Families in the ICU Oh My!

Sherry Smith, Manager, Patient and Family Centered Care, Memorial Health University Medical Center

The session chronicles Memorial Health University Medical Center’s journey to implement family presence and the patient and family model of care delivery in a closed ICU setting. Although some work had begun in the ICUs regarding attitudes toward family presence; it wasn’t until the tragic death of a young woman and the involvement of her mother as an advocate for families at the bedside that the program really took off. Through the mother’s efforts, over $250,000 was raised through philanthropy to renovate space for family respite rooms. Policies and procedures were revised and extensive educational modules implemented to improve the communication and comfort with family presence. This presentation shares valuable lessons for others attempting to implement family presence.