St. Joseph's Hospital Critical Care

Coronary Care Unit (CCU)

The CCU is a 16-bed unit on the first floor. This unit specializes in care for patients who have had heart attacks, heart rhythm disturbances or complex heart cauterization procedures and interventions. This is also the immediate post-op area for patients who have had open-heart surgery. Here, patients may be monitored for heart rhythm, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and heart conditions.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

The ICU is a 10-bed unit on the first floor. This unit assists both general medical and surgical patients requiring critical care, including those who show indications of respiratory failure (requiring mechanical ventilation) and renal (kidney) failure (requiring hemodialysis), and patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a lung condition or those suffering from a drug overdose.

Because of the diversity of these needs, our nurses possess a broad range of skills. We also make the most of expert physical and speech therapists, wound/ostomy management staff and dietitians. In all critical care units, clergy visit daily and offer on-call support for patients, family and staff.

We ask that families limit calls and choose a spokesperson to serve as the family contact. Please understand that we are limited, due to patient confidentially laws, as to what we can communicate via telephone. Thirty-minute visits are offered on the even hours by two family members at a time. Children under 12 are not permitted. We can be reached by telephone at (912) 819-2458.

Neuro Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The NICU is a 12-room unit specializing in the care of patients with neurological diagnoses such as head injuries, brain tumors, cerebral vascular accident or stroke (CVA), hemorrhages of the brain, drug overdose and altered mental status.

The unit is state of the art, with the latest technology and monitoring devices in every spacious room. The nurses stations all have clear views of the rooms.

This patient population can be complex and require services of a respiratory, physical, speech or occupational therapist; a dietitian and the wound/ostomy nurse. The NICU environment fosters and supports the psychosocial, spiritual, physical and restorative needs of patients and families.

NICU visitation guidelines:

• No outside food or drink (except water) to be consumed by the visitor in the patient room.
• Only two visitors at a time except in comfort care or bereavement situations.
• One visitor may spend the night if necessary; however, we encourage everyone to go home and rest.
• No one under the age of 12, unless otherwise mandated hospital wide (flu season for example).
• There may be times during procedures and patient care when visitors will be asked to leave.
• We reserve the right to ask any visitor to leave if they are disruptive or not adhering to the above guidelines.

The Neuro Stepdown Unit (7 South)

This 13-bed unit uses a multidisciplinary team approach to care for patients being monitored for subtle changes in neurological status, vital signs, heart rhythms and respiratory function.

The Progressive Care Unit (PCU)

The PCU is located on the third floor and consists of 45 beds designed to provide care for medical-surgical and cardiac patients requiring aggressive, highly skilled nursing care and observation. We specialize in treating patients with heart rhythm disturbances and those requiring cardiac procedures and interventions such as cardiac catheterization, pacemaker insertions and electrophysiology studies. We also admit general surgery patients with complications and those with kidney, lung or gastrointestinal problems. Visiting hours are from 9 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. We recommend 30-minute visits of two people at a time. Children under 12 are not permitted.

Candler Hospital Critical Care

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

The ICU is a 20-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit, which includes two negative pressure rooms used for strict isolation. We offer state-of-the-art monitoring for cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and medical/surgical patients. Each room is private. Patients' families can enjoy a comfortable waiting area with sofas, chairs and vending machines. An information desk is available to provide visiting information. The ICU provides a variety of services, including intra-aortic balloon pumping, mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy. All nursing staff is educated in advanced cardiac life support and must meet rigorous requirements for critical care status each year.

To contact our unit, call (912) 819-6000 and ask for the ICU nurses' station. Internally you may use our intercom system located on the wall just outside the unit doors. Our fax number is (912) 819-6665. We are open 24 hours a day.

The Progressive Care Unit (PCU)

The PCU is a 14-bed unit, located on the second floor, providing care for patients coming out of more critical departments. The unit is staffed by registered nurses and provides continuous cardiac monitoring as well as remote telemetry monitoring to a medical-surgical neighboring unit.