ICU is a team sport
Getting admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) can be scary. If you or a loved one ever have experienced this, you’re reminded of the fragility of life.
However, when you pull back the curtain, you see the compassionate care provided by the clinical team and the strength of their dedication.
Among the many clinical care leaders in the ICU hierarchy are pulmonologists, and Firelands Health has three who provide intensive care coverage. Christopher Avendano, M.D., is known for his calm disposition, kindhearted nature and the way he defers any praise he receives to his team. “Our primary role is to provide the best possible care for the patient,” explained Dr. Avendano. His colleagues, Yuhann Lopez, M.D., Nathan Samsa, D.O., and Heidi Gast, ACNP-BC, share the same demeanor.
The doctors’ capable manner comes from their years of expertise treating a range of conditions often found in the ICU, including respiratory issues, heart attacks, brain bleeds, blood pressure issues and heart failure. They are just a few members of the team in the ICU who provide exemplary care to some of the hospital’s most critical patients.
The power of many
It truly takes a village to manage the care of a patient in the ICU. A case may be reviewed by a number of clinicians, including critical care specialists, pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, physical or occupational therapists, pharmacists, nurses, hospitalists and case management staff, among others.
Individualized care
A typical day in the ICU starts with this group rounding the hallways. They stop outside every patient’s room and review their case. Each one is unique, and details are reviewed to provide the best care possible.
The ICU at Firelands Regional Medical Center is an open floor concept and every room can be seen through glass windows from end to end.
There are curtains available for privacy, but the space is designed so nurses can monitor patients easily and provide immediate care when necessary. The rooms are equipped for a wide range of circumstances depending on each patient’s needs. For example, dialysis can be administered so a patient doesn’t miss a treatment while hospitalized.
Comfort is a big component of healing, especially if a patient is not able to walk. “We frequently reposition our patients,” said Lauren Ramey, RN. “It is important to offload pressure points frequently to help promote comfort. It is also important to have family members at the bedside to allow for some familiarity and provide emotional support.”
Emotional support
Care in the ICU can be complex and challenging, but the clinicians who work there seek to ensure the well-being of every patient, not only physically but mentally.
“The ICU team strives to keep our patients comfortable in any situation, whether they can easily communicate or not,” said Kylene Liphart, RN. “We provide emotional support through a listening ear, a hug, a shoulder to cry on, along with providing access to many other resources, depending on their needs.”
If you talk to any ICU team member, you will see compassion in their eyes and enthusiasm in their actions. Communication is a key component to their overall success, whether with each other, their patients or the families of their patients.
“Often times, patients are severely ill with multiple medical conditions in which their overall quality of life is not one that they would wish to prolong by these extraordinary measures,” said Dr. Avendano. “However, we do not judge the quality of any patient’s life. That is for the patient to decide, and by extension their family, when they cannot speak for themselves.”
