Family Health provider welcomes device that saved her life 3-3-26

March 3, 2026

Family Health provider welcomes device that saved her life

MOBILE, Ala. — A large crowd filled the lobby at USA Health Providence Hospital this morning for the launching of a new program that brings lifesaving care closer to patients in southwest Alabama. The west Mobile hospital now offers Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), an advanced therapy that temporarily supports the heart and lungs for patients with severe, potentially reversible cardiac or respiratory failure.

Among those in attendance were numerous elected officials, USA medical staff and others who have been affected by the device. This included Dr. Lauren “Beth” Duensing, a pediatrician for Family Health, the Mobile County Health Department’s primary care division.

In 2025, she was diagnosed with influenza and pneumonia. On top of that, she was 25 weeks pregnant. As her condition continued to decline, it was decided she needed to be placed on an ECMO machine. Unfortunately, the closest one was at the University of Florida. Despite the danger of her being transported, she was moved to Gainesville.

She was placed under the care of Dr. William Ricks, who was at the University of Florida to be trained with the ECMO machine. He was also present today to see the recovered Dr. Duensing as he is now the Director of the ECMO program at USA Health Providence. Dr. Ricks also got to see Dr. Duensing’s son Whitman, who was delivered by cesarean section while she was in a coma.

“So, ECMO is the thing — the technology — that saved my life,” Dr. Duensing said. “And by saving my life, it saved Whit’s life. It was a real Hail Mary. If I hadn’t been able to be transferred and be put on ECMO, I would not be here.

“I was transferred over. I was put on ECMO, and then they delivered Whit by C-section two days later. I stayed on the ECMO machine for 60 days until my lungs could recover, enough that I was able to breathe on my own or just with the support of ventilation.”

Dr. Duensing agrees she was very fortunate.

“ECMO is an incredible technology,” she added. “It’s going to save a lot of lives, and it’s something that we really needed to have to work.

“I’m happy to be here, and I’m very happy — serendipitous is this word somebody used — that Dr. Ricks, who is the head of the new ECMO department here at USA Providence, was my doctor in Gainesville. He was over there training so that he could bring this program back to Mobile.

“So, we came up here today to tell him thank you and to show him that he has made such a huge difference.”

You may visit https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/com/blog/providence-ecmo.html/ to learn more about the ECMO device.