Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU)
The Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) is an 23-bed space at Monroe Carell where we care only for critically ill children with heart disease. Our PCICU team includes cardiac critical care physicians with special training in caring for children, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and case managers. We also have child life specialists who know how to meet the special needs of children with heart disease.
To schedule an appointment with one of our Pediatric Heart Institute specialists, call our Division of Cardiology at (615) 322-7447 or our Department of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at (615) 936-5500.
Meet Your Care Team
Fred S. LambMD, PhD
- Heart Failure, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Heart
Why You Can Trust the PCICU at Monroe Carell
- Pediatric heart excellence
The Pediatric Heart Institute at Monroe Carell is recognized as one of the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. Our high-quality care and specialized disease management earned accreditation by the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF). The American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSECT) has recognized Monroe Carell as a Perfusion Center of Excellence with the 2022 Pillar Award. We are one of only seven children's hospitals in the nation to earn this honor. Our program is also recognized as an Aetna Pediatric Heart Disease Center of Excellence.
- Coordinated care
We work as a team to ensure your child receives the most comprehensive heart care available. From general and fetal cardiologists to cardiac surgeons and critical care specialists, Monroe Carell is here to help your child in their health care journey. As part of a comprehensive academic medical center with one of the top heart programs in the world, we also provide seamless transition of care from childhood into adulthood.
- Safety as priority
Along with a team approach to your child’s care, patient safety and quality is the highest priority in our PCICU. We ensure safety with regular reviews of how we provide care in our unit, and we're always looking for ways to improve.
- Expertise in cardiac intensive care
Our PCICU staff are recognized experts in pediatric cardiac critical care. We are involved in many clinical research studies and have published original articles in scientific journals related to the care of critically ill children with heart disease. We actively participate and share experiences in multi-hospital groups, including the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) and the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC).
- Intensive care collaboration
Our team of pediatric cardiac intensive care physicians provide around-the-clock care for your child. We work closely with our Pediatric Heart Institute’s surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, neonatologists and experts from other medical and surgical areas to give your child the best care possible. We invite your family to participate in daily discussions regarding your child’s care plan. This means all our team members, including you, have a say in decisions about treatment.
- Recognized excellence in ECMO
Our program is a member of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) data registry for national and international ECMO Centers. Since 2008, Monroe Carell's ECMO Program has been recognized as an ELSO Center of Excellence. We were awarded this honor at the Platinum level in 2023 for our commitment to patient quality and outcomes, training and collaboration.
