The region’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

If your child is injured or very sick and requires the highest level of medical care, Hurley Medical Center’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is the best possible place to be treated. A 14-bed unit staffed by pediatric intensivists and specialized nurses, Hurley’s PICU delivers outstanding care to patients ranging in age from newborns to 20 years of age who are critically ill, critically injured, or who need cardiac or other forms of close monitoring.

Patients typically come to Hurley’s PICU as the result of a 911 call or a trauma. We accept patients from any emergency room or doctor’s office, across the region and throughout the state, regardless of ability to pay. Our PICU specialists treat children who are very sick, who are not breathing, and who are in shock. They also treat children who have diabetes, meningitis, blood or circulation problems, GI tract problems, endocrinology disorders, seizures, convulsions, kidney failure or other organ failure.  

Highly trained experts who specialize in children's critical care medicine

Hurley’s PICU is staffed by a very unique team of critical care physicians who are specialized and board certified in pediatric critical care medicine. These caring, dedicated specialists provide round-the-clock care at the patient’s bedside. For the most complete care and best possible outcomes, they work collaboratively with other specialists, including pediatric hematologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, infectious disease specialists and trauma surgeons.

Patient- and Family-Centered Care

Patient- and Family-Centered Care, a model of health care delivery which encourages and invites the involvement of patients and their families in decision-making, is at the heart of Hurley Medical Center’s approach to the practice of medicine. Our pediatric specialists include families in the entire treatment process and thoroughly explain all tests, procedures or problems involved with treatment. Family members are invited to accompany the physicians on their daily rounds when the patient’s care is discussed, and the family participates in that discussion.

Although our pediatric specialists may be the medical experts, they recognize that a child’s family members are the experts on that child and have valuable knowledge to share. This constant communication not only makes patients and families part of the medical team, it also produces better results and increased patient safety.

The Pediatric Emergency Area

Often a pediatric patient is transferred to Hurley’s PICU from the Pediatric Emergency area, the region’s only dedicated pediatric emergency unit of its kind. Located in a distinct, separate wing of the Emergency Department, the Pediatric Emergency area provides 24-hour, child-focused emergency treatment for patients ranging in age from newborns to 20 years of age, every day of the year.