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Lurie Children's Specialties & ConditionsHeart Center Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit

Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU)

Our Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) is a state-of-the-art 44-bed unit devoted to the care of young patients with cardiac disease.

The Regenstein CCU is one of the few cardiac units of its kind in the nation, allowing each child to stay in the same private room from admission to discharge. The high-tech rooms adapt to the level of care the patient needs, and eliminates the need to transfer the patient to other units in the hospital. Our rooms are technologically equipped for intensive care while providing the family amenities of a regular acute care patient room. Cardiac patients have the same healthcare team throughout their hospital stay.

Research shows that this unique model of care greatly improves patient and family comfort and satisfaction, as well as patient safety.

Our cardiac intensive care physicians​ are available at all times, so your child will receive prompt medical attention. With our knowledgeable staff, family-centered care and advanced technology, the Regenstein CCU gives young patients with heart disease an exceptional place to heal.

The Lurie Children's Difference

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. 

View information on the CCU's visitation guidelines. 

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 stocked with cardiovascular and resistance training equipment for physical and cardiac rehab

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.

Improving Patient Safety & Comfort

As an acuity-adaptable unit, the CCU's patient rooms meet the advanced technological requirements of an intensive-care room while providing the family amenities and comfort of an acute-care, private room. Research shows this model of care greatly improves patient safety and comfort by eliminating the need for transfers to other units in the hospital for treatment.​

Our Specialists

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:

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.

Preparing for Your Stay in the CCU

To prepare families for their stay in the Cardiac Care Unit, our team has developed a guide for everything you need to know for before, during and after your stay. 

Learn More

Arrange for a Transport

Physicians can arrange emergency transport of a patient to the Regenstein CCU by calling the Transport Team at 1.800.540.4131.

To schedule an appointment with our specialists, please contact the Division of Cardiology at 312.227.4100 or Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery at 312.227.4240.