We engage families in every step of their child's care--including as part of the daily rounds in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Here's an overview of how it works.
With the only pediatric, cardiac and neuro intensive care units in the immediate Washington, D.C., area, Children's National Hospital is the region's leading provider of critical care medicine for seriously ill and injured infants and children.
Our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (Cardiac ICU) earned the prestigious Beacon Award granted by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and Children's National received designation as a magnet facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). These distinguished honors mean that Children's National upholds the highest standards in patient care.
Our Trauma and Burn Center is designated as Maryland’s out-of-state regional pediatric burn center by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). This recognizes Children’s National as best equipped to share the volume of Maryland burn patients with Maryland’s in-state pediatric trauma center.
In-house critical care physicians and a dedicated team of specially trained critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, case managers, and support staff treat and monitor patients 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Our program includes advanced forms of life-support technologies for respiratory, neurological, and cardiac conditions, including Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. Conditions commonly treated by our teams include:
As a patient at Children's National, your child has access to some of the world's foremost experts in pediatric medicine. Because our work revolves around children, we have an intuitive understanding of their unique needs and those of their families. Children's ICU care emphasizes compassion and comfort for families, and facilities offer private rooms and special waiting and resting areas for parents.
We also recognize the value of an extensive support network when a child is ill. Children's National created the Parent's Letter Project to help parents support each other by sharing their stories. We encourage you to read letters from other families with a shared experience at the hospital.
Children's National plays an active role in advancing the field of pediatric critical care medicine through research, advocacy, and education. Children's intensive care specialists are national and international authorities in their fields, conducting research on topics ranging from advances in health services to brain injury and recovery.
Through participation in the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network and other trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Children's National strives to reduce the mortality and morbidity of pediatric critical illness. This access to research ensures that Children's team is up-to-date on the latest therapies and interventions, which leads to better outcomes for patients.
To learn more about our current research activities, speak with a member of your child's care team.
For the Bassler family, this past spring was filled with big changes and new learnings about type 1 diabetes. For Lakin, it was about learning to live with her disease.
Michael Bell Division Chief, Critical Care Medicine Critical Care Specialist
Sonali Basu Director, Critical Care Medicine FellowshipCritical Care Specialist
Susan Conway Critical Care Specialist
Christiane Corriveau Co-Chair, Clinician Well BeingCritical Care Specialist
Terry Dean Critical Care Specialist
Divya Gupta Critical Care Specialist
Aadil Kakajiwala Critical Care SpecialistNephrologist
Vanessa Madrigal Critical Care Specialist Director, Ethics Program
Nada Mallick Physician Chair, Pediatric Early Recognition and Resuscitation Committee and Late Rescue CollaborativeCritical Care Specialist
Tessie October Critical Care Specialist
Anita Patel Critical Care Specialist
Murray Pollack Medical Director, Pediatric Health and Clinical Outreach ResearchCritical Care Specialist
Matthew Sharron Medical Director, Pediatric Intensive Care UnitCritical Care Specialist
Michael Shoykhet Critical Care Specialist
Emily Davies Critical Care Specialist
Michael Tsifansky Medical Director, Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant ProgramCardiac Critical Care SpecialistPulmonologist
Kitman Wai Associate Director, Critical Care Medicine FellowshipCritical Care Specialist
Mekela Whyte-Nesfield Critical Care Specialist
Amy Wolfe Critical Care Specialist
Michael Amberson PICU Hospitalist
Lucas Walker PICU Hospitalist
Emily Abbey Nurse Practitioner
Caroline Conley Nurse Practitioner
Marisa Mize Nurse Practitioner
Katelyn Staso Critical Care Nurse Practitioner