Ballywho News

Intensive Care Units are specifically designed hospital departments. They are intended for the most critically ill patients who need increased levels of care. Patients are attended to by a team of health care professionals often referred to as Intensivists. Intensivists are doctors who specialize in treating critical patients. In addition to Intensivists, the patients are cared for by experienced specialists and a full nursing staff. Patients are generally monitored by equipment that tracks all vital signs as well as any other parameters that are pertinent to the specific patient.

In the words of Marie Previlus, one of our experienced Intensive Care Nurses, “In ICU I provide one-on-one care for each patient and am aware of everything that is going on with that patient. I am the center of care and work hand-in-hand with the entire care team of physicians, respiratory therapists, pharmacy, dietary and physical therapists, to coordinate the care needed for my patients. An ICU nurse must have excellent critical thinking skills and a caring heart. Personally, I receive great satisfaction in seeing patients come in to the unit in a near death condition and after a few days have vastly improved, I feel that I was there for that patient at the right moment, when they really needed me.” As you can see, our staff is dedicated to the well being of our patients. Successfully treating critically ill patients is not only our job, it is our passion.

At Palms West Hospital, we feature a state-of-the art Intensive Care Unit for our patients. Intensive Care Unit hosts 14 private rooms. Each room is equipped with one of the most advanced patient monitors available today. Our monitors accurately find and record all vital signs and can be programmed to accommodate individual patients with individual concerns. This feature is vital in an intensive care situation; it allows our knowledgeable staff to be aware of every development within our patients’ bodies. In critical situations, having information as quickly as possible can make the difference in the outcome for our patients. Our Intensive Care Units are also equipped with beds that serve medical processes as well as the comfort of our patients. They include such features as scales so that bedridden patients do not have to be moved and the ability to set different areas of the bed up physically so that they provide support where the patients need it. Palms West Hospital has made an investment in equipment that provides our Intensive Care Unit with technology that helps us save lives.

Our Intensive Care Unit asks that families choose one member to communicate with our staff. This will allow us to best communicate the state of your loved one’s well being. We also limit visitors to two guests at a time who are twelve years old or older during certain hours.

We sincerely hope that you or a loved one never needs the services of our Intensive Care Unit. We do want you to know that we are here and ready in the event that you do. Our facilities are designed and staffed specifically to meet the needs of patients who require extra attention. If you have any questions about our facility please visit us online, if you have a medical question, do not hesitate to call our Consult-A-Nurse® program at 1-888-256-7723.