ATLANTIC – Effective February 1, 2012, the Special Care Unit (SCU) at Cass County Memorial Hospital has been moved to the Medical Surgical wing.  Specifically, patient rooms 125, 126, 127 and 128, have been equipped to provide the higher level of SCU care for inpatients.  At the same time, the name of the unit has been changed to Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

These changes have been made in anticipation of the completion of the new addition at the hospital, where all inpatient units (Medical Surgical, Obstetrics and Intensive Care) will be on the second floor with closer coordination of staff between the areas.  The name change is simply to better reflect the level of care provided.  “We want to begin working on some of the staff coordination and processes before we move to our new addition, so everything goes as smoothly as possible at that time,” explained Linda Hemminger, Assistant Administrator of Clinical Services.  “Intensive Care is a more accurate reflection of the care we provide, so this seemed like a good time to make that change, too.”

All of the equipment, monitors and other patient care items from the SCU have been relocated to the four ICU rooms, so patients will receive the same level of care and staff attention they have always received.  A permanent move to the new addition inpatient area is anticipated late this summer.