Family is the focus of a new pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Large, private rooms allow parents to stay with their critically ill child. This 'family-centered care' plays an important role in recovery:

"We wanted to provide an environment where we could have families feel comfortable and also at the same time provide the kind of high-level technologies that are essential to a first-rate pediatricintensive care unit," says Fred Lamb, M.D., PICU medical director.

"We include the parents in our doctor's rounds, in our bedside rounds, so that they can hear exactly what we're doing for the patient, what we're trying to accomplish and what our ultimate goals are," says PICU nurse Tricia Michna.

A team of pediatric intensivists and sub-specialists also provide comprehensive care to eastern Iowa's most critically ill children.

For more information call UI Health Access at 800-777-8442.

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