On December 13, 2024, eight exceptional students from The Texas Heart Institute’s (THI) School of Perfusion Technology proudly graduated from its renowned post-baccalaureate training program. Perfusion school leaders Deborah Lowery Adams, MA, LP, CCP, and Kathleen Kibler, LP, CCP, welcomed the graduates’ families, fellow students, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center colleagues to the morning ceremony honoring the achievement.

For over 50 years—at nearly 1,000 alumni strong—The Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion Technology has provided comprehensive training for the cardiovascular care professionals who operate the life-support equipment that sustains patients during open-heart surgical procedures. Perfusion students become experts in cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), graduating to join care teams in cardiovascular surgery and critical-care medicine departments across the country.

The ceremony featured heartfelt messages, including a congratulatory address from Joseph G. Rogers, MD, President and CEO of THI. Keynote speaker Scott Poag, a pediatric perfusionist and 2002 THI alumnus, offered words of wisdom and pride, as he is also the father of graduate Graham Poag.

As is customary for each class, students are encouraged to contribute to the greater perfusion community through their professional and scholarly activities.  Each graduate provided case presentations at THI’s 2024 Perfusion Conference. In addition to receiving the prestigious 2024 Sal Guercio Memorial Scholarship, Asia Nguyen served as the program’s student ambassador to the American Academy of Perfusion (AACP) in 2024, participated in fundraising for students to attend the national conference and represented THI at the Academy’s conference held in Nashville, Tennessee. Lilly Tran published an article entitled “Pre-Hospital ECMO Initiation and Transport – Case Report” in the Fall 2024 AACP Newsletter and Valedictorian Bianca Ganaway set a standard of excellence for her class.

Having accepted positions across the United States, these graduates are ready to bring their skills, dedication, and compassion to the cardiovascular care community, continuing THI’s legacy of transforming lives through innovation and expertise.

December 2024 Graduates

Alisha Clayton
Piedmont
Atlanta, Georgia

Bianca Ganaway
Specialty Care
Houston, Texas

Justin Hartman
EVT
San Antonio, Texas

Asia Nguyen
DSA Perfusion
Mandeville, Louisiana

Kara Pirolo
Comprehensive Care
Spring Hill, Florida

Graham Poag
DSA Perfusion
Jackson, Mississippi

Lilly Tran
Comprehensive Care
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Kaylea Yeakley
Pending

View Photos From the Celebration

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About The Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion Technology

The Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education (ACPE), and graduates are eligible to become a Certified Clinical Perfusionist after they take the national certification examination, which is given by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion.

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