Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU)

Knowledgeable Staff

Led by Medical Director Kiona Y. Allen, MD, the Regenstein CCU team treats critically ill infants, children and young adults who are admitted to the hospital for complex heart conditions.

To bring the highest level of knowledge and expertise to each patient, our team of pediatric cardiac intensivists collaborates closely with the Heart Center's cardiologists, surgeons, neonatologists, anesthesiologists, cardiac advanced nurse practitioners and cardiac nurses. We also work with experts from different healthcare specialties to make sure your child gets the most comprehensive care possible. This team meets every day to discuss and decide on a care plan for each patient, which allows multiple doctors to weigh in on treatment options for your child. 

Family-Centered Care

We understand how important family is to the healing process. In addition to offering private rooms, the Regenstein CCU features: 

• Dedicated beds for newborns to toddlers as well as for children and young adults.
• Connection to Prentice Women’s Hospital, the largest birthing center in the region. This lets us provide immediate care for newborns who need urgent cardiac treatment, while keeping them close to their mothers as they recover from delivery.
• Family space in rooms so that one parent can stay at their child’s bedside 24/7.
• Private consultation rooms for parent-physician conversations. 
• Bright, sun-filled Family Great Room for relaxation and recharging.
• Patient & Family Education Room that provides a safe space to prepare parents to care for their children at home. 
• Patient playroom that offers a fun and supportive space for CCU patients to engage in play and activities while interacting with other patients. 

Advanced Technology & Research

The Regenstein CCU offers the most advanced t​echnology available, including:

• Around-the-clock monitoring of abnormal heart rhythms (telemetry for arrhythmias)
• Patient monitoring accessible from anywhere in the hospital and from remote sites
• Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a noninvasive technology that allows monitoring of the oxygen supply to all parts of your child’s body
• ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator), an external cardiac and respiratory support device
• CCU-dedicated ECHO reading room that allows for real-time viewing and multidisciplinary collaboration 
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Room with aerobic and resistance training equipment and dedicated physical therapy support

Committed to improving patient care, our team conducts many quality initiatives. Our physicians are studying:

• How to optimize patient rounds and communication
• Processes to maximize infection control
• The effect that close monitoring in an outpatient setting has on patient results
• The impact of our novel cardiac care model on length of stay after cardiac surgery

​​Our single ventricle high-risk patients​ are transitioned from the hospital for the period of convalescence as HeArT (High-Acuity Transition) patients from the CCU to their primary cardiologist’s care.

The main doctors who will care for your child in the CCU are pediatric cardiac intensivists who are specially trained in pediatric cardiac intensive care. Your child will receive around the clock care from one of these attending physicians with advanced expertise focusing on the care of critically ill young patients.

The cardiac critical care team includes:

• Pediatric cardiac intensivists
• Cardiologists
• Heart surgeons
• Neonatologists
• Cardiac anesthesiologists
• Cardiac advanced practice nurses
• Cardiac nurses
• Pharmacist
• Social workers
• Respiratory therapists
• Nutritionist

This team of experts works closely with other specialists as needed, including cardiologists with experience in catheterization and catheter-based interventions, arrhythmias, heart failure, heart transplantation and adult congenital heart disease, as well as specialists from the Department of Cardiac Imaging.