Perfusion is a growing industry, with the market currently valued at $5 billion and expected to grow to over $11 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights. This is attributed not only to the increase in cardiac conditions and aging populations, but also to the rise in organ transplants and organ salvage techniques, like Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP).
Perfusion Shortages Threaten the Cardiac Surgery, Organ Transplants, and ECMO Support
But perfusion was already on track for a staffing shortage. A 2019 survey in the Journal of Extracorporeal Technology collected responses from 10% of the US population of perfusionists and found a vacancy rate of 12% and a turnover rate of 14%. The growing need for perfusion will exacerbate the need for perfusionists both nationally and globally.
The survey also reported that there were just 4,000 CCPs in the US as of 2019 and stated the implications of a shortage: “Perfusionists play a small but critical role in healthcare in the United States. A shortage of perfusionists could lead not only to restricted access for cardiovascular surgery but also to interventional cardiology.”
In the same journal, results of a 2015 perfusionist salary estimated a shortfall of 200-250 perfusionists per year, as many experienced perfusionists were slated to reach retirement age in the near future.
Perfusionists are needed in the OR for cardiac surgery and organ transplants, but they can also play an important role in the utilization of ECMO therapy. ECMO offers a lifeline to severely ill patients and has been employed more frequently in the last two decades. In fact, nearly half the ECMO cases recorded in the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ESLO) live registry have occurred in the last five years.
In the 2019 survey of perfusionists, 20% of the respondents “suggested delaying or canceling surgery as a means of mitigating staffing shortages.” However, this course of action would severely disrupt patient care capabilities and the volume of OR cases. Considering that patient retention and the OR are both key revenue generators, this is not a feasible option for most hospitals.
SpecialtyCare Offers Reliable Perfusion Support
SpecialtyCare is the industry-leading perfusion and ECMO provider for a reason. We understand the critical role of the perfusionist and have been making a concerted effort to increase opportunities for education, credentialing, and training to help reduce the burden of the shortage. In fact, we manage the costs of training and credentialing for our perfusionists, covering annual fees for their board certifications, licensures, and immunization.
We maintain all documentation for perfusionists and supply our partner hospitals with what they need to ensure compliance and status. Additionally, we are proud to support the Jefferson Center for Perfusion and Extracorporeal Technology Education, and we provide clinical rotation sites for 5 of the 17 perfusion schools. We can also offer scholarship opportunities for selected students.
If your hospital needs assistance with perfusion and/or ECMO or you are interested in learning more about SpecialtyCare, contact us today. Hundreds of hospitals already trust us to provide perfusion services, and we support nearly ⅓ of all ECMO programs nationally. In fact, our teams participate in one out of every seven heart surgeries across the U.S. every year, and support more than 75,000 perfusion-related procedures annually.
