Cara Agerstrand, MD

Specialties:
Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease Medicine, Pulmonology

More specialties

Profile Navigation

Overview
Schedule an Appointment
Insurance Accepted
Credentials & Experience
Research

Overview

Dr. Cara Agerstrand is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Medical ECMO Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Agerstrand completed her Internal Medicine residency and Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is an elected member of the Steering Committee of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, a member of the ECMO and Mechanical Circulatory Support Domain Task Force of the American College of Chest Physicians and is extensively involved in clinical care, research, and educational efforts involving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R). She has special interests in the use of ECMO for severe forms of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary hypertension and in pregnant and postpartum patients. Dr. Agerstrand is widely published and is an internationally invited speaker.

Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Critical Care
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
General Pulmonology
Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine
Pulmonary Disease
Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary Medicine
Respiratory Failure

Academic Appointments

Associate Professor of Medicine at CUMC

Administrative Titles

Director of the Medical ECMO Program

Hospital Affiliations

NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Gender

Female

Schedule an Appointment

Connect Patient Portal

For existing patients, login to make an appointment, view documentation or contact your care provider.
Connect Sign In

Insurance Accepted

Aetna

Aetna Signature Administrators
EPO
HMO
Medicare Managed Care
PPO
Student Health

Cigna

EPO
Great West (National)
HMO
POS
PPO

Emblem/GHI

Medicare Managed Care
PPO

Emblem/HIP

ConnectiCare
EPO
Essential Plan
HMO
Medicaid Managed Care
Medicare Managed Care
POS
PPO
Select Care (Exchange)
Vytra

Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield

EPO
HMO
PPO

Local 1199

Local 1199

MagnaCare (National)

MagnaCare

Medicare

Railroad
Traditional Medicare

Multiplan

Multiplan

Oxford Health Plans

Liberty

RiverSpring

Special Needs

UnitedHealthcare

Compass (Exchange)
Empire Plan
HMO
Medicare Managed Care
POS
PPO

*Please contact the provider’s office directly to verify that your particular insurance is accepted.

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Fellowship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

Board Certifications

Internal Medicine
Critical Care Medicine
Pulmonary Disease Medicine

Honors & Awards

Extracorporeal Life Support Organization International Steering Committee
Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Conference Chair
Extracorporeal Life Support Organization ECMOEd American College of Chest Physicians
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Mechanical Circulatory Support Domain Task Force
Distinguished Educator Award, American College of Chest Physicians

Research

Research Interests

Acute Lung Injury
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Air pollution and Asthma
Critical Care Outcomes
Extracorporeal CO2 Removal
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

Grants

Stony World-Herbert Fund

Selected Publications

Agerstrand CL, Chillrud SN, Jung KH, Chang HW, Rosa MJ, Moors K, Divjan A, Perzanowski MS, Perera FP, Miller RL. Increased Residential Levels Of Ambient Nickel Are Associated With Asthma-Related Outcomes In Urban Children. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2012; 185: A5681.
Miller RL, Agerstrand CL. Targeting of household air pollution: Interpretation of RESPIRE. Lancet. 2011, Nov 12; 378(9804):1682-4. PMID: 22078673.
Agerstrand C, Burkart K, Baldwin M, Bulman W, Brenner K, Bacchetta M, Brodie D. Conservative blood transfusion strategies are effective for the management of adult patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011, 183: A1655
Baldwin M, Bulman W, Agerstrand C, Brenner K, Burkart K, Bacchetta M, Brodie D. Veno-venous extra corporeal membrane oxygenation with bi-caval dual lumen internal jugular catheter permits safe transport of adult patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011, 183: A1649.
Brenner K, Baldwin M, Agerstrand C, Bulman W, Burkart K, Bacchetta M, Brodie D. Improvements in dynamic pulmonary compliance with a very low tidal volume ventilation strategy and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011, 183: A1648.
Kawut, SM, Al-Naamani N, Agerstrand C, Berman Rosenzweig E, Rowan C, Barst RJ, Bergmann S, Horn EM. Determinants of right ventricular ejection fraction in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Chest. 2009, Mar; 135(3):752-9. PMID: 18849396.
Bakken AM, Galaria II, Agerstrand CL, Saad WE, Surowiec SM, Singh MJ, Rhodes JM, Lee D, Patel NC, Illig KA, Waldman DL, Davies MG. Percutaneous therapy to maintain dialysis access successfully prolongs functional duration after primary failure. Annals of Vascular Surgery. 2007, Jul; 21(4):474-80. PMID: 17499964
Agerstrand C, Taubman M. Role of glucocorticoid receptor in mediating the stability of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA. University of Rochester Medical Center Research Symposium, Rochester, NY, September 2003.