Baxter County Intensive Care

Round-the-Clock Care for Patients with Special Needs

Serious injuries and illnesses require a special degree of care. The Baxter Regional Medical Center Intensive Care Unit is where patients who need specially trained medical staff close by at all times are cared for. This spacious department gives patients plenty of room to breathe, houses advanced medical equipment, and provides hospital staff with ample space to coordinate patient care.

Many patients staying in the ICU are connected to machines that measure their heart and other body functions. While it can be shocking to see a loved one connected to machines this way, these devices warn hospital staff when a patient needs attention, even if that patient is unable to communicate. Every precaution is taken to ensure those in our care receive the attention and treatment they need.

Electronic ICU

Baxter Regional offers an innovative telemedicine program that connects our critical care patient rooms to a centralized intensive care unit (electronic ICU) located in St. Louis, Missouri. This electronic ICU is staffed around the clock by physicians who specialize in critical care medicine, called intensivists, and highly trained nurses. Using computers, in-room audio and video connections and high speed data lines, these specialists provide an additional level of support to the Baxter Regional patients' physicians and the bedside care team.

Setting up Advance Directives

If you or a loved one is going to need intensive care, it is in your best interests to assign advance directives. Patients in critical care may be rendered incapable of answering a doctor’s questions regarding how to facilitate their care. In these instances, hospital staff refer to the instructions established in the patient’s advance directive, or consult a trusted individual that the patient has designated to make decisions in their place should one of these events occur.

In the event that no advance directives are established, a doctor may speak with the closest family members or make a decision based on their best judgment.

You do not need a lawyer to create advance directives. Simply writing down instructions and showing it to hospital staff member is often sufficient. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask us.