Intensivist Services

Lakeland's intensivists are key players in the critical care team. They provide leadership to the members of the critical care team, treating our patients with continuous and consistent care.

Lakeland's intensivist program began more than eight years ago and currently has three intensivists in the CCU. Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph's CCU is an open system. Patients are admitted by their personal physician or specialist. The intensivists provide consultative care and are available 24/7.

Since the early 1990s, the existence of intensivists as part of a hospital's critical care team has increased. Studies have shown that morbidity and mortality rates in the critical care unit and in the hospital in general dramatically decrease in instances where care in the CCU is provided by intensivists. Hospitals with intensivists also often have shorter lengths of stay in the critical care unit and a smaller number of unnecessary critical care admissions.

Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph's 17-bed critical care unit provides care for more than 1,200 patients annually.