Nationally Recognized Care For The Most Fragile Children
Randall Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Our nationally recognized pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) treats infants, children and adolescents facing serious or life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Patients range from babies to young adults depending on the diagnosis, caring for the most fragile, ill and injured children.
Take comfort that your child is in good hands: According to the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) we treat the sickest ten percent of children in the nation. But we are in the top ten percent for best outcomes and shortest hospital stays.
Our goal is to work with you and your family toward the best possible result and help both child and family cope with the severity of the injury, illness or long-term effects. In short, we are with you every step of the way.
Family-first environment, compassionate care
When a child is seriously ill, life can feel out of control. In addition to giving your child the best medical care available, we help children, parents and families take back control – through straightforward information about their health and the power to be a partner in important healthcare decisions.
At Randall Children’s Hospital, we believe that parents and families are the most important members of the child’s care team. The love and support of family impacts everything from the effectiveness of treatment to the patient’s day-to-day quality of life. This is at the heart of our family-first care philosophy.
Children whose parents are active in their child’s healthcare tend to heal faster and stay safer. We want you to be a partner in your child’s care – by helping to make decisions about treatment, supporting your child during medical procedures, or staying overnight by their side.
And because the comfort of loved ones is important to the healing process, we help families stay together as much as possible.
The PICU is designed with families in mind: Our 24-bed unit has all single, private patient rooms to provide a clean, quiet and safe environment. All rooms include a sleep space for two family members and in-room bathrooms. Family support areas with showers make long-term stays convenient and comfortable.
At Randall Children’s, we give you the environment, resources and space you need to keep life as normal as possible, and continue routines that comfort you and your child. Let the staff know about your child’s likes and dislikes, special nicknames, routines and special words.
We depend on you to provide accurate information about your child’s medical history, and welcome you to speak up when you have questions or concerns. For patients with siblings, our Child Life Specialists are here to help. They can provide distraction, ease fears and offer support as siblings deal with the hospitalization of a loved one.
Award-winning care means better patient outcomes
Randall Children’s has a nationally recognized pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) staffed by board-certified experts in pediatric intensive care specialties.
Serving families from across the Pacific Northwest, Randall Children’s is the only PICU in Oregon and Washington to receive the Gold Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
The Beacon Award recognizes hospitals that achieve excellence in critical care, provide state-of-the-art treatment, and continuously improve the quality of care.
Most of all, it's the physicians, nurses and support staff who come together with families that make our PICU an extraordinary place of comfort and care.
Why is my child in the PICU?
Children in intensive care are often referred from the Emergency Department, Trauma Center or from surgery. They may be battling a severe infection or illness. They may have faced trauma like a hard impact to the head, organ damage or wound. They may be recovering from one or more major surgeries. Infants born with severe health challenges may be placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
If your child is being transferred to PICU, it’s because they need special care and attention. Your child will be closely monitored 24 hours a day so the medical team can keep a close eye on their condition and give them the treatment they need.
A stay in the PICU can last for hours, days or weeks, depending on the child’s diagnosis and progress. Our hope is to keep your child’s time there as short as possible and keep them comfortable and safe while in our care.
If needed, care continues with rehabilitation. This may include physical, occupational or speech rehab to further their recovery, and treatment is conveniently located in the only pediatric inpatient rehab center between Seattle and San Jose.
Your care team
Your child's care will be managed directly by our pediatric critical care specialists. Sometimes also called pediatric intensivists, this team is skilled in caring for the unique needs, injuries and illnesses of children in critical condition. Our cardiology patients are treated directly by pediatric cardiology specialists.
Our nursing staff provides comfort and care to PICU patients, with every intervention, activity and progression child-appropriate with a family-first approach.
In addition to intensivists and nurses, we also rely on the support of a variety of other specialists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, child life specialists, etc. Whatever your child's needs, our team will support them.
As the parent, you are also an important member of the care team. We respect parents as experts on their child and include you in healthcare and treatment decisions.
Visiting the Randall PICU
Visits from parents or guardians are an important part of a child’s healing process, and they are welcome in the PICU any time, day or night.
Your child’s room has a bed for parents, and the hospital has many family areas including lounges, kitchens, a wellness center and a garden.
When visiting a child in the PICU, keep in mind that it may look different than a typical hospital room. Because of the needs of patients in our care, you may see additional machines and monitoring devices.
For patients with siblings, consider preparing them for what they might see or experience before their first visit, to ease any fear or anxiety. Remind them that these extra screens, cords or tubes are there to help their sibling stay safe and feel better.
Visiting hours for the PICU are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., for any family or visitors outside of parents and guardians.
Please remember:
- Parents are welcome any time, although you may be asked to wait outside the unit when special procedures, treatments or evaluations occur.
- All visitors, including family, must check-in with the security desk in the lobby.
- Two to four people, age 18 and over, may visit at a time, and one of those must be a parent. Exceptions can be made during sibling visits, religious ceremonies, or times of crisis. Depending on the condition of your child, visitors may be limited to two visitors at the discretion of the nurse or doctor.
- Please talk with your child's nurse about sibling visits or special family needs.
- Siblings under 18 years of age must always be with an adult, in the unit or the family lounge.
- Family members and guests must be free of illness when visiting.
- Respect the rights and privacy of others and put cell phones on vibrate while in the unit. Our staff cannot answer questions about other children in the unit.
- Please designate one family member to convey patient information to other family and friends.
- Parking is free. Please park in the visitor spaces.
Our location
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel
2801 N. Gantenbein Ave., Third Floor
Portland, OR 97227
Map/Directions
Phone: 503-276-9500
We welcome all questions or calls to check on your child’s progress any time day or night.
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