Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

In the Pediatric Critical Care Unit at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, your child will receive expert, family-centered care. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, we’re equipped to handle the most critical cases, from severe injuries to life-threatening illnesses to complex care after surgery.

With 32 total beds, the unit is divided into a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and a pediatric intermediate care unit (PIC).

What is PICU?

A pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is an area of a hospital dedicated to caring for children who need close or specialized monitoring. The PICU is equipped with complex machines and monitoring devices designed for critically ill children.

What is PIC?

A pediatric intermediate care unit (PIC) provides a higher level of monitoring and care than a general pediatrics unit but is less intensive than the PICU. It’s designed for kids who need more specialized treatments or additional support after surgery, illness or an injury.

PICU vs NICU

A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides care for newborn babies who need more intensive medical care. It’s like the PICU in the level of intensive care that is provided, but the NICU is dedicated to premature or newborn babies, so the unit a child goes to depends on their age.

Understanding Your Child’s Care Team

We take a team-based approach to caring for every aspect of your child’s well-being, making sure that all specialists collaborate for the best possible outcome in their care. Your PICU team may consist of:

Intensivists
Fellows
Residents
Advanced practice nurses
Nurses
Respiratory therapists
Physical therapists
Speech therapists
Occupational therapists
Child life specialists
Critical care dietitians
Supportive care counselors
Pastoral care
Case managers
Patient care techs
Patient care liaisons
Monitor techs

Learn More About the Team

Accessing the Unit

If your child is transferred to the hospital, whether directly from a provider’s office, by ambulance, by OSF LifeFlight or by the OSF Children's Hospital Critical Care Transport Team, they will be taken directly to the unit. When you arrive, you can stop at the welcome desk on the first floor to receive a badge that will allow you to access the unit, as well as a packet with helpful information.

If your child is transferred from within the hospital, typically from the emergency department or surgery, you can remain with them. However, you’ll need to stop at the welcome desk on the first floor to receive a badge the first time you leave the unit.

For your child’s safety, the unit is always locked, but your badge will allow you to come and go.

CHOI Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Room

Room Amenities

Our state-of-the-art unit features 16 PIC and 16 PICU beds, designed with your child’s comfort in mind. It includes a playroom for supervised activities, TVs with movies and games in each private room and gaming options like Nintendo Wii. Glass-paneled doors and windows allow nurses to easily observe your child from the nursing stations.

All rooms include a sofa for caregivers to stay overnight, as well as a private bathroom. Families, including patients who have provider approval, are welcome to use the rooftop healing garden for fresh air without leaving the unit.

Dining Options

Your child can choose from a variety of kid-friendly meal options throughout their stay. One parent or caregiver can also order a meal at no cost for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Parents and caregivers can also eat at any of our on-campus dining options.

World-Class Care from Expert Providers

OSF Children’s Hospital offers the highest level of expertise and resources to care for critically ill and injured kids. We’re a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and an ELSO Center for Excellence for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We are also a state-designated Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP) and Pediatric Critical Care Center (PCCC).

We offer advanced treatments like ECMO life support, high-frequency ventilation, nitric oxide and heliox therapies, non-invasive ventilation, plasmapheresis, and dialysis, including Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT). These treatments provide life-saving support in the most serious medical situations. Our intensive care team, including intensivists, PICU fellows, residents and APRNs, is available 24/7 to care for your child.

Meet Your Care Team

Collaboration with Other Specialties

Pediatric Ground Transport

The pediatric critical care transport team provides 24/7 specialized care for children during transport, keeping them safe and reducing complications. They are trained in pediatric critical care and remain in constant contact with board-certified intensivists to guide their care during transport.

Learn About Our Emergency Transport Services