The first 40 years: How St. Luke’s PICU continues to support big health victories for young patients

Helping launch a new unit at St. Luke’s was an exciting proposition for registered nurse Barb Long. That passion never went away, as she spent the next 33 years there.

In 1985, Long was one of five core staff hired for the new pediatric intensive care unit at the Boise hospital. She said, “I feel like it’s a calling,” looking back on that time.

Long started her nursing career out of college in Texas, where she immediately felt at home working with kids and planned to stay. But when her mom, who lived in Boise, mailed her a newspaper advertisement that St. Luke’s was hiring for its new PICU, Barb couldn’t resist applying.

“It was just kind of like kismet for me,” she said. “It feels like my whole life's been planned out in that regard.”

At its start, Long remembers the St. Luke's PICU was a four-bed unit with three open beds and an isolation room, subspecialties limited to pediatric oncology and cardiology.

This November, the PICU celebrated its 40^th anniversary. And naturally, in the years since its opening, it has grown - St. Luke’s Children’s PICU is Idaho’s largest pediatric intensive care unit with 13-beds and an enhanced ability to care for critically ill children.

“Our team is dedicated to taking care of children with complex illness, as well as providing resources and support for their families as they navigate a difficult time in their lives,” said Dr. Michelle T. Gardner, pediatric critical care physician and medical director of St. Luke’s PICU.

The PICU team includes a variety of children's services such as board-certified pediatric critical care physicians, acute care pediatric nurse practitioners, pediatric subspecialists, pediatric trained nurses, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational/speech therapists, social workers, pharmacists, dietitians and more.

The Boise-based PICU serves as a referral center for hospitals across multiple states, including Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. With the level of pediatric specialists here in Idaho, many families are able to stay closer to home while receiving pediatric intensive care. Before the PICU was established, some children were cared for in St. Luke’s adult ICU.

“The sickest children had to be transferred out of state, which is extremely difficult for families already going through an incredibly stressful time,” said Long, adding that opening the PICU “was a big step for the children of our community.”

Dr. Gardner says one most rewarding aspects of caring for critically ill children is witnessing how resilient they are.

“We take care of children who often require a significant amount of life-saving support, including a ventilator, medications to help their blood pressures and sedation to keep them calm and free of pain,” she said. “Seeing them respond to these treatments and walking out of the PICU is one of the most rewarding moments of my job.”  

Both Gardner and Long agree that it’s the team that makes the PICU a special and rewarding place to work where the team comes together to ensure every child has the best chance of recovery. From a small staff with select subspecialties at its opening, it expands beyond clinical care to music therapists, teachers and chaplains.

Long fondly remembers the core group of nurses who worked together in the PICU in its first 20 years – both their teamwork and special connection were strong.

“Our work and all that it entails is something no one else can remotely grasp,” Long said. “This led to our co-workers becoming our emotional support and that has built lifelong bonds. PICU draws a special type of nurse, one who encompasses the family as part of the patient. They are highly dedicated and compassionate, always striving for the best possible outcome for the kids.”

Barb Long continues to work for St. Luke’s Children’s as a program coordinator. In her current role she oversees data collection for a national reporting tool that helps improve the care of critically ill children in North America and compare quality of care across PICUs in the United States.

While technology and so much more has changed since St. Luke’s PICU first opened its doors 40 years ago, one thing remains the same – the genuine and skilled care provided to every child and their family.

“At the end of the day, we are humans who feel a deep connection and commitment to the children we treat in our PICU,” Gardner said. “We strive to perform our best and want to give every child the opportunity they can to be successful and thrive because they are our future.”