Because We Care -- We've Added a New Level of Services in Our Intensive Care Unit

Staff in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Wellington Regional Medical Center care for the hospital's sickest patients -- those recovering from major surgeries and serious injuries and illnesses. Now, patients in the ICU will receive an even higher level of care from a relatively new type of physician specialist at Wellington Regional Medical Center, called an intensivist, who specializes in caring for the seriously ill.

"Patient data tells us that the quality of care in the critical care unit improves when the unit is managed by intensivists," states Kevin DiLallo, Wellington Regional Medical Center's Chief Executive Officer. "Intensivists have the expertise to provide the complex care and support required in the ICU. We are pleased to offer this high level of care to our critically ill patients."

Support for Referring Physicians
The intensivists at the ICU at Wellington Regional are either on site or on call 24 hours a day to coordinate or consult about a patient's care. Their role is not to replace a patient's physician, but to offer support and expertise in the area of critical care medicine so that the best outcomes can be achieved. Throughout the patient's stay, intensivists will keep referring physicians informed about the patient's progress.

"Intensivists don't have demanding outpatient practices that require them to see patients in a private office," says William Ludwig, MD, President of the Intensive Care Consortium since 2005. "We follow national protocols and continually assess patients' conditions, and respond quickly when conditions change or deteriorate. Our goal is to make sure that each patient receives the highest level of care when in the ICU."

Improved Care, Better Outcomes
According to The Leapfrog Group, an association of Fortune 500 companies that works to provide information to improve the quality and safety of medical care, full-time staffing with intensivists could help save 50,000 lives in the U.S. every year.

Intensivist care benefits patients, their physicians and hospitals by:

• Shortening ICU stays
• Reducing complications
• Decreasing the number of days patients are on ventilators
• Increasing the focus on patient safety
• Supporting physicians whose patients are in the ICU
• Reducing unnecessary ICU admissions
• Using hospital resources more efficiently

Intensivists also can help improve patient and family satisfaction. "Family members often feel overwhelmed when loved ones are in the ICU. We can help ease families' stress because they know that we're there monitoring and coordinating care to make sure their loved ones get the services they need when they need them," says Dr. Ludwig.

P. William Ludwig, MD, President of the Intensive Care Consortium, LLC since 2005, is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary medicine. He serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Intensivists serving Wellington Regional Medical Center include: Adam Magin, MD, Baldev Singh, MD, and Ahmet Lavkan, MD. All intensivists are board certified in internal medicine and either pulmonary medicine or critical care medicine, or both.

Wellington Regional Medical Center, 10101 Forest Hill Blvd. Wellington, FL 33414 (561) 798-8500