On December 8, The Texas Heart Institute’s School of Perfusion Technology celebrated the eight December 2023 graduates of its rigorous post-baccalaureate training program. Perfusion School leaders Deborah Lowery Adams, MA, LP, CCP, and Kathleen Kibler, LP, CCP, hosted the graduates’ families, fellow students, and hospital faculty and staff during the special ceremony honoring the graduates.

For over 50 years, The Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion Technology has educated cardiovascular care professionals who operate the equipment needed to support patients during open-heart surgical procedures. Students become experts in life-support methods such as cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), preparing them to work in cardiovascular surgery suites and critical-care medicine departments across the country.

Joseph G. Rogers, MD, President and CEO, congratulated the graduates and their families, remarking that the graduates had come to the program as students, but they were leaving as professionals. He emphasized the responsibilities that accompanied their new roles, including obligations to represent The Institute, honor those who trained them, teach others, stay connected with each other, continuously learn, and never settle for less than excellence in patient care.

Sam Dominico, CCP, a perfusionist from the Central Carolina Perfusion group and father of December 2023 graduate Benjamin Dominico, used his commencement address to encourage the new perfusionists to development several lasting habits—performing mission work whenever possible, remembering there is something new to learn every day, and applying professionalism in all their interactions. He urged them to always “remember where you came from and the sacrifices you made” as they navigate their career journeys.

Adams congratulated the new alumni on joining the nearly 1000 perfusionists trained at The Institute. “You are the experts,” she shared, adding that they are leaving the program as the latest representatives of The Institute’s commitment to excellence and lifelong learning. As she helped Adams award the certificates, Kibler introduced the graduates and described the unique contributions each made to the spirit and success of their class.

Members of December 2023 class have already been contributing professionally to the greater perfusion community. Kaitlyn Bickhaus and Katie Justiss will have articles printed in student section of the American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion (AACP) Spring 2024 Academy Newsletter.  The class collectively edited a chapter for the third edition of The Manual of Perfusion.

Cody Adams was awarded the 2022 Perfusion Without Borders (PWOB) Scholarship for a student to participate in a medical mission trip, granted by the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSECT). Kaitlyn Bickhaus was awarded the Sanibel Manufacturer Internship for the Sanibel Conference 2023 and attended the conference as a student delegate for Quest Medical. Payar Pasha participated in both the first Texas Perfusion Organization Conference and the Wisconsin Perfusion Society Conference as a student speaker.

Lauren Belinc is the Valedictorian of the December 2023 class.

The graduates have accepted perfusionist positions across the United States.

December 2023 Graduates

Cody Adams
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
Galveston, Texas

Maria Akery
Comprehensive Care/Royal Oak
Royal Oak, Michigan

Lauren Belinc
Connect Perfusion/Beaumont Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee

Kaitlyn Bickhaus
Avera Heart Hospital
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Benjamin Dominico
Central Carolina Perfusion Associates
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Katie Justiss
Comprehensive Care/Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center
Fort Worth, Texas

Brianna Loper
Specialty Care Perfusion
Wichita, Kansas

Payar Pasha
University of Wisconsin Health (UW Health)
Madison, Wisconsin

View the Celebration Photos

 

---

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.

About The Texas Heart Institute Education Programs

The Texas Heart Institute’s commitment to education sets it apart from other major cardiovascular centers. The Institute’s educational activities include postdoctoral and allied training programs, seminars, symposia, grand rounds, scientific publications, and public education outreach. Visitors will find the Wallace D. Wilson Museum with educational displays, historic items covering scientific breakthroughs in treating heart disease, and the Celebration of Hearts art collection.

---