John Martin, CEO
John Martin was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innovative Perfusion Concepts and Innovative ECMO Concepts in 2022. John boasts a wealth of healthcare staffing experience, having previously served as CEO of THMED prior to its acquisition by Doximity. His mission is to build Innovative ECMO Concepts into the largest provider of outsourced cardiovascular services in the world.
Hayden Miller, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder
Hayden Miller’s path in critical care began as a registered respiratory therapist. It was during this time that he gained experience in caring for critically ill patients, which ultimately led to his pursuit of a career in cardiovascular perfusion. Following perfusion training, Hayden joined a private perfusion group where he provided both cardiopulmonary bypass and ECLS/MCS support to cardiac surgery and intensive care patients of all age groups for more than a decade. Hayden served many years on the Examiners of Perfusionists Board for the State of Oklahoma, most recently as Chairman. He also assisted the Government Relations Committee for the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSect) as the liaison for the State of Oklahoma. Since co-founding Innovative ECMO Concepts in 2014, Hayden has assisted in the education of more than 1,500 ECLS clinicians and gained significant clinical experiences in ECLS transport, cardiopulmonary bypass, and ECLS management.
Thomas J. Preston, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder MS, CCT
Thomas Preston has more than 25 years of experience in critical care and emergency medicine, with a primary emphasis on extracorporeal life support (ECLS/ECMO). During his career, he has trained and educated thousands of ECMO specialists, provided direct care to hundreds of mechanically supported patients, and functioned as the primary perfusionist on congenital neonatal, pediatric, and adult cardiopulmonary bypass cases. He is currently an editor for medical journals and is a frequent instructor of ECMO courses for groups such as The Society of Critical Care Medicine, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, The American College of Chest Physicians, and others. A member of The American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology and The American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion, Thomas’s research work focuses on evaluating new ECMO products, such as cannulas, oxygenators and pumps, as well as new simulation tools to improve education and training. He has authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles, posters, and presentations and has served as an invited lecturer at a number of national and international symposiums.
John R. Mehall, President MD, MBA, FACS, FACC
Dr. John Mehall attended Yale University and Southern Methodist University, earning degrees in Philosophy and Biology with Honors before going to The University of Texas for medical school. Following a decade of surgical training, Dr. John Mehall became a nationally recognized expert in minimally invasive heart surgery, performing more than 4,000 operations, speaking at more than 20 national meetings, and publishing more than 60 scientific articles. For 10 years, Dr. Mehall served as the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery for Centura Health, leading 15 percent year-over-year growth during that time. He was also the Co-Chair of the CommonSpirit Health National Cardiovascular Service Line. Beyond clinical medicine, Dr. Mehall has founded seven healthcare service and staffing businesses and earned an MBA from The University of Texas with Honors. Dr. Mehall’s interest in ECMO was sparked by several pivotal patient experiences where ECMO saved the lives of patients with recoverable conditions. He is driven by a personal passion to save lives by expanding awareness and patient access to ECMO.
Ryan Zavala, Vice President of Perfusion MPS, CCP, LP
Ryan graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center with a Master’s degree in Clinical Perfusion Science. After graduating, he relocated to Toronto, Canada, and began his career as a staff perfusionist at The Toronto General Hospital, actively contributing to over 2,000 heart procedures, 200 lung transplants, and caring for more than 200 ECMO patients annually within a team of 15 perfusionists. Driven by a passion for education, Ryan assumed leadership roles, providing VAD and ECMO education for physicians and clinical perfusion students. He served as faculty and played a pivotal role in organizing the inaugural University Health Network ECMO symposium. In 2015, Ryan returned to his home state of Nebraska, joining the University of Nebraska Medical Center where he assumed leadership roles as ECMO educator, Director of CT Anesthesia Fellow education for perfusion, and spearheaded clinical perfusion student education. Ryan also played a key role in directing the first Regional ECLS Symposium hosted by UNMC. In 2018, Ryan joined Innovative ECMO Concepts as the Director of ECMO Transportation and Simulation. Recognizing his expertise and contributions, he was appointed Vice President of Perfusion Services in 2022.