Cardiovascular Perfusion is an allied health profession. Perfusionists use heart-lung machines and other technologies to maintain the health of patients during heart surgery and other medical procedures.
Employment as a perfusionist starts with national Certification by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion. In some states a license is also required.
Cleveland Clinic's School of Cardiovascular Perfusion provides a complete and accredited program leading to Certification. This is not an affiliated program, the course is offered by Cleveland Clinic's Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute.
This 3-term program is devoted to perfusion-specific clinical experience and clinical classes. Admission is open to applicants who have completed their Bachelors' Degree and have taken the following prerequisite classes:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Calculus
- Organic or Bio Chemistry
- Physics
All classes are held at Cleveland Clinic locations in the Greater Cleveland area. Students are not required to move from state to state to complete clinical learning.
Classes start each year the first week in January.
For more information:
We look forward to your questions and appreciate your interest in our rewarding profession.
For more information, contact: Clifford Ball
Cleveland Clinic (J4-604)
9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland OH 44195
Telephone: 216.444.3895 or 216.444.9215
Email: ballc@ccf.org
Cleveland Clinic School of Cardiovascular Perfusion Application
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Reviewed: 02/10
The Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia employs 14 full and part time CRNAs, utilizing a creative work schedule. They are an integral part of the daily staffing of 11adult cardiac and two thoracic operating rooms along with Anesthesia Residents, Fellows, and Student Nurse Anesthetists. The CRNA works under the direct supervision of a board certified Anesthesiologist in a collegial team environment that allows for growth and autonomy. Cleveland Clinic is a clinical site for the Francis Payne Bolton School of Nurse Anesthesia. The latest in surgical and anesthetic procedures, techniques, and equipment all combine to make this a challenging and exciting opportunity for the motivated Nurse Anesthetist.
Clinical Practice includes a large variety and number of cases:
- Coronary revascularization, on and off cardiopulmonary bypass
- Valve repairs, and replacements, many using minimally invasive techniques
- Transplants - heart and lung
- Aortic Aneurysms
- LVAD placement
- Endoscopic thoracic procedures
- Major open lung procedures
- Major esophageal surgery
Nurse Anesthesia Program
- Cleveland Clinic/Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing/Case Western Reserve University School of Nurse Anesthesia is a 28-month, intensive program affiliated with Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University that prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA).
- Graduate students in nurse anesthesia are trained to administer anesthesia in all of the surgical specialties implementing the techniques of both general and regional anesthesia. This graduate nursing program is composed of study in nursing research, professional development, and nurse anesthesia based on knowledge of the basic sciences.
- Applicants must be registered nurses (RN) licensed in the state of Ohio and possess a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). A minimum of one year of acute care nursing experience is required. Five graduate nursing courses are taught at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Nurse anesthesia courses, both didactic and clinical, are taught by CRNAs, anesthesiologists, and guest faculty from the Cleveland Clinic.
- Upon completion of the program, a Master of Science degree in nursing is awarded by the University and a certificate is awarded from the hospital. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination.
For more details about the program, please call:
- The School of Nurse Anesthesia at 216.444.6547
- Ms. Carol Ratcliff at 216.444.4674
For application requests call Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at 216.368.2529 or 800.825.2540, X2529.
CT Angiography Physician Training Program Offered by Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute Cardiovascular Imaging Laboratory
As demand for coronary CTA increases, so does the need for expertly trained physicians.
To enable physicians to perform coronary CTA with maximum competence, Cleveland Clinic’s Cardiovascular Imaging Laboratory, a multidisciplinary partnership between the departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Cardiovascular Medicine is currently offering an educational program. The program will meet the criteria outlined jointly by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association in the Clinical Competence Statement on Cardiac Imaging with Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance 1, providing Level 2 competency to physicians interested in performing coronary CTA.
The curriculum will be designed to minimize time spent away from participants’ practices, thus providing an efficient and cost-effective educational opportunity.
The course will be comprised of the following components:
- Didactic lectures provided by expert physicians, technologists and CT physicists for a total of 20 CME hours
- Hands-on training on individual workstations
- Supervised review of greater than 200 cases including coronary studies with angiographic correlation, non-coronary cardiac pathological cases and calcium score scans. These will include live case acquisition and analysis.
- Reviews of extracardiac pathology
- Certificate of course completion, issued by Cleveland Clinic, equivalent to levels I and II
Information regarding the availability of this course will be posted on this site as soon as it becomes available. Please check regularly for updates.
If you would like to be contacted when this course information will be available,
please email Lisa Clough. Include:
- your name
- address
- phone number(s)
- email address
- degree, and
- place of employment.
Additional Resources
View or print a PDF version of the brochure.