Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Celebrates 25 Years

San Bernardino County Supervisor Chairman James Ramos presented Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with a proclamation for its 25 years of service to the community on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Ramos attributed much of the hospital’s success to the fact that it stands by its mission “to continue the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.” “Loma Linda is leading the way,” he said. “Their healing ministry can not be overlooked in any way because it truly is a ministry that is bestowed here by the staff.” Ramos read the proclamation to an intimate audience of PICU doctors and staff, as well as hospital administration, which highlighted the 25 years of contributions to the well-being of the children in the community. Shamel Abd-Allah, MD, chief, pediatric critical care, LLUCH, accepted the award on behalf of the PICU, saying he and the entire PICU team are continuing the legacy of the founding physicians, Ronald Perkins, MD, and Daved Van Stralen, MD, who still serves as a pediatric physician within the organization. Prior to the presentation Abd-Allah, who has been a part of the PICU team since 1990, said he hopes the unit will continue to grow with the community it serves. “We do everything we can to save the kids we serve,” he said. “We see the worst of the worst, and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do if it wasn’t for the effort of the whole team – not just the doctors and nurses, but everyone on the unit.” Kerry Heinrich, CEO, Loma Linda University Medical Center said it was an honor to be part of the celebration. “We are so grateful to our staff,” he said, “but we are most grateful for what we can do for our patients. That’s why we are here.” Roger Hadley, MD, dean, LLU School of Medicine, was also present, saying, “I’m very proud of the service the pediatric intensive care unit has provided to the community. It’s part of our culture to do this, and it’s a privilege to be of service to our kids.” The PICU at LLUCH originated as a 12-bed unit with only two attending physicians in the main Medical Center. In 1989 the unit expanded to a 25-bed unit and has grown to a team of 11 attending physicians, six fellows and several highly trained nurses and staff to oversee all that is involved in treating the patients on the unit, such as 10-year-old Alexsandra Alcala, from Moreno Valley, who attended the presentation. Alexsandra was being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit after being transported from another hospital just a few days prior. Her father, Gerardo Alcala, was thankful for the care his daughter had been receiving at the hospital. Since its opening, over 30,000 of the most severely ill and injured children have been treated in the PICU at LLUCH. The PICU is dedicated exclusively to the specialized medical and surgical needs of critically ill children from birth through adolescence. Access to specialized intensive care is often the difference between life and death for a critically ill child, and the PICU at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital has provided children with advanced medical treatment when they have needed it most, treating, on average, 100 kids per month.