More Medical, Surgical ICU Patients Arriving from Rural Hospitals
The intensive care unit (ICU) at Appleton Medical Center (AMC) was recently expanded from 16 to 22 beds. The six new ICU beds are located on the sixth floor of the bed tower at AMC, and the original 16-bed ICU remains on the second floor of the main hospital building. The new, separate location was chosen because it was available, up-to-date, and could be readily equipped within four short months. Both units deliver the same level of patient care.
According to Maggi Lubinsky, RN, manager of ICU at AMC, the ICU was consistently at or near capacity for its mix of both medical and surgical patients. “We’ve frequently had capacity issues, and some of those periods are predictable, like influenza season. But the first half of 2015 brought sustained capacity issues that made the case for this expansion.”
Lubinsky credits the consistent growth in ICU patients to ThedaCare’s increased acquisition of rural critical access hospitals to its regional network, and the upsurge in both the number and type of elective and urgent surgeries. “ICU medical patients come in sicker and stay longer, and we are receiving more of them. This meant we often had to adjust the surgery schedule based on the number of available ICU beds.”
Dr. Nicholas Augelli, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Appleton Cardiology at Appleton Medical Center, said, “Our access hospitals needed more support from our home base here in Appleton. It prevents delaying or rescheduling surgeries, or sending medical patients out of the area for care. The expansion coincides with our mission to care for patients close to home, at the right time, in the right place,” he said. The expanded ICU opened for patient care in mid-August and is regularly utilized
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,800 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 35 clinics in 14 counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. Construction of ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton is underway. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
