Critical Care

The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at Long Beach VA Healthcare System is a 16 bed combined medical, cardiac, & surgical ICU. It is an open unit where and patients are admitted based on need. Three different teams cover the patients in the unit: a cardiac team, a pulmonary team, & an Anesthesiology-Intensivist team for surgical patients. Two UC Irvine faculty (Drs Shah & Shier) & two per diem faculty (Drs. Wittman & Wong) cover the patients in rotation. Dr. Shah serves as the chief of ICU & also supervises Surgical ICU. Surgical Interns & Anesthesia residents rotate through SICU for their critical care training. One to four medical students from UC Irvine also rotate through the SICU/DOU.

The LBVA also has a "Direct Observation Unit" (DOU), a 9 bed step-down type unit where in medical & surgical patients are admitted. The anesthesiology-intensivist team takes care of surgical patients in DOU.

Thoracic, General Surgical, Vascular, Urology, Orthopedic, Plastics, Ear Nose & Throat cases are admitted to SICU & DOU.