Intensive Care

Columbus Regional Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) delivers critical care needs to patients through a highly trained medical team.  A doctor may place a patient in the Intensive Care Unit because of a need for the specialized care and close observation provided by our staff and the advanced equipment available.

Keeping Family Informed / Visitation
High Clinical Quality
Meet Our Intensive Care Team

Keeping Family Informed / Visitation
Columbus Regional Hospital is committed to providing the most restful environment possible to support the healing process.  Our visitation provides for the privacy, safety, health, and emotional support of Intensive Care patients, while recognizing the need for visitors to spend time with their loved ones.  We ask that family members be in the patient room by 8:30 a.m. Monday - Friday to be a part of the Intensive Care Team rounding for an update on the patient's condition.  Please choose someone from your family to be the spokesperson who can talk with the doctors and nurses and then relay information to other family members.

We ask that only two people visit a patient at one time.  While there are no set visiting hours, the nurse caring for the patient will set guidelines for rest periods to meet the needs of the patient.  Routinely children under 14 are not recommended to visit, but speak with your nurse to find out what may be appropriate for the patient.

High Clinical Quality
The Intensive Care Unit has better clinical outcomes when compared to other crtitical care units at hospitals across the country using the APACHE system, a measuring tool based on a national database to evaluate clinical performance.  APACHE objectively measures the severity of illness and can predict outcomes, complications, and length of stay.  The APACHE data for Columbus Regional Hospital shows shorter length of stay and lower mortality rates than predicted, which has resulted in "Demonstrated Best Practice" from APACHE.

Our Work with Sepsis
The Intensive Care Improvement Team, led by board certified intensivist Dr. David Wilson, has developed an evidence-based program for severe sepsis, an illness caused by severe infection.  This program includes rapid triage, diagnosis, and management of the disease.  The team has received national recognition for their work with sepsis at the national Society of Critical Care Medicine's annual conference.

Our Work with Ventilator Associated Pneumonia
Preventing ventilator associated pneumonia is one of the focus areas by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100K Lives Campaign, a national effort to save 100,000 lives in the United States by decreasing the number of avoidable deaths in the nation's healthcare system.  Our efforts at Columbus Regional Hospital to have no patients acquire ventilator associated pneumonia while at the hospital has been recognized with a 2005 VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence.  Click here to view our Quality Results in the areas of pneumonia care, heart attack care, heart failure care, and other clinical areas.

Meet Our Intensive Care Clinical Team
The Intensive Care Unit at Columbus Regional Hospital uses a multidisciplinary approach to deliver patient care.  Dr. David Wilson, board certified intensivist, along with other doctors, work with experienced critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, unit-based pharmacists, dietitians, pastoral care, social work services, physical and occupational therapists, and others to meet the critical care needs of patients.

Doctors: A board certified intensivist, a doctor whose specialty is in intensive care medicine, leads the critical care team at the hospital and works with other doctors to provide direction and oversight of care in the Intensive Care Unit to ensure excellent patient care.

Patient and Family: The patient and their family are very important members to the care team to stay informed of treatment options and take an active role in the patient's recovery. 

Registered Nurses (RN): The registered nurses provide professional nursing care.  Each patient has a registered nurse who works with the patient, family, and the doctors to plan and communicate care.  Click here to learn more about our national Magnet accreditation for excellence in nursing.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS): The clinical nurse specialist provides education, assists with communication, and helps coordinate the care of critical care patients with long term or extensive health needs.

Unit Nurse Manager: The Intensive Care Unit nurse manager oversees the daily operations of the unit and works closely with all caregivers on the team.

Respiratory Therapist: A respiratory therapist provides ventilator management and respiratory treatments to patients, and also assists the registered nurse in managing care for patients.

Care Partner: The care partner helps the registered nurse take care of day-to-day needs by helping with meals, baths, and other duties for the patient.

Unit Support Partner: The unit support partner is available at the nurses' station for questions and provides clerical support to the unit.

Unit Based Case Manager: The case manager works with the patient and family to coordinate care among all team members.  They communicate the plan and set recovery goals with families and patients.

Social Work Services: The social worker assists the care team with special patient needs.

Pharmacist: A unit-based pharmacist provides assistance with medication for critical care patients.

Registered Dietitian: A registered dietitian provides specialized support to meet the dietary requirements for critical care patients.  Click here to learn more about special diets for patients.

Pastoral Care: The hospital chaplain and/or the patient's clergy works with the care team to address spiritual needs.