With the rising cost in hospital care, patients often wonder if they are really getting worthwhile service for their money. The patients who find it necessary to use the Intensive Care Unit of St. Joseph’s Infirmary receive constant care and attention from specially trained personnel.

“ICU provides specially, skilled observation or intensive treatment for a patient that has required special medical or surgical treatment,” said Miss Mary Colquitt, head nurse of ICU.

Most of the patients are brought to the unit following major surgery, heart attacks or accidents of a gravely serious nature, she said.

The 12 patient capacity unit treats an average of eight patients a day. Specially trained technicians are required to operate the sophisticated equipment needed by many of the patients. Nurses are skilled at preparing medicines, some of which take 20-30 minutes to prepare.

All of the some 750 patients who have been treated since the unit was opened were previously cared for on the regular floors. Unless a person could afford a private duty nurse it was often difficult for him to get the constant attention he needed. Even if he had a nurse with him constantly she may not have possessed the special skills and training now provided by the unit.

An old maternity ward was renovated to meet the needs of the ICU. A special laboratory is provided where the particular medicines are prepared. Mechanical devices and special apparatus to serve a multitude of patient needs are part of the regular operating equipment of the unit.

The Intensive Care Unit is only one of the means through which St. Joseph’s Infirmary is constantly working to improve the service to the patient.