Underutilized CRMC pediatric beds to be used to increase ICU capacity, no changes to care: Officials

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Community Regional Medical Center staff is making changes to how it operates the hospital's intensive care units.

The hospital is closing its dedicated Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to add those ten beds to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

However, the hospital says it will continue to provide the same care to pediatric patients in the ICU.

Community Medical Centers says they have low pediatric patient volumes, and those beds often go unused. This change will allow them to better serve everyone in the community.

"With the continued high volume of patients seeking care in the region, it makes good sense to transition these underutilized beds to treat adult ICU patients without sacrificing specialty services or bed capacity. The same high-quality intensive care will continue for our pediatric patients at Community Regional, as it always has," said Daniel Davis, R.N., Senior VP, Chief Clinical & Operations Officer at CRMC.

No changes will be made to the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which treats newborn babies.

Community Regional Medical Center is Central California's only Level 1 Trauma Center.