Saint Peter's Opens New And Improved PICU

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — On Wednesday, Saint Peter's University Hospital, the Catholic hospital in New Brunswick, opened a brand-new pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

It's called the Hersh PICU and it's located inside Saint Peter's Children's Hospital. The PICU is designed to treat critically ill and injured children.

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The new PICU is brand new and relocated within the hospital. The new unit increases critical care beds for children from eight to 14.

Saint Peter's is transforming its former PICU space into a general pediatrics and step-down unit. The unit will care for children whose conditions have stabilized but who still need observation.

The PICU provides around-the-clock care for children with serious illnesses, traumatic injuries, respiratory failure, complex infections, neurological conditions and those recovering from major surgery.

The 14 private patient rooms are each designed with additional space to accommodate parents and caregivers who wish to remain at their child's bedside throughout treatment and recovery. There is an expanded family area.

The new PICU was made possible through the generosity of the Dorothy B. Hersh Foundation and a $10 million appropriation from the state of New Jersey.

Saint Peter's Children's Hospital is a state-designated acute care children's hospital and Regional Perinatal Center sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

Saint Peter said they receive more than 500 pediatric patient transports annually from hospitals throughout New Jersey. Saint Peter's Children's Hospital is one of New Jersey's state-designated acute care children's hospitals and provides specialized pediatric services beyond neonatal intensive car. That includes pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric surgery and pediatric cardiology.

"The new PICU was designed with both patients and families in mind," said Dr. Siva Jonna, MD, chair of the Saint Peter's Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief of Saint Peter's Children's Hospital. "By creating larger, more functional patient rooms that incorporate a comfortable space for family members compared to our original PICU, we can provide highly specialized critical care while supporting the emotional needs of children and their loved ones. This environment allows our team to deliver the highest level of pediatric intensive care in a setting that promotes comfort, collaboration and healing."