New Neuro ICU Provides State-of-the-Art Services

DALLAS — Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas opened a new state-of-the-art Neuro ICU, which will replace the old and outdated facility. The previous Neuro ICU provided great care to the patients, but was not the greatest healing environment. The ICU was very congested with equipment, doctors, nurses, other medical professionals and loved ones, said Christiana Hall, MD, medical director, Neuroscience ICU at Parkland and associate professor of Neurology, Neurotherapeutics and Neurosurgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in a statement.

The new Neuro ICU provides a family-friendly environment that is a perfect atmosphere for the patient’s healing process. “In the new Neuro ICU, every patient has a private room, nursing is decentralized, care teams have ample work space and the overall environment is serene, family-friendly and patient-focused,” said Kelly Heathman, RN, director of nursing, neuroscience at the hospital, in a statement.

The new ICU design was built using an evidence-based design and includes advanced technology features such as single-patient rooms with private bathrooms, including a shower and a family area with a sleeper sofa so the family is able to be involved in the patient care. The rooms also feature a ceiling-mounted boom that is designed to specifications from the Neuro ICU team. The equipment can be easily moved out of the way to facilitate care such as placing ventricular drains, according to a statement. The department also contains a dedicated CT scanner that will minimize transportation time and the distance to imaging services, which is meant to protect the patient’s safety. Each room will be fit with state-of-the-art “smart” rooms and “smart” beds that will be able to weigh the patients and even alert staff when a patient attempts to get out of bed. The addition of state-of-the-art technology allows the physicians to provide more efficient care for their patients.

Open work areas will facilitate staff interactions across the neuroscience disciplines, which will enhance patient care and safety. The staff will also now be equipped with special phones that will allow for secure texting of protected health information, eliminating the need for paging and callback and saving critical time with patients, according to a statement. Many of the new features at the Parkland Memorial Hospital Neuro ICU are included to be able to improve function and make the facility a more comfortable and family-friendly environment for patients.

“The appreciation we get from patients and families is very heartening. It’s one of the reasons many of us choose to practice at Parkland. Our patients make us grow, and we are grateful for it,” said Michael Rubin, MD, Neuro-Intensivist at Parkland and assistant professor of neurology and neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern, in a statement.