As the pediatric hospital for Los Angeles, and a Level I Trauma Unit, our hospital is a referral center for young patients requiring highly complicated and life-saving procedures.
The 24-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is the largest such unit on the West Coast. Nearly 1,400 critically ill patients – too sick to be treated on general inpatient floors – are admitted each year for specialized medical and nursing services.
Within the PICU, children from multiple surgical specialties including neurosurgery, orthopedics and general pediatric surgery receive advanced level care. In addition, the PICU staff handle post-operative care for those patients who receive liver, intestinal organ, and kidney transplants.
Critical Care Staff in the PICU
Care of the patients in the PICU is guided by a multidisciplinary approach. Nurses and Respiratory Care practitioners are dedicated to the PICU and are specifically in tune to the needs of the children under their care. They are well versed in their ability to engage residents, fellows, and faculty alike in the evolving care of their patients. They are supported educationally and clinically by four dedicated nurse managers as well as the fellows and faculty. An air of “teamwork” is clearly seen in this unit.
Critical Care Faculty in the PICU
The faculty consists of twelve board-certified pediatric intensivists. The group has just under 200 years of experience among them and nearly 200 publications.
The faculty in the PICU facilitate and coordinate the complete care of all patients and have an active role in the education of residents and fellows as it relates to this medical and perioperative care. They also serve as consultants for the fellow-led, hospital-wide, Rapid Response Team.
