As Rush University Medical Center continues to grow, our Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) is transforming to help us provide high quality care for our patients. The recent expansion that began, Jan. 21, 2013, included seven additional patient beds, for a total bed capacity of 28 and a progressive nurse practitioner service that allows them to provide 24/7 care.  
 
The CICU at Rush primarily cares for patients who have heart conditions and require inpatient hospital care. Our unit welcomed five new nurse practitioners, which along with more beds will help relieve the high volume of patients we receive. The addition of nurse practitioners is an emerging service that has been known to show a higher quality and continuity of care, as well as improved outcomes. As we transform the way we deliver care, our goal is to evaluate its success and incorporate the CICU nurse practitioner service into future expansions at Rush.
 
“We’re overseeing every problem. I’m excited to carry out a more holistic form of care for patients, seeing them from beginning to end and managing all aspects of their care,” says Stacy Gill, MSN, ACNP, one of the new nurse practitioners.
 
Nurse practitioners in the CICU will provide patient care in the same way as the team of residents who treat the unit’s patients. Like the residents, they’ll collaborate with the coronary care fellow and attending, and work with the CICU nursing staff to make patient assessments and discuss plan of the day and long term care plans. Care of the unit’s patients will be divided evenly between the three existing resident teams and the new nurse practitioner service.
 
"The combined expertise of our CICU nurses, physicians, pharmacists and nurse practitioners provides a comprehensive environment for advanced cardiac care that is second to none. We are proud to be able to extend that care to more patients hospitalized with heart disease,” explains Jeffrey Soble, MD, Medical Director, Coronary Intensive Care Unit.
 
Our staff demonstrates an unwavering commitment to patient care, consistently performing at a level that is extraordinary. Their work has earned Rush national ranking by U.S. News & World Report, as well as ANCC Magnet™ designation for the third consecutive time. We’re the only hospital in Illinois serving both adults and children to receive the designation for a third time.