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Area’s 1st pediatric cardiac ICU opens at DeVos Children’s Hospital

Posted at 5:29 PM, Jan 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-09 17:33:40-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  — Child cardiac patients can now receive specialized intensive care at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s new Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

It opened Wednesday, January 9 at the hospital on the stretch of Michigan Street known as the Medical Mile.

Spectrum Health says in a news release the six-bed unit is the first of its kind in West Michigan, and will provide world-class care to the increasing number of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. It’s one of only three in Michigan.

The new unit is part of the Congenital Heart Unit and Specialty Services. Spectrum Health says it “allows patients to begin, continue and complete inpatient care in one location with one unified team of clinicians.”

Dr. Bob Connors, president of Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, says “We are so thankful to have this project funded in its entirety by philanthropy and generous community support.”

Patients who will receive care in the PCICU at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital include:

  • All pre- and post-operative cardiovascular surgical patients requiring intensive care
  • Cardiac catheterization patients, both pre- and post-procedure, requiring intensive care
  • Patients with primary cardiac disease (either acquired or congenital) requiring intensive care
  • Patients with other organ system disease and acquired or congenital heart disease requiring intensive care where the cardiac condition is contributing to or worsening the patient’s illness
  • Some neonates with a diagnosis of congenital heart disease

Spectrum health says cardiac patients will receive specialized, multi-disciplinary intensive care from the pediatric critical care and Congenital Heart Center teams.

“This unique model of cardiac intensive care leverages the expertise of each specialty together as one.”