KU Hospital will eliminate pediatric intensive care. Timeline not yet determined

The University of Kansas Hospital will soon close its pediatric intensive care units (PICU) at its Kansas City, Kansas location, a hospital spokesperson confirmed in an email this week.

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The decision to sunset PICU services comes after what a hospital official described as “chronically low” use of those services, coupled with a “tremendous need” for inpatient beds among other children and adults.

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After services stop, pediatric patients who need emergency care will continue to be triaged the same way they’ve always been, according to Jill Chadwick, a hospital spokesperson.

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The hospital will also continue to offer pediatric inpatient services for children who need hospitalization — just not intensive care.

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“Last year we cared for only 150 unique patients in the PICU out of 542,429 unique patients health system-wide. That is well below one-quarter of one half of a percent,” Chadwick said in an email Saturday.

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“The majority of the time, the PICU is used for overflow from the NICU or neonatal patient care,” Chadwick said. “… The health system needs space to meet higher demands for care.”

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No timeline yet for closure

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Chadwick said that as of this week, the hospital has not yet decided when it will stop PICU services. The hospital is considering dates that coincide with its fiscal year budget.

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The date of closure will also depend on how it can transition patients already in the PICU to receive care in a different part of the hospital going forward, Chadwick said.

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“We will continue to care for pediatric inpatients who don’t require intensive care,” Chadwick said in an email. “And, we will work with other hospitals in the same way we’ve always worked together to treat rare, emergency cases.”

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Chadwick said the University of Kansas Hospital will continue partnerships with hospitals across the metro that provide PICU services to help meet patient needs.

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The hospital currently has 19 beds for children who need to be hospitalized, but do not need intensive care, Chadwick said.

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What happens after services stop?

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It’s unclear, exactly, how hospital staff will be affected by the sunset of PICU services. Chadwick said in an email that those working in the PICU department will continue to care for pediatric patients.

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The hospital is still mulling over options for what will happen to the existing PICU space and how it will be used. Pediatric patients will likely continue to receive care there, but Chadwick said she could not provide official transition plans Saturday.

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Chadwick said it’s common for adult academic teaching hospitals, like KU, to not provide ongoing pediatric intensive care services when there is a children’s hospital in the same city — in this case, Children’s Mercy.

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However, Chadwick said, the University of Kansas hospital plans to work with that hospital to provide specialized care, citing its radiation and proton therapy services for Children’s Mercy patients who need that care.

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“When we know how this transition will impact individual patients, we will develop communications to support a smooth transition experience for those families,” Chadwick said.