Intensive care in southwest Virginia

Lewis Gale Regional Health System maintains intensive care units (ICUs) at all four of our full-service hospitals. Our ICUs deliver close monitoring and advanced care to seriously ill and injured patients.

The LewisGale ICUs have a low nurse-to-patient ratio, meaning we provide the careful, constant attention needed by our patients in these units.

To learn more about intensive care services at LewisGale Regional Health System, call our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (877) 242-2362.

LewisGale Regional Health System goes above and beyond typical inpatient support in two distinct ways:

  • Concentrated care—ICU doctors and nurses are specially trained to care for individuals with the most serious illnesses and injuries. Our patients and families experience compassionate, attentive and expert care around the clock.
  • Advanced technology—We are committed to using the most advanced equipment, techniques and procedures to help our patients. For example, bedside equipment allows both invasive and noninvasive cardiopulmonary monitoring. Additionally, our dedicated on-site caregivers use a remote monitoring system to add an increased level of attention and responsiveness.

For patients, these extra layers of support often result in shorter hospital stays and better outcomes.

Intensive care medicine

Our intensive care offerings include a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU). Conditions we provide intensive care for may include:

  • Recovery from surgery
  • Brain injuries, such as bleeding, trauma, tumors, coma or cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
  • Heart conditions, such as very high or very low blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat or heart attack
  • Lung conditions, such as acute asthma attack, severe pneumonia or pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung)
  • Kidney disease, such as acute and chronic kidney failure
  • Severe sepsis and end-stage renal disease (respiratory distress requiring ventilator support)

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)

Our Level II NICU at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery offers treatment and support for infants that need more advanced care. We are equipped to care for sick or premature babies as well as infants who require temporary help breathing. In addition, our lactation consultants are specially trained to support you and your baby on your breastfeeding journey.

ICU hospital team

When you are a patient in one of our ICUs, your care team may include:

  • Physicians
  • Nurses
  • Respiratory therapists
  • Nutritionists and dietitians
  • Physical therapists
  • Pharmacists
  • Social workers
  • Clergy/pastoral care

Critical care visitor information

When your relative, friend or loved one is admitted to a critical care/intensive care unit (CCU/ICU) at LewisGale Regional Health System for close monitoring and treatment, rest assured their health is our highest priority.

While our specially trained medical staff provides total patient care for individuals who need close observation and treatment, we need your help and support to fully deliver the best possible care. We encourage your questions and concerns, and we ask that you follow guidelines and visiting hours put in place for the well-being of our patients.

  • ICU visiting hours from 8am - 9pm
  • ICU quiet hours from 9pm - 8am

Guidelines for visitors

An important aspect of intensive care treatment is providing time for patients to rest without interruption in a quiet environment, a practice that promotes healing. Our guidelines for visitors are designed to offer critically ill patients the optimal setting for recovery and renewal.

You can help us help your loved one by adhering to the following guidelines:

  • Limit visitors to two at the patient’s bedside at any given time during regular visiting hours. Consider restricting the length and number of visits to help your loved one rest and heal.
  • Exchange visitors and information in the waiting areas, not at the bedside or in doorways.
  • Use the waiting area when not visiting in the patient’s room to help avoid extra traffic in hallways, doorway and the ICU itself, which helps us comply with all fire and safety regulations and patient confidentiality regulations.
  • Use hand sanitizer located on the wall near the door of each room when entering and leaving. Infection control guidelines are set to assist patient recovery—GEL IN and GEL OUT.
  • Do not bring flowers, plants or animals into the ICU.
  • Do not eat or drink in the patient’s room.
  • Keep cell phone use to a minimum and conversations in a quiet tone. Set phone ringers on very low volume or vibrate.
  • Consider the risk to ICU patients and the need for your visit if you have a fever or symptoms of an illness that could spread (cold, flu) and reschedule your visit.
  • Provide direct supervision for children. For safety reasons, children should not sit or crawl on the floor.
  • Take time to rest and care for yourself so you remain in the best health possible to support your loved one’s recovery.
  • At times, we may ask visitors to step out of the critical care unit and into the waiting areas while we perform procedures or respond to a crisis situation with any patient.
  • Visitors may not stay overnight inpatient rooms at our critical care units. You’ll find accommodations with varying price ranges near our hospitals if family members want to stay close.

Primary contact person

We ask you to designate one person to serve as the primary contact person to receive updates on your friend, family member or loved one’s condition from the ICU nursing staff. All phone calls regarding the patient’s condition will be referred to the patient’s designated contact person.

Your primary contact person will receive a privacy code, which must be provided with the patient’s name when calling for updates. With the patient’s name and privacy code, we’ll transfer your call to the nurse caring for your loved one. Our nurses will contact your spokesperson if there is any change in your loved one’s condition.