Ann Guercio is a perfusionist with 34 years of experience in the profession and has resided in Houston, Texas for 31 years. She has provided clinical excellence in a variety of settings, including large academic centers performing adult and pediatric cardiac surgeries, single-center community health care facilities, and multi-center health care systems. Gratefully, Ann spent 10 years as a staff instructor at the Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion, giving back to perfusion students at her alma mater.
Ann participates in perfusion professional societies and credentialing bodies. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion (AACP), a current Board Director on the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP), and serves on the Texas Medical Board in matters of state perfusion licensure. Preserving, promoting, and advancing the Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) certification process is forefront in her professional efforts.
Quality in cardiac surgery is another of Ann’s passions. She pursues objective advances through her associate membership and database abstraction work in the Society or Thoracic Surgeons (STS) registry. Currently, she is President of the Texas Region Data Managers Network (TRDMN) and divides her role in the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System between perfusion and STS registry duties. Ann believes that perfusion is part of the team effort of cardiac surgery. Through collaboration, communication, and data sharing, improvements in patient care are achieved.
In a large healthcare system, facilities can become siloed. Ann serves with a group of perfusion colleagues in her healthcare system to standardize where possible and share thoughts and ideas. She chairs the Perfusion Council at Memorial Hermann, which includes representatives from all system perfusion service providers. Through the Council, the perfusionists are able to compare processes and innovate, as well as network.
Outside of perfusion, Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, Sal, also a perfusionist, retired. They enjoy old home renovations, listening to music, cooking, cocktails, “talkin shop” and pretty much just being together.
