Dr. Heidi J. Dalton, MD, MCCM, FELSO

Expert Publications

• Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation facilitates tracheal extubation after laryngotracheal reconstruction in children.
• Use of acetazolamide to decrease cerebrospinal fluid production in chronically ventilated patients with ventriculopleural shunts.
• Therapeutic use of a group IIA phospholipase A2 inhibitor in acute respiratory distress syndrome: time is of the essence.
• Potential pitfalls in the practice of partial liquid ventilation.
• T-cell responses in burn infection.
• Lung volume measurement during high-frequency ventilation: a new role for an old technique?
• Circulating leptin: mediator or marker of the neuroendocrinological stress response?
• There and back again: does prone positioning have any value in respiratory failure?
• Pediatric trauma: postinjury care in the pediatric intensive care unit.
• Renal replacement therapy: not just for the kidneys anymore?
• Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: an underutilized technique?
• Recombinant activated protein C in pediatric sepsis.

Media Releases

Supporting the ECLS Community for Optimal Patient Outcomes and Sustainable Programs

Dr. Heidi J. Dalton, a distinguished pediatric intensivist with over 30 years of experience in extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for both children and adults, serves as the Founder and CEO of ECLS Virtual Advisors (EVA), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the ECLS community. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, EVA is dedicated to providing unparalleled support to healthcare professionals, ensuring the highest standards of patient care, consistent clinical practices, and innovative resource management.

EVA is a simple advisory service and a commitment to ongoing, immediate virtual assistance tailored for bedside care, program development, and education. By connecting ECLS practitioners with Dr. Dalton’s extensive expertise, EVA will empower healthcare teams to navigate the complexities of ECLS with confidence and precision. Their mission is to support clinicians at the frontlines of critical care, enhancing both patient outcomes and professional development. 

In addition to her role as President of EVA, Dr. Dalton serves in numerous prestigious positions. She is a full professor of surgery at Creighton University and a professor of pediatrics at Creighton. She also serves as a Clinical Professor of Surgery at George Washington University. Her breadth of experience also includes serving as the Medical Director of Innovative ECMO Concepts, Senior ECMO Advisor at OPENPediatrics, and Manager at Heidi J Dalton Medical Consulting, PLLC. Dr. Dalton’s expertise is further recognized through her contributions as a reviewer for multiple high-impact medical journals such as Frontiers in Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Cardiac Care, and others. She has over 200 publications focusing on improving critical care and delivery of extracorporeal life support, as well as limiting complications of bleeding and thrombosis. 

Dr. Dalton began her academic journey at Michigan State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology in 1978. She then attended Wayne State University School of Medicine, completing her Doctor of Medicine Degree from 1981 to 1985. Dr. Dalton then pursued a Pediatrics Residency Program at George Washington University from 1985 to 1988. She continued her specialized training with a Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Residency at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine from 1988 to 1991.

Over the years, Dr. Dalton has developed training programs for organizations such as the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Thoracic Society. She provides expert guidance and program reviews and is a frequently invited speaker for clinicians and groups worldwide.

Inducted as a  Master of Critical Care Medicine by the American College of Critical Care Medicine in 2014 and one of the inaugural fellows for the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, Dr. Dalton has continued to mentor junior faculty and provide input on multiple expert consensus groups. She also works closely with industry to improve the design and delivery of extracorporeal life support and monitoring methods to improve anticoagulation care. Her ongoing research aims to improve patient outcomes and explore strategies to minimize anticoagulation needs during ECLS, thereby reducing associated risks and improving the ability to provide critical care and ECLS in austere environments by combining simulation training with virtual oversight.

With the launch of EVA, Dr. Heidi J. Dalton is poised to make a significant impact on the ECLS community and enhance the quality of care for patients worldwide.

Recommended Articles

• Alternative Treatments for Sepsis

  Sepsis is caused by a bacterial infection that can begin anywhere in our body. Our immune system goes into overdrive, creating turmoil in the normal processes of our blood circulation. As a result, very small blood clots form, blocking the blood flow to vital organs. This can lead to organ failure,...

• Treatments for Mononucleosis

  There exist many symptoms that make the mononucleosis disease similar to other diseases, which makes it very difficult to distinguish it from other infections. Doctors administer treatment of the patient by giving him or her a physical test. This annual test checks out the patient's medical history....

• What are the Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis?

  Sepsis is a severe medical condition caused by an extreme immune system response to infection. Widespread inflammation occurs due to chemicals that are released into the blood. This is the body’s natural response to counter an infection. Known as septicemia, or blood poisoning, sepsis is a...

• Different Types of Physicians Explained

  Doctors or physicians are categorized according to different factors including medical specialties and subspecialties. Most doctors specialize in a specific area of medicine. This article provides a summary of the different types of doctors in the medical field. AllergistsAllergists are also...

• Is Sepsis a Chronic Condition?

  Sepsis is a life-threatening condition, which is a result of the body’s reaction to an infection. Your body can respond to an infection by going into overdrive despite its immune system’s protection against diseases and infections.Sepsis is a dangerous condition where the body fights an...

• What is Traumatic Cataract?

  Perhaps the most poorly recognized key health challenge today is trauma. In the developed world, trauma causes monocular blindness. Ocular injury otiology may vary from one urban area to another and therefore needs careful investigation. Any approach for preventing trauma requires familiarity with...