Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion
The MSCVP program at LTU is built on partnership with Comprehensive Care Services Inc. (CCS), a recognized leader for providing exceptional perfusion and autotransfusion services to medical centers across North America. Students will receive rigorous perfusion education and training with access to leading edge laboratories, simulation suites, and abundant clinical rotation opportunities across the country.
Graduates from the MSCVP program will be qualified to sit for the certification examination of the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP).
Interim Program Director
Kevin McCusker, PhD, MSc, CCP, LP
kmccusker@ltu.edu
Clinical Coordinator
Kristen Fanelli, MS, BScN, CCP, RN
kfanelli@ltu.edu
Affiliated Faculty
Sean Murtha, BS, CCP
smurtha@ltu.edu
Patricia Fanelli, CCP
pfanelli@ltu.edu
Simulation Lab
CCS operates advanced simulation laboratories where the LTU students will train. Students will utilize the CCS simulation lab to practice various techniques and demonstrate competencies.
Comprehensive Care Services (CCS)
CCS is one of the largest perfusion service companies in the United States, and provides services in more than 200 hospitals in 20 states. CCS will also provide students with clinical rotations and its staffers will act as adjunct LTU professors for the program.
Cardiovascular Perfusion Faculty and Staff
Kevin McCusker, PhD, CCP, LP, Interim Program Director
Since 2003, McCusker has been an assistant professor of surgery at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. He trained in the disciplines of physiology, biostatistics, and multidisciplinary health and human services.
McCusker established a Cardiovascular Perfusion Program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. He was also the program director at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. In addition, McCusker served as an adjunct professor, teaching Pathophysiology at the University of New Hampshire and Cardiopulmonary Physiology at Northeastern University. McCusker holds several U.S. Patents towards the advancement of extracorporeal circulation and holds the U.S. Device and Method Patents for inventing Condensed Perfusion Circuitry for Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Cardioplegia. He has been a practicing Perfusionist for more than 30 years. He is the author of more than 60 publications and serves on the editorial boards of several medical journals. McCusker has released two new books, “Systems Theory: A Modified Extracorporeal Circuit to Attenuate Systemic Inflammatory Response” and “Acid-Base Balance.”
Kristen Fanelli, CCP, Clinical Coordinator
Fanelli has a Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill. She has more than eight years of experience as a Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) and clinical instructor for graduate-level perfusion students at multiple institutions. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is licensed as a registered nurse in Ontario and Michigan.
Sean Murtha, CCP, Adjunct Professor
Murtha has an extensive background in medical laboratory technology, adult and pediatric perfusion, and has many years of teaching experience in the healthcare field. He is a Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) with more than 25 years of clinical experience. He is president and CEO of ORRUM Clinical Analytics and serves as the chief informatics officer at Comprehensive Care Services. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, Penn. Murtha also holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from Pennsylvania State University. Additionally, he has completed coursework at Northwestern University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a Master of Science in Healthcare Analytics.
Patricia Fanelli, CCP, Adjunct Professor
Patricia Fanelli is a graduate of Wayne State University and the Harper Hospital School of Perfusion Technology. She is a board certified clinical perfusionist and has been working in cardiac surgery for over 35 years. She serves on the Lawrence Tech perfusion program’s advisory board. Fanelli has a degree as a medical technologies and has a strong background in Joint Commission guidelines, federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements, and other federal regulations. She developed policies and procedures, education competencies, regulatory guidelines, and training manuals currently used in perfusion services and regenerative medicine. She currently serves as chief clinical officer of Comprehensive Care Services, one of the nation’s leaders in Perfusion and Autotransfusion services. Comprehensive Care Services is certified by the Joint Commission, and provides superior perfusion and autotransfusion services