Cardiac Intensive Care Unit | Cincinnati Children's
•March 10, 2026
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Why It Matters
The CICU’s low infection rates and 30% cardiac‑arrest reduction set new standards for pediatric cardiac care, driving industry‑wide improvements and reinforcing Cincinnati Children’s reputation as a leading health institution.
Key Takeaways
- •Multidisciplinary CICU team cares for newborns to adults
- •36-bed unit boasts national low infection rates overall
- •Led 20-center collaborative cutting cardiac arrests 30% across institutions
- •Earned Beacon designation for nursing excellence and culture
- •Ranked top children's hospital for over 15 years
Summary
In the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a 36‑bed multidisciplinary team delivers round‑the‑clock, state‑of‑the‑art care for patients from newborns to adults. The unit integrates physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists, and Child Life specialists, emphasizing family‑centered treatment as a core component of patient recovery.
Key performance metrics underscore the CICU’s leadership: it maintains some of the nation’s lowest bloodstream and catheter‑associated urinary tract infection rates, and it spearheads a 20‑center cardiac arrest prevention collaborative that has achieved a 30% reduction in arrest rates both locally and across participating units. The unit also earned the prestigious Beacon designation from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, recognizing outstanding nursing outcomes and a healthy work environment.
Cincinnati Children’s highlights family involvement, describing parents as the child’s main source of strength, and showcases concrete results such as the infection‑rate benchmarks and the collaborative’s measurable impact. The Beacon award and consistent top‑ranking by U.S. News & World Report for over 15 years further validate the CICU’s commitment to excellence.
These achievements position the CICU as a national benchmark for pediatric cardiac care, attracting top talent, influencing best‑practice standards, and ultimately improving survival and quality of life for complex cardiac patients across the country.
Original Description
Discover how the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Cincinnati Children’s delivers world‑class, around‑the‑clock care for patients of all ages with complex cardiac conditions. Our 36‑bed CICU is nationally recognized for safety, innovation and family-centered care—achieving some of the lowest infection rates in the country and leading groundbreaking initiatives to reduce cardiac arrests.
Supported by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, pharmacists, dieticians and Child Life specialists, we are committed to exceptional outcomes and a supportive environment for both patients and staff. Our Beacon Award–winning unit also offers enhanced RN orientation and long-term clinical coaching to strengthen skills, retention, and well‑being.
Learn more about our CICU and explore career opportunities at cincinnatichildrens.org.
Connect with us!
Website: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cincychildrens/
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