Lakeside Hospital has long provided critical care services for Jefferson Parish's tiniest patients in its neonatal intensive care unit. Now, that same level of intensive care is available for mothers and other adults.

Hospital officials today cut the ribbon on Tulane Lakeside's new adult intensive care unit, an investment of more than $500,000 in new construction and equipment. The six-bed unit will begin treating patients in the next few days, and is the latest addition to the Metairie campus since expanding its focus on adult services earlier this year.

"We are thrilled to now be able to offer this service to maternal-fetal patients on site," said Tara Beth Anderson, Tulane Health System's associate chief nursing officer who oversees clinical operations at Tulane Lakeside. "It provides a much higher level of convenience and peace of mind to know that mom can be treated in the same facility as baby if the need arises. But our new ICU also allows us to treat a wide variety of patient needs outside of the obstetrics area."

In addition to providing general adult critical and perinatal care, the new unit will allow the hospital to provide the intensive wound care services required for some plastic and reconstructive surgeries, as well as more complicated orthopedic procedures such as spine surgeries.

The critical care unit is adjacent to a new 13-bed medical/surgical/orthopedic unit currently under construction.

This is the latest addition to the campus since changing its name to Lakeside Hospital and expanding its focus on adult services. The hospital earlier this month added new robotic guidance technology for orthopedic shoulder surgeries, and it will continue to offer adult and pediatric emergency services - with average ER wait times well below local and state averages - as well as inpatient rehabilitation services. Adult specialty services such as cardiology and urology have begun offering clinics on or near the Tulane Lakeside campus, and other specialties are being explored.

The hospital will also continue to build on its legacy of women's care with enhanced women's imaging services and continued support of its Level III Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

"Since its founding in 1964, Tulane Lakeside's focus has been on moms and babies, and the care we provide them now is stronger than ever," Anderson said. "We're excited to now offer that same level of compassionate, expert care to entire families across all stages of life."

For more information about Tulane Lakeside and its services, please visit Tulane Lakeside. For assistance finding a physician or for free health advice, please call Tulane Nurses On-Call at 504-249-7675.