First Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Opens In West Michigan

The new six-bed unit is designed for children who are cardiac patients to receive specialized, multidisciplinary intensive care from the pediatric critical care and Congenital Heart Center teams.

According to Spectrum officials, the unit is needed to serve the growing number of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease and will better serve the needs of more patients in its pediatric intensive care unit.

The unit will be part of the Congenital Heart Unit and Specialty Services located together in the children’s hospital, 100 Michigan St. NE. According to the hospital, the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit is one of only three in the state of Michigan.

"Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is proud to take a leadership role in offering advanced specialized care for pediatric cardiology patients,” said Bob Connors, MD, president of Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

The development of the new unit was paid for through donations and philanthropic support, according to Spectrum Health.

Below is the following care patients will receive in the new unit at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital:

All pre- and post-operative cardiovascular surgical patients requiring intensive care;

Cardiac catheterization patients, both pre- and post-procedure, requiring intensive care;

Patients with primary cardiac disease (either acquired or congenital) requiring intensive care;

Patients with other organ system disease and acquired or congenital heart disease requiring intensive care where the cardiac condition is contributing to or worsening the patient’s illness;

Some neonates with a diagnosis of congenital heart disease.

Santa visits tiny babies in NICU at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital