West Virginia University Hospitals’ Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) serves the Level 1-designated Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center treating critically injured and ill general surgery, pediatric, trauma, neurosurgical, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, vascular surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and orthopaedic surgery patients. This 28-bed unit is located on J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital’s fifth floor.

What We Do

The SICU team provides care for a vast range of surgical injuries and illnesses coming from nearly all departments in the hospital. Every year, our SICU team treats approximately 3,000 severely injured or ill patients using a collaborative approach to care. This multidisciplinary team is equipped with the expertise required to care for the wide array of surgical complications and conditions seen in the SICU.

The unit is staffed by attending physicians who provide continuous coverage with assistance from a team of residents. SICU nurses have received advanced training in critical care nursing, and many have received additional degrees and certifications.

What to Expect

The SICU is a patient-centered ICU. As such, families are welcome at their loved one’s bedside daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., enabling family members to spend quality time in the patient’s room.

If the patient arrives through the trauma department after hours and the SICU waiting room is not staffed, please call the unit clerk on the waiting room phone at 74314 (or dial 304-598-4000, ext. 74314 on your cell phone) so our nurses can provide you with the latest updates on your patient.

Patients (to the extent they are able) and their families participate in all discussions and decisions about their care. Patients’ length of stay in the SICU can vary from hours to months depending upon the extent of the care required.