ANMC’s hardworking Critical Care teams provide lifesaving care for our people
May 21, 2018
May is National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month, which acknowledges hardworking critical care health care staff. Every day, our pediatric and adult Critical Care teams make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families.
ANMC’s Inpatient Pediatrics has a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 12 beds, and four dedicated beds in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), which can flex up to eight beds if needed. A pediatric hospitalist and specialized nurses care for the babies in the NICU at all times, while pediatric intensivists and specialized nurses cover the patients in the PICU at all times.
ANMC’s adult Critical Care Unit (CCU) is a 22-bed unit, serving the intensive care needs of our people from across Alaska. A 7-bed CCU Stepdown/Flex Unit specializing in the care of critically ill patients is also adjacent to the CCU. Combined, these 29 beds have in-room monitoring with the capability to convert to telemetry monitoring for patient activity. Four rooms are negative-pressure capable for patients requiring respiratory isolation.
The CCU employs many types of clinicians to provide the very best care, which include: critical care intensivists, nurse practitioners, medical residents, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, telemetry technicians, respiratory therapists and medical clerks, in addition to ongoing operational support from many departments throughout the hospital.
“Critical care is practiced by highly skilled and knowledgeable health care professionals who apply their skills in the best interests of our patients,” said Diane Heine, ANMC Critical Care Services Interim Director. “The integrated team of intensivists, nurses, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists coordinate their care through the use of evidence-based policies, protocols and facilitating communication among specialists, patients and their families.”
ANMC has been a Level II Trauma Center since 1999, with ANMC’s CCU seeing Alaska’s most critically ill and injured patients. ANMC also recently received designation as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, which means we provide the highest level of pediatric trauma care in the state. ANMC is also a Comprehensive Pediatric Emergency Center, the highest certification in the Pediatric Facility Recognition Program. In fiscal year 2017, ANMC’s CCU and Stepdown/Flex Unit saw a combined total of 7,352 inpatient days and 467 inpatient discharges.
In an area of the hospital that is often intense and demanding, ANMC’s Critical Care staff provide thoughtful care to our patients and their families. We thank them for the lifesaving work they do every day.