Joseph M. Still Burn Center ICU Improves Patient Care

Joseph M. Still Burn Center ICU Improves Patient Care (Added: November 08, 2010)

It's the largest burn center in the entire country. Now, the Joseph M. Still Burn Center has expanded it's ICU Unit to provide better service to it's most critical patients. Ashley Campbell reports. (more)

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Joseph M. Still Burn Center ICU Improves Patient Care

It's the largest burn center in the entire country. Now, the Joseph M. Still Burn Center has expanded it's ICU Unit to provide better service to it's most critical patients. Ashley Campbell reports.

By: Ashley Campbell | NBC 26 News
Published: November 08, 2010

Augusta, GA --

It's the largest burn center in the country.

Now, the Joseph M. Still Burn Center has expanded its ICU Unity to provide better service to its most critical patients.

The Joseph M. Still Burn Center sees an average of 2,600 patients a year. Now, they've expanded to keep up with the demand.

The Joseph M. Still Burn Center has completed a $9 million renovation to its ICU floor to better meet the needs of its most critical burn patients.

It starts from the minute the patient arrives...

"When you walk in the door...when the ambulance brings in that patient in, right as you enter those doors, there's a de-breading room," said Medical Director of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, Dr. Fred Mullins.

The room is a self-contained, private area and the temperature in the room can be regulated to the patient's needs. It provides all things for initial care.

Instead of two operating rooms, there are now four.

"We get them in there, take care of them and get them into their private room," said Dr. Mullins.

With a new centrally located nurses station, the nurses can quickly respond to a patient in need.

"Everything funnels centrally to the nurses station and the nurses are the most important part of this burn center," said Dr. Mullins.

The new expansion increases the number of beds from 59 to 70; 36 of those are critical care beds which allow doctors and nurses to take care of more patients.

The new layout and design also allows them to handle an influx of patients at one time.

In Febuary of 2008, 20 people were rushed to the center after the Imperial Sugary Refinery blast, in Savannah.

"As all this was planned out, all this was kept in mind-rooms can be converted instantly to critical care room so we have the capacity to take in a large number of patients very quickly at one time," said Dr. Mullins.

Every part of this renovated ICU burn center...showcasing the ongoing dedication to the care of the patients they serve.

If you'd like to take a tour of the new addition, you can do so on Tuesday.

There will be an open house and ribbon cutting at 5:00 p.m.