celebrating life and recovery thanks to DHR Health’s ECMO program. Jose’s triumphant journey from critical care to family life represents hope and the incredible impact of advanced medical support. Image by Roberto Hugo González
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By Roberto Hugo González

In a landmark achievement for healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley, DHR Health proudly celebrates the first anniversary of its groundbreaking Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) program. As the sole provider of this life-saving treatment in the region, DHR Health has significantly enhanced its local healthcare services, offering advanced life support options previously unavailable to its residents. The ECMO program for critically ill patients facing severe cardiac or respiratory failure reflects DHR Health’s commitment to delivering world-class medical interventions in the heart of south Texas.

Since its inception in February 2023, the program has been instrumental in saving lives and providing hope to families when all other treatments have failed. Led by Dr. Andrew Phillips, a Rio Grande Valley native with a prestigious cardiothoracic intensive care background, the DHR Health ECMO team brings the highest standard of care and expertise to patients in critical need. The program underscores the hospital’s role as a Level I Trauma Center and demonstrates its dedication to advancing medical care and support systems for the most vulnerable patients.

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As DHR Health marks this significant milestone with a press conference at the Edinburg Conference Center of Renaissance, the community looks forward to celebrating the successes of the ECMO program and its vital contribution to healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley.

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