Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit

Our Care

The signature feature of the Mass General Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (NeuroICU) is its people. Operating in close collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery and composed of over 10 disciplines, the NeuroICU features 12 Neurocritical Care faculty, world-class dedicated Neuroscience Critical Care Nursing, an Acute Care Neurosurgical Service including Vascular and Trauma subspecialties in addition to associated Tumor and Functional Neurosurgery sub-specialties, Speech, Occupational, Physical and Respiratory Therapy, Physiatry, Social Work, Pharmacy and Case Management Nursing.

We organize our team on Lunder 6 to meet patient and family needs. 

Neurocritical Care Rounds occur at least 3 times per day. Morning rounds are conducted by the clinician provider team that includes the attending neurointensivist, residents, fellows and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Rounds are conducted collaboratively with the NeuroICU nurse and pharmacist, and when appropriate, the respiratory therapist. Handoffs between team members adhere to a structured process that reinforces key knowledge and anticipated events, to ensure a cohesive and contiguous management plan.

Multidisciplinary Rounds are an innovative feature of our approach to recovery and rehabilitation, which we believe starts in the NeuroICU. Dedicated rounds are led by a team consisting of a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, social worker, attending nurse and case management. This group comes together at the bedside daily to help ensure recovery includes a plan with patients and families at its center.

The NeuroICU Triage Service takes intake requests from our hospital and others, connecting rapidly with physicians with the help of Mass General's MD Connect Service through our referral line, 1-877-MD-REFER.

Teams interface closely with the Neurosurgeons and their teams, the Lunder 6 Continuous EEG Service, Neuroradiology service and the NeuroICU Critical Care Neuromonitoring Program, which reviews complex cerebral monitoring. Together, this information is used to personalize care based on each patient’s unique physiology.

A NeuroRecovery follow-up clinic is a critical step in facilitating care during the transition to the outpatient setting.

Our Facilities

The Lunder NeuroICU is an advanced 22-bed facility dedicated to the care of critically ill neurological and neurosurgical patients. In addition to the 22 private patient rooms, there are spaces for patients and families that include a 3-story atrium, a meditation room, a consultation room and two additional dedicated family rooms inside the unit. The NeuroICU maintains a mobile CT scanner and a fixed installation 3-Tesla MRI and a CT-PET scanner, all located on the same floor.

Our cerebral physiologic monitoring tools include intracranial pressure monitoring, brain oxygenation measurement and seizure monitoring using scalp and cortical surface electrodes.

Tools for respiratory management include direct and video laryngoscopy and dedicated video bronchoscopy.

Ultrasound capabilities include ultrasound machines for point-of-care cardiac, vascular and abdominal imaging in addition to transcranial Doppler ultrasonography.

Clinical Practice Committee

Our Clinical Practice Committee is an important feature of our NeuroICU, organizing our care by developing and reviewing clinical guidelines of care based on local, regional and national expertise. Founded in 2010, the Clinical Practice Committee meets monthly to align the entire breadth and depth of our teams to organize and enhance the quality of care we deliver in the NeuroICU.