Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Hennepin County Medical Center is a 7-bed unit that provides state of the art care for infants, children, and adolescents who are critically ill or injured. Common conditions that cause critical illnesses are trauma, infectious diseases, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and poisoning.

Our pediatric intensivists lead a team of nurses and allied medical professionals who are trained to care for the critically ill pediatric patient.

As part of Minnesota’s first Level 1 Trauma Center, we have particular expertise in the care of children that have sustained traumatic injuries. Our patients have access to the full spectrum of surgical and medical subspecialty care.

The PICU is housed on the seventh floor of the Orange Building just across the hallway from the Pediatrics Unit.

We provide care based on a multidisciplinary team approach and a patient-family focus. Your child’s care team consists of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, social workers, chaplains, our Child Life Specialist and of course patients and their families. When necessary your child’s care team will also include  Child and Trauma Psychology Occupational, Physical and/or Speech Therapy.

Supportive services for pediatric patients at HCMC include the Pediatric Head Injury Program and Knapp Rehabilitation Center. We also have ongoing professional relationships with the University of Minnesota, Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis and Gillette Children’s Hospital.