OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health has announced the completion and opening of its new pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).

The 25-bed unit is the only pediatric CICU of its kind in the state, dedicated solely to the care of children with a range of heart conditions. One of the unit’s distinctive elements is comprehensive care for children who are heart transplant patients.

Jon Hayes, President of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, said the CICU expansion represents strategically planned growth that makes the heart center at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital the best choice for superior cardiac intensive care.

Morris Gessouroun, M.D., OU Health Pediatrician in Chief, said the CICU expansion sets in motion a positive domino effect, as it will allow more full and efficient utilization of all the hospital’s intensive care services – pediatric, pediatric cardiac and neonatal.

“With a total of 59 pediatric ICU beds, in addition to 96 licensed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) beds, we are better positioned to provide the most appropriate level of care for serious and life-threatening heart conditions. Children’s Heart Center offers the most sophisticated treatment options for this special population,” he said. “Previously, PICU beds were often occupied by patients whose needs were more aligned with CICU care. The availability of 25 CICU beds will not only ensure more focused, comprehensive care, but will decrease the occurrences that require us to divert patients to facilities not as well-equipped to provide the robust measures these patients require.”

Monica Kraft, MSN, R.N., NE-BC, CPHON, director of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, said the renovation and expansion doesn’t reveal the bigger picture.

“We can make statistical projections, but the numbers don’t capture the most meaningful part of the story. Over the first five years, we expect CICU admits on average to increase by at least 80 patients annually. That creates more capacity in our PICU for children recovering from surgeries, long-term illness or trauma,” she said. “Because we can move NICU heart babies to CICU, we have the ability to care for 50 more neonates each year – critically ill newborns who need this level of support for a chance at life. We have the capacity to perform more than 300 open heart surgeries annually, and are now developing pediatric heart transplant and VAD (ventricular assist device) programs. These are remarkable advances in capability and care. As a result, hundreds of children with a range of congenital heart conditions will experience better outcomes. They grow up to live healthy and fulfilling lives with families who cherish them. The multigenerational impact is vast.”

The unit also creates employment opportunities; Oklahoma Children’s Hospital expects to hire more than 50 healthcare professionals with extensive training and expertise in pediatric cardiac intensive care.