It’s the end of an era at Intermountain Medical Center. The hospital will merge the Respiratory ICU (RICU) with the Neuro Critical Care Unit and the Coronary ICU at the end of this week. The hospital will now have four 24-bed adult ICUs. RICU patients and staff will be absorbed into the other ICUs.
Some photos from the RICU's past.
Amy Stowe, a nurse practitioner who has worked in the RICU since IMED opened 15 years ago, says the RICU has a strong history of excellent patient care. It was a continuation of the highly specialized Respiratory Special Care Unit (RSCU) at LDS Hospital that opened in 1999 to help patients suffering from prolonged complications related to prolonged sedation and after severe respiratory illnesses. Their staff has spearheaded many published research projects over the years on a wide variety of topics, such as early mobility for ventilated patients, acute respiratory distress syndrome, delirium, H1N1, vape lung injury, and COVID-19.
“We now have 13 regular physicians, 14 APPs, and more than 65 clinical staff members,” Amy says. “These halls and rooms have been graced by many caregivers that helped create a well-known presence of compassion, caring, and hard work. We want to say thank you to everyone, as we’ve been so lucky to share our growth and learn from our patients and colleagues. We got through H1N1 in 2009 and COVID-19 in 2020 — when it was turned into a locked-down unit of more than 24 beds. Our staff has grown from these experiences professionally and personally. The RICU caregivers now will move forward with the critical care expansion and carry with them many lessons and successes.”
“This is a big evolution of critical care services,” says Mike Hayes, RN, Intermountain Medical Center interim nurse administrator (and former RICU manager). “While it’s appropriate to grieve the past, I’m also optimistic for the future opportunities this creates for our team. One of the greatest things we can learn from the RICU is that one nurse’s idea can shape the future of healthcare. The RICU was founded by a nurse’s idea and care is delivered in a safer manner across the world as a result.”
“Thank you RICU for creating a wonderful legacy for patients and staff,” Amy says. “It will be missed, but not forgotten.”
Members of the RICU team at Intermountain Medical Center.