Quality and Outcomes Reports - Critical Care

Number of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Discharges

Why we measure it - Research shows that doctors and hospitals that treat more patients often provide better care.

What this means - More patients are seen in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin than other VPS PICUs. Our doctors treat many different health problems. This includes the uncommon and rarest of diseases. Our state-of-the-art critical care area units have 72 beds. By treating a large number of patients, our staff are able to maintain their expertise.

About the data - The VPS database collects information from children's hospitals around the country. The data show the number of patients sent home or transferred from the PICU each quarter compared to the average number from the VPS reference group. 

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

  • Experience matters. Providing excellent care requires a wide set of skills. Our specialists maintain their skills by caring for a large number of children.
  • The Al McGuire Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is a Level I regional referral center that provides the highest level of pediatric critical care. It is one of the few PICUs in the region offering extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a type of heart-lung bypass.  
  • Specially trained pediatric critical care physicians and pediatric nurse practitioners are on site 24 hours a day to respond to patient and family needs. Families are encouraged to take part in daily clinical discussions.
  • Parents, grandparents and legal guardians may visit 24 hours a day.
  • We have a highly specialized Children's Transport Team available 24 hours a day to bring very ill and injured infants and children to our hospital. The team transports more than 1,500 children each year.
  • Families traveling from long distances are encouraged to use our Family Accommodations Program to make travel arrangements and coordinate appointments. Children's Hospital has partnered with non-profit organizations like Ronald McDonald House and Kathy's House to offer comfortable, "home away from home" accommodations. Local hotel chains on our referral list also offer discounts for patient families.

Patients and families:

  • Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions. Provide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.

Referring physicians:

  • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
  • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based 
    e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
    e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
  • Care guidelines for medical professionals
  • Educational materials
  • Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.