Critical Care

Director: Steven G. Kernie, MD		Tel: (212) 305-8458
Administrator: Christine V. Rosengarten		Fax: (212) 342-2293

The Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine had its inception in 1999 and continues today with a vigorous clinical service, subspecialty training program, and research programs. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is located at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has 41 licensed beds. The Pediatric Critical Care division oversees a 14 bed Pediatric Cardiovascular ICU and a large general medical-surgical Pediatric ICU, 28 beds are state-of-the-art isolation, family-friendly, glass-enclosed cubicles.

All critically ill children in the institution are taken care of in the Pediatric ICU/Pediatric Cardiovascular ICU. These include all children with critical medical illness including such diseases as asthma, seizures, meningitis, and encephalitis. All surgical patients needing intensive care make up over half of the admissions and these include patients following surgery for complex congenital heart disease, organ transplantation, neurosurgical disease, and ENT, orthopedic, and ophthalmological problems. There is a robust trauma program with particular expertise in head trauma and multi-organ trauma. A full time transport system brings patients to the Pediatric ICU from our network hospitals, other hospitals within the tri-state area, and beyond. The transport system is covered by trained paramedics and Pediatric Critical Care fellows when needed.

Education and research are central themes of the Critical Care division. The division, which received its Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship accreditation in 1999, and had its first graduating class in 2003, now has 9 fellows. This is a 3-year fellowship for board certified pediatricians. Joint fellowship in cardiology, pulmonology, anesthesiology, neurology and other subspecialties are available, as well as programs in public health, statistics, biomedical research, ethics, and epidemiology. Additionally, pediatric residents as well as others (i.e. anesthesiology, emergency department) rotate through the Pediatric ICU on clinical rotation. Many medical students from the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, as well as medical schools in the area rotate through the Pediatric ICU. We also have a large nurse practitioner and hospitalist, programs with both types of practitioners actively participating in patient care and research projects.